Xinjiang announces incentives to promote winter tourism

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has recently rolled out a variety of favorable measures to promote winter tourism, drawing on its abundant snowfall, long snow season, and quality snow resources.

In recent years, the region has focused on developing ice-and-snow tourism around the Tianshan and Altay mountain ranges. It now operates more than 100 ski resorts, with some among China's most popular ski destinations.

At a cultural and tourism promotion event in Urumqi on Thursday, the regional government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps jointly introduced subsidies and facilitating policies to attract visitors. Government bodies, travel agencies, and related enterprises from across the country participated to explore business opportunities.

From November to February, a total of 45,000 consumption vouchers will be distributed via the WeChat mini-program YouXinjiang, a tourism service gateway launched by the region's culture and tourism department.

Additionally, Aksu prefecture is offering 20.9 million yuan ($2.96 million) in vouchers, while the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture and Kashgar prefecture are providing 4.5 million yuan and 4 million yuan, respectively.

Discounts covering travel tickets, airfare, fuel, accommodation, and dining are available at more than 150 scenic spots, around 200 hotels and guesthouses, and other businesses across Xinjiang. To further attract tourists, Altay, Ili, and Changji Hui autonomous prefecture are providing free skiing and incentives for charter flights.

This winter, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps will subsidize tour groups, charter flights, tourist trains, and self-driving tours with 50 to 100 yuan per person per night. Other incentives include free or discounted attraction tickets, bundled travel packages, and vouchers for skiing, movies, reading, accommodation, and agritainment. Themed festivals highlighting ice-and-snow activities, hot springs, and folk customs will also be organized.

Li Yuanhao, deputy director of Altay's bureau of culture, sports, radio, television, and tourism, noted that the prefecture has been enriching tourism offerings while improving service quality through staff training.

Recently, the prefecture launched the country's first ice-floating club, where visitors wearing insulated waterproof wetsuits can float in frigid water. Li added that an ice-and-snow theme park will open soon.

According to Hai Yan, director of the publicity, promotion, and exchanges department of Urumqi's bureau of culture, radio, television, and tourism, the regional capital signed a cooperation agreement with online travel platform Qunar.com on Thursday to better promote local ice-and-snow travel resources.

Deng Zeze, deputy general manager of the government-enterprise cooperation department at travel portal Ly.com, said the company is investing 20 million yuan in discounts across Xinjiang to attract tourists through March, with a focus on Ili and Kashgar.

During the event, the tourism association of Bayingolin Mongolian autonomous prefecture signed a collaborative agreement with a travel agency from Hebei province to promote tourist exchanges. Head of the association Liu Heping said they are planning incentives for tourist trains, charter flights, and buses to attract more visitors next year.