Photo: Xinhua

The World Winter Sports Expo 2025 opened at the Shougang Park in Beijing's Shijingshan district on Thursday. Marking its 10th edition, the expo focuses on promoting international exchanges and cooperation in ice and snow sports, tourism and culture.

Covering nearly 20,000 square meters of the exhibition space, the expo showcases the latest achievements of more than 500 renowned global brands. Additionally, over 20 forums and side events will feature in-depth discussions with more than 200 leading speakers from the global winter sports community.

Giovanni Malago, Milan-Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee president and IOC member, said at the opening ceremony that the World Winter Sports Expo is one of the most remarkable legacies of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. 

"This enduring and dynamic legacy continues to unite global forces and embodies the values of sport, innovation, and cooperation," he said.

"The handover from Beijing 2022 to Milan-Cortina 2026 is far more than a symbolic gesture," Malago noted. 

"We have maintained ongoing dialogue with the Chinese organizing committee and relevant institutions, allowing us to learn from their organizational model and gain invaluable experience and insights during our own preparations."

The same spirit of continuity and innovation is also reflected in Beijing's efforts to keep the momentum of winter sports alive at home.

"Hosting the Winter Sports Expo was a solemn commitment Beijing made to the international community during its Olympic bid," Wan Long, the mayor of the Shijingshan district, told the Global Times on Thursday. "It serves as an important initiative to promote the Olympic spirit and support the preparation of the Beijing Winter Games."

"In building a public-oriented ice and snow economy, we have organized the 'Beijing Citizen Happy Ice and Snow Season' for 11 consecutive years," Wan added. "We have created venues for ice and snow consumption in shopping areas, communities, and suburban woodlands, continuing to consolidate the achievements of engaging 300 million people in winter sports."

In recent years, China's ice and snow tourism industry has experienced rapid growth due to favorable national policies. Data released at the opening ceremony showed that during the 2023-24 winter season, China recorded 430 million ice and snow tourism trips, generating a total revenue of 524.7 billion yuan ($73.62 billion). For the upcoming season, the number of tourists is expected to reach 520 million, with its revenue projected to exceed 630 billion yuan.

"In the past, there was a saying that China's strength in ice and snow tourism lay in the northeast - Heilongjiang for the ice and Jilin for the snow," said Huo Jianjun, president of the China Association of Tourist Attractions. "Today, the ice wonderlands of the northeast, the snow kingdoms of North China, and the alpine ice paradises of the northwest each showcase their unique appeal and the vitality of the industry."

Wu Dajing, a leading figure in Chinese short track speed skating, said at the opening ceremony that winter sports, once considered a niche hobby, have now become a lifestyle for millions of Chinese people who ski and skate every winter.

"The Winter Sports Expo is a powerful catalyst for this growing enthusiasm," Wu said. 

"It brings together cutting-edge technologies, top brands, and innovative ideas from around the world, making advanced winter sports equipment more accessible, premium resources more shareable, and creative concepts more inspiring."

"It is fueling not only the rise of an industry worth hundreds of billions of yuan, but also the spread of a healthy and dynamic way of life," he added.