Since October, winter tours to the "ice city" of Harbin, China, have been booked early by Vietnamese tourists thanks to lower prices than last year and many attractive experiences.
Director Ha Di Luan of Van Thinh Tour Company said that the demand for Vietnamese tourists traveling to China in winter started to increase sharply from mid-October, most of them interested in Harbin tours. The number of customers at the company increased by 15-20% compared to the same period last year.
Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, is known as the "ice city" because of its year-round cold climate. The city has become a "hot" winter destination not only for millions of Chinese tourists but also for tourists from many Asian countries in recent years with its long-standing ice festival (since 1963) and world-class scale, spanning an area of 600,000 square meters.
According to Mr. Luan, the art of ice sculpture, when displayed in combination with light, creates a shimmering, magical scene. In addition, Harbin with many ancient historical structures, cold climate, bringing a different experience compared to other countries in the region are the reasons why winter tours here attract visitors. The tour price to Harbin this year is cheaper than last year, which is also a factor, with the price from 27 million VND per guest for 6 days 5 nights, about 10% lower than last year.
Deputy General Director Pham Anh Vu of Viet Tourism predicts that Harbin will be an "explosive" destination for winter tours to China this year due to reduced prices and an attractive itinerary for young tourists. The company's 6-day, 5-night trip costs about VND32 million, lower than the VND40 million before the pandemic. Tours to Harbin are almost fully booked. Vietnamese tourists benefit from the addition of a number of low-cost Chinese airlines operating flights and launching policies to attract tourists.
Nguyen Cam Nuong, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, booked six trips to Harbin with her family in December for VND30 million per person. Nuong said Harbin was heavily featured on social media, suddenly becoming China's top winter destination and being shared a lot on social media.
The female tourist was "excited" about the trip because she saw that Harbin had many activities, a "magnificent" ice festival and many experiences such as ice skating, ice boating, riding a horse-drawn carriage in the snow forest, and horseback riding in the snow "like in the movies".
According to travel agencies, the 2024 ice and snow festival is expected to start in mid-December and last until early March 2025. Activities will be held at multiple locations including Harbin International Ice and Snow Park, Sun Island, and Zhaolin Ice and Snow Exhibition Park. The festival will feature sculptures carved from ice blocks harvested from the Songhua River.
CEO Tran Quang Duy of Chim Canh Penguin Travel Service Company said that 2024 is the first year the company operates winter tours to Harbin, and the number of visitors interested in the destination surpasses other destinations in China at the same time. Since China reopened to visitors, the demand for winter travel to places with snow has "increased dramatically". Mr. Duy hopes that this will be the basis for promoting winter tours to Harbin in the following years.
Heilongjiang Province is converting its ice and snow resources into tourism products, aiming to turn it into a world-class winter destination. Chinese localities are also increasing connectivity with the destination. Authorities in Harbin have accelerated investment in ski slopes and parks, opened new hotels, and launched more direct flights from Yichang (Hubei), Guangzhou, and Beijing.
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