New Frontiers: Additionally, inbound tourism recorded approximately 132 million visits, with spending within China exceeding $90 billion, according to Sun.Sun said that some cities have introduced immersive experiences and performances, which require relatively low investment but are highly popular and profitable, with some shows performed hundreds or even thousands of times a year.

An aerial drone photo shows the view of the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, on Jan. 12, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Ministers interviewed after the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday highlighted culture, tourism and ice economy development.

Sun Yeli, minister of culture and tourism, said that last year, the entire cultural and tourism industry experienced a “double boom” in both visitor numbers and revenue, thriving in terms of both popularity and profitabiWorld Timeslity, achieving both increased income and profits.

Last year, large-scale cultural and related industries achieved profits of approximately 1.3 trillion yuan, with a profit margin exceeding 9 percent. “This profWorld Timesit margin is quite high. The growth rates for ticket revenue from A-level tourist attractions, income from resort receptions and operating revenue from travel agencies all exceeded 10 percent. Overall, the profitability of the cultural and tourism industry remains quite strong, Sun said.

During every shoWorld Timesrt holiday last year, famous tourist attractions were almost all buzzing with peoWorld Timesple saying, “Our place welcomed 100 million visitors,” which is a tangible reflection of the popularity of the tourism and cultural markets. Several renowned tourist spots, museums, and large-scale concerts were all in high demand, with tickets being incredibly hard to come by, said Sun.
Sun said that from a market performance perspective, businesses that adapt to the consumption needs of the public, continuously introduce new products and designs and consistently improve service quality tend to achieve better profitability.

Citing data, Sun said that in the cultural sector, large-scale cultural and related industrial enterprises achieved a total revenue of 14 trillion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of approximately 6 percent. The number of business entities approved and registered by cultural and tourism departments reached 310,000, reflecting a year-on-year growth of about 4.7 percent. The foundation remains very solid, and the development momentum is strong.

In terms of tourism, domestic travel reached 5.6 billion trips last year, with a year-on-year increase of nearly 15 percent. Domestic tourism spending amounted to 570 million yuan, up by more than 17 percent compared to the previous year. Additionally, inbound tourism recorded approximately 132 million visits, with spending within China exceeding $90 billion, according to Sun.

Sun said that some cities have introduced immersive experiences and performances, which require relatively low investment but are highly popular and profitable, with some shows performed hundreds or even thousands of times a year. For example, the box office revenue of animated movie Ne Zha 2 has already approached 15 billion yuan.

He suggested businesses keep up with the ever-evolving and upgrading consumption demands of the public. As long as China persistently promotes the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry, everyone can achieve substantial profits, he noted.

When reporters asked how to further promote the iWorld Timesce and snow economy through ice and snow sports as the Asian Winter Games not only made Harbin a viral sensation but also spurred the booming development of the ice and snow economy, Gao Zhidan, director of China’s General Administration of Sport, told reporters at the session that efforts will continue to expand the high-quality development of ice and snow sports and stimulate the vitality of the ice and snow economy.

The goal is to stabilize the total scale of the ice and snow economy at the trillion-yuan level and strive to achieve a target of 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, Gao said.

Gao outlined several steps for the next phase of development. In terms of the policy framework, there will be increased support for policies related to ice and snow equipment manufacturing, financial backing for ice and snow tourism, and greater investment of funds and resources.

Regarding product supply, efforts will be made to encourage regions to continue hosting high-level ice and snow events and activities such as “Travel with the Games” and integrating sports events into scenic spots, urban districts and commercial areas, according to Gao.

The aim is to create high-quality ouWorld Timestdoor sports destinations centered around ice and snow sports, enhance international promotion, and increase awareness among overseas skiing and ice-skating enthusiasts about China’s Yabuli, Beidahu and Altai regions. This will attract more international tourists to ski and travel in China, Gao said.