Where to go for the Spring Festival holiday? Where to have fun? This is the most frequently asked question recently. The development of the tourism industry and the rise of internet-famous cities are booming. From the barbecue in Zibo to the "village supermarket" in Rongjiang, and to the high popularity in Harbin, various cultural and tourism bureaus in Henan are also coming out to snatch the feast. The boys from HTA are giving pearls and diamonds on the street, tightly gripping the hearts of women nationwide. Cultural and tourism bureaus from all over the country are competing through short videos to promote their cities and create cultural and tourism IP.
The top city, HarbinNo one expected that "erbin" would become the first "top city" for the New Year cultural and tourism in 2024. During the three-day holiday from New Year's Day to 2024, Harbin received a total of 3.0479 million visitors, with a total tourism revenue of 5.914 billion yuan. In winter, the northeast is hot, as if it were taken for granted. So why is Harbin the one that's on fire, rather than other cities in the northeast? It's because Harbin's urban image has been created with great momentum. However, the initial development of Harbin's cultural and tourism in this winter was not smooth.
About a month ago, Harbin's Ice and Snow World encountered some troubles. Within three hours of opening the park, the number of reservations reached 40,000, far exceeding the carrying capacity of the park. Many visitors could not get in and play, and demanded refunds, which promptly went viral. It was thought to be troublesome, but with the local handling it properly, Harbin reached new heights of popularity. Afterwards, Harbin tried its best to please tourists, from setting up "warm stations" on the street to serving frozen pears, Harbin began to build its image as a city that embraces tourism and warmly welcomes visitors. Local netizens in Heilongjiang said: "Don't ask us for local travel guides anymore, this city is now very unfamiliar to me."
He Jing, Director of the Cultural and Tourism Department of Heilongjiang Province, said that this winter's popularity is not a coincidence. Harbin has been preparing for a year. In fact, whether it is Zibo or Harbin, or the various cities in Henan now, it is clear that government departments have taken the initiative to "operate" the cultural and tourism industry.
The reason behind this is closely related to the local economy in recent years. It is no secret that the current status of land finance is greatly affected by the real estate market. It is understood that there are fewer opportunities for investment promotion, and the development of cities is insufficient. Many cities have no choice but to turn to the cultural and tourism industry. It is in northern and inland cities where the sense of crisis is most apparent.
From "internet-famous" to "long-lasting"
Of course, an internet-famous city must meet one requirement: Convenience of transportation.
Northwest China, which was hot a few years ago, has a close relationship with the improvement of high-speed rail and expressways. Zibo's popularity is also closely related to its local high-speed rail connections. The convenient transportation is also one of the reasons why Harbin has become so popular. There are many tourist spots in the northeast, and it is not difficult to build an Ice and Snow World. However, famous attractions like Changbai Mountain suffer from inconvenient transportation. For example, whether departing from Shanghai by plane or high-speed rail to Harbin, it only takes a few dozen kilometers to reach Ice and Snow World or Central Street. But it is much more troublesome to go to Changbai Mountain, involving transfers from airplane to train, and then to a coach, which is inconvenient in terms of transportation.
However, the most difficult part now is how to convert traffic into long-lasting appeal. Internet publicity is a double-edged sword; the faster it catches fire, the faster it may go cold. A city that can sustain its popularity mainly depends on large cities where the tourism industry is well developed. For small cities, the well-developed tourism industry is like a lifeline. Take Chongqing, as an example, as a representative of "long-lasting" internet-famous cities. In 2022, the city received 54.5646 million overnight tourists, and the tourism and related industries achieved added value of 106.326 billion yuan, accounting for only 3.7% of the city's GDP proportion.
In the past decade, both in terms of population and GDP, the development of the north has clearly lagged behind the south. Harbin has even become the first provincial capital city in the country with a population of less than 10 million and negative growth. Many young people in the northeast are truly leaving the region and seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Conclusion
Through the deep development of the ice and snow industry chain, from the expansion of the tourism service industry to the manufacturing industry, Harbin has attracted countless tourists and entrepreneurs with its industries. It is evident that Harbin still has a long way to go. This winter, the popularity of ice and snow has ignited hope, and the future of Harbin and its people is promising!
The content of this article is for research and learning purposes only and does not constitute any investment advice.
