China's school snow breaks boost winter tourism, consumption

Ski enthusiasts ski at Yabuli Ski Resort in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 6, 2025. (Photo/Yuan Yong)

Primary and secondary school students in Urumqi and Altay Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region enjoyed a nine-day "snow break," as the extended holiday included five official days from Dec. 1 to 5 plus the adjacent weekends. Similarly, northeast China's Jilin Province welcomed its first snow break from Dec. 3 to 7.

The snow breaks not only provided primary and secondary school students with new platforms for well-rounded development but also injected fresh vitality into regional growth through the deep integration of culture, sports and tourism.

At the Museum of the Origin of Human Skiing inside the Jiangjun Mountain International Ski Resort in Altay, students immersed themselves in the history of skiing, gaining a systematic understanding of the sport's long history and unique appeal.

During these snow breaks, museums, art galleries and libraries in Urumqi, Altay Prefecture and Jilin Province opened to the public free of charge.

Wang Juan, deputy director of the culture, radio, TV and tourism bureau of Urumqi, noted that the break represents an innovative practice rooted in the region's exceptional ice-and-snow resources, addressing the dual needs of improving education quality and promoting regional development.

The spillover effects of the snow breaks in stimulating consumption and boosting regional development became evident.

Data from online travel service provider Qunar shows that from Dec. 3 to 7, total scenic spot ticket bookings in Jilin Province rose 13 percent year on year. During the snow break in Xinjiang, scenic spot ticket bookings also climbed sharply, rising 16 percent from the previous period.

Urumqi launched a policy offering free ski passes to all primary and secondary school students across Xinjiang.

"During the snow break, student bookings exceeded 10,000," said Fan Lanlan, deputy general manager of Urumqi Baiyun International Ski Resort. On Dec. 1 alone, the resort received approximately 6,200 visits, more than 3,000 of which were by primary and secondary school students, marking a peak in tourist arrivals.

Zhong Shuru, associate dean of the School of Tourism at Xinjiang University, said snow breaks avoid traditional ice-and-snow tourism peaks during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival and create concentrated leisure time for families with school-age children, offering new winter tourism consumption scenarios while effectively driving coordinated development in related industries such as catering and transportation.

The snow breaks also provided an ideal window for off-peak travel, with travelers from Jilin and Xinjiang showing strong enthusiasm for outbound trips. Data indicates that from Nov. 29 to Dec. 7, flight bookings departing from Urumqi and Altay both increased by more than 40 percent. Cities in south China such as Sanya and Guangzhou became popular destinations for tourists from Jilin and Xinjiang.

Multiple departments in Jilin Province jointly issued a dedicated work plan for the 2025 snow break. In the province, 36 ski resorts and three ice rinks offered time-limited free access to young people, and 171 A-level tourist attractions waived entrance fees for primary and secondary school students at certain facilities. The province also distributed 100 million yuan (about $14.14 million) in ice-and-snow consumption vouchers covering travel, accommodation and other services.

Urumqi launched favorable measures for residents, rolling out diverse cultural and tourism products accompanied by discounts. Six major ski resorts offered free admission to all primary and secondary school students across Xinjiang; B&B hotels were discounted by up to 30 percent, and railway authorities added 119 extra trains to support study tour groups.