China’s ski resorts missing just one thing: skiers

On a bright day last winter, the managers of Wanlong ski resort in northern China decided it was the perfect time to take aerial photos of the mountain. The bird’s-eye view revealed something strange: The parking lot was packed but the ski runs were empty. At ground level, the mystery was easily solved: Visitors had ditched their skis to dine on braised pork in the restaurant, play cards in the tea house and go for foot massages in the spa.

On the face of things, the skiing industry has boomed in China. The country had fewer than 10,000 skiers and nine small skiable hills in 1996. That swelled to about five million skiers and 186 possible destinations at the end of last year, according to the Chinese Ski Association.

Those strong numbers are deceptive. There is still little in the way of a dedicated skiing community in China. So when it comes to selling lift tickets or chalets, it has been a painful decade for the developers of Chinese ski resorts.

They have had to learn the hard way that what might be considered après-ski activities elsewhere in the world must be in-lieu-of-ski activities in China if they want to attract crowds.

“Skiing in China is just at the point of takeoff. I’d say that 99 per cent of ski resorts are losing money. No one is making a profit,” says Zeng Mingsen, sales director at Wanlong, about four hours’ drive from Beijing.

Rather than throwing in the towel, though, developers are now upping the ante. Still clinging to the promise of the Chinese market, they are building bigger, better resorts that they believe are more in line with local tastes.

At Wanlong, construction crews have spent the summer and autumn giving the facilities a facelift. The lodge at the base of the mountain has added a sunroom and new restaurants to cater to those who prefer to spend their day inside eating rather than skiing. The main hotel has expanded its spa with a jade-floored steam room. The priciest mountainside villas have been spruced up with mahjong tables.

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Source : The globe and mail, SIMON RABINOVITCH