Ice and Snow World heats up Harbin's economy

Tourists visit the Ice and Snow World in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province.[Photo/Xinhua]

During the entire Spring Festival period, Harbin attracted up to 911,000 visitors, up 13.8 percent year-on-year, with a total of 2.16 billion yuan in earnings, 16.1 percent higher than the previous year.

"The 2017 CCTV Spring Festival Gala was a good advertisement for the Ice and Snow World as well as other ice tourism packages of Harbin, greatly adding to the value of intangible assets," said Dai Bin, dean of the China Tourism Academy.

"The performance of the 2017 CCTV Spring Festival Gala in the park contributed to not only improving the ice-themed tourism image of Harbin, but also enhanced the city's soft power."

Meanwhile, the ice industry in Jilin, the neighboring province of Heilongjiang, including ice springs, also attracted millions of visitors during the 2017 Spring Festival.