Jilin, Xinjiang resorts scale China ski summit

Wanda and Luneng resorts in Changbaishan, Jilin Province, and Jiangjunshan resort in Altay Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, were ranked as China's Top 3 ski resorts, according to the "Scaling the Summit" report released by international property consultancy Savills on Tuesday.

The report tracked 22 domestic popular ski resorts based on a resilience index using four indicators, namely, snow season length, altitude, average snowfall in five years, and snow days.

While ski resorts in northeastern China, which account for half of the 22 quality ski resorts with detachable gondola lifts, performed well in all the indicators, the snow season in Changbaishan has the optimal condition with a low average temperature in winter and most snowy days. It also topped other indicators, thereby propelling Wanda and Luneng resorts in Changbaishan to first and second rank, respectively.

They were followed by Jiangjunshan in Xinjiang, boasting the highest altitude and average snowfall in the past five years, Savills report showed.

Nationwide, Changbaishan, Jiangjunshan and Yabuli regions topped the ski resort index.

With natural resources being the core competence of ski resorts, which will in most cases be turned into regular outdoor venues in the non-snow season, operators of ski resorts should not only increase snow season competitiveness but also invest heavily in other entertainment facilities, and will have to embrace a brand-new competition over sustainability and environmental protection in the long run, Savills noted.

"The advocate for 300 million Chinese people to enjoy winter sports will bring a broad vision for the sports and ski resort industry. This is set to be a consumption highlight in the future," said James MacDonald, head of Savills Research China.

"More consumers look to go for outdoor sports and get close to nature's charm. It may prompt plenty of property owners to think about improving competence to rival with international counterparts."

There has been growing enthusiasm among Chinese consumers for sports brands which registered faster expansion than the general market.

In the main 20 first- and second-tier cities, mature sports brands expanded at the rate of 8 percent in 2021, up 1.8 percentage points from 2020, which was higher than the 2.6 percent growth rate for common daily wear, according to the report.