Ski resorts issue Ice and Snow Silk Road Union Card

Mobilized by the Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, fifteen members of the China Ski Resorts Union began to issue a new type of cards on December 1 that will allow holders to enjoy discounts and fast pass among other benefits when they go skiing at any of the 15 ski resorts.

Called the Ice and Snow Silk Road Union Card, the card represents the union's effort to enhance its own influence, promote the complementarity of its members' resources, and enrich the choices and benefits of skiers.

With the approach of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China's ice and snow industry has entered a gold period of development, presenting historic opportunities for ski resorts around the country.  

According to incomplete statistics, China had 700 ski venues by the end of 2018. Their fast development makes it necessary to introduce regulations and sound organization, to improve development quality, and to promote advanced management experiences and skills.

In this context, supported by the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and the Jilin provincial government, Jilin Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, Jilin Beidahu Ski Resort, Wanda Changbai Mountain International Resort, Changbai Mountain Luneng International Resort and Changchun Miaoxiang Mountain Ski Resort jointly initiated the China Ski Resorts Union, the first of its kind in China, in December 2018. Now the union has members from 14 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, including Jilin, Beijing, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and Hunan.

The establishment of the union marks a change from ski resorts developing on their own to their developing according to uniform industry standards.

In March 2019, the union convened its first General Assembly at the Jilin Vanke Songhua Lake Resort. 180 people representing China's famous ski resorts, camp education agencies and scenic areas discussed how to promote sustainable and sound development of China's ski industry and how to cultivate ice and snow industry professionals among other topics at the Assembly. Through hosting a summit forum, the union provided a new platform for mutually beneficial cooperation among Chinese ski resorts.

The Assembly adopted a three-year action plan, which includes starting the Ice and Snow Silk Road Cup as an important skiing event IP of the union, establishing a marketing and promotion platform for all union members, exploring ways for the exchange of skiers among member resorts, and releasing a document on the implementation of the Operation and Management Standards of Chinese Ski Resorts.

In cooperation with national ice and snow tourism talent training bases, the union will hold the Ice and Snow Silk Road Cup skiing event from November 2019 to March 2020.

With a cash award of 500,000 yuan, the event is also open to skiing beginners in a bid to popularize the sport.

At present, China has four ski resorts that have ski tracks in exceed of 100 hectares each and three are in Jilin: the Jilin Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, the Wanda Changbai Mountain International Resort and the Beidahu Ski Resort, according to Yang Andi, director of the Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

"Jilin has both good snow and good snow resorts, so relying on these leading resorts, Jilin initiated the China Ski Resorts Union to formulate and improve ski resorts standards," said Yang.

The union will leverage the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to help develop China's ice and snow industry and provide better deals and experiences for skiers, said Wang Yong, board of director of the Changchun Miaoxiang Mountain Ski Resort and also secretary general of the union.

The union will also explore a four-season operation model for ski resorts and study how to integrate ice and snow industry development with targeted poverty reduction, according to Wang.

It also plans to set up five centers to deal with administration and finance, talent training, data promotion, industry development, and branding respectively, and address the pain points affecting future development from an international perspective, Wang added.

"Jilin's growth from a follower to pacesetter in the ice and snow industry cannot be achieved without the overall planning of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and the Jilin provincial government and the effort of the Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism," said Zhao Lanju, rotating president of the union and general manager of Jilin Vanke Songhua Lake Resort.

The establishment of the union is expected to lead to better skiing environment, a greater supply of skiing products, more forms of business, and better facilities and services, according to Zhao.

The 15 ski resorts that issue the Ice and Snow Silk Road Union Card are:

Jilin: Changchun Miaoxiang Mountain Ski Resort, Jilin Vanke Songhua Lake Resort

Hebei: Fulong·Four-Season Resort, Mi Yuan Yun Ding Amusement Parkk Cuiyun Mountain Yinhe Ski Resort

Beijing: Beijing Yuyang International Resort, Beijing Vanke Shi Jinglong Ski Resort

Tianjin: Tianjin Jizhou International Resort

Heilongjiang: Yabuli Sunshine Resort

Liaoning: Shenyang Guaipo International Resort, Gongchang Mountain Skit Resort

Sichuan: Xiling Snow Mountain Ski Resort

Xinjiang: Altay Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort, Altay Mountains Yexue Park

Henan: TOREAD Songding Ski Resort