Ski fans snap up Singles Day specials

After several heavy snowfalls in mountainous parts of Jilin province, its ski lodges and resorts are preparing to open their doors to skiers, snowboarders and other winter sports enthusiasts.

Data from Fliggy, Alibaba's travel portal, shows that during this year's Singles Day shopping spree, which started on Sunday, advance flight bookings from Sanya, Hainan province, to popular winter destinations such as Jilin's Changbai Mountain have risen more than 90 percent compared with a month ago.

The data also shows that tourists' interest in winter tourism destinations in Northeast China has increased 300 percent, and skiing bookings have increased 110 percent from last winter.

"Over the past winters, we have received lots of tourists from regions such as Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang," said Yang Zhe, a representative of Wanda White Mountain Resort. "However, it is the first time we have received a large number of orders from Sanya."

Jilin has many of the best and largest ski resorts in China, including Lake Songhua Resort, Beidahu Ski Resort and Wanda White Mountain Resort.

"We have launched preferential policies that offer cheap skiing packages for tourists for the upcoming Singles Day shopping spree," Yang said.

"Tourists can spend as little as 499 yuan ($74.60) on a ski package, including a Holiday Inn Express room, ski resort, snow theme park, water park and hot spring."

On Oct 21, the first day the discount packages were offered on Alibaba's Taobao online shopping platform, 20,000 rooms were booked, with turnover of 23 million yuan, he added.

"Our ski resort will open on Nov 14, and the ski season will last for some 150 days," Yang said. "We expect to receive more than 500,000 tourists during the coming winter."

Around 345,000 people visited the Wanda resort last winter.

"Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it seems more difficult for ski enthusiasts to go skiing abroad," Yang said. "Jilin has long been a formidable force for winter sports in China, rich in great locations and facilities, so I believe there will be more people choosing our province as their destination this winter."

The Arctic Ski Resort in Mohe, Heilongjiang province, China's northernmost city, welcomed its first tourists on Oct 23.

The resort also offers a range of entertainment choices for visitors.

"I've spent most of my time at indoor ski resorts," Zhang Qi, a tourist from Anhui province, said. "When I got the news that the resort in Mohe would open earlier this year, I decided to come here to take part in the first outdoor skiing opportunity this year.

"It's really an unforgettable experience, enjoying the comfortable weather, fresh air and skiing on the white snow."