Shougang Ski Jumping Platform Photo: IC

Even though the unforgettable Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games has concluded, the "snow mania" following the phenomenal event is just starting to greatly boost the development of various industries in China, as the popularity of ice and snow sports continues to pick up.

The iconic Shougang Park, which witnessed Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming's gold in the men's snowboard big air final and Gu Ailing's historic gold in the women's freeski big air, saw a boom in visitors during the first weekend after its reopening to the public. 

The park requires reservations for tourists to enter through March 30, as all spots for the weekend had been fully booked as of press time, the Global Times has learned.

The Shougang Park will continue to host key international and domestic sport events, and it's being adopted as a training venue for athletes. 

It will also organize and host commercial events and thematic activities with diverse enterprises, Chinese financial news site caixin.com reported on Sunday. 

According to consulting and research firm iiMedia, the market for ice and snow sports in China is expected to reach 71.39 billion yuan ($11.3 billion) in 2022, and may potentially exceed the 100-billion yuan mark in 2024, boosted by enthusiasm following the Beijing Games.

Industries related to ice and snow sports have gradually taken shape after Beijing's successful bid to host the Winter Olympics, Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Zhang noted that while industries such as sports gear and equipment have been further promoted, training and competition venues located across the nation have also boosted local tourism.

Moreover, the high-quality development of the ice and snow industry will be integrated with more business models moving forward, such as 5G, finance and tourism, which will meet diverse consumption needs and assist related enterprises to explore new development paths, said the iiMedia report. 

Industry insiders said that the ice and snow fever will last for a long time across the country so the growth of the domestic skiing market will be accelerated, with the number of skiers in China to be close to 60 million, on par with the US, France and Austria.

"The ice and snow industries are developing for the long run, rather than just 'flash in the pan,' supported by the country's favorable policies, growing market demand and increasing public recognition," said Zhang.