New 'snow holiday' in northern Chinese regions boosts winter travel

Winter travel bookings in China have gained a boost this year after several regions announced an additional "snow holiday" for students and many workers in the hopes of further fueling the season's tourism boom and encouraging residents to take up winter sports.

The snow holiday is taking place in cities including Urumqi and Altay in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as across Jilin Province and other regions, offering residents another break during the winter season on top of the usual winter vacation that Chinese students enjoy.

As a result, flight bookings have seen a substantial increase. Data from online travel booking platforms indicate notable spikes in ticket reservations from both Urumqi and Altay from Nov 29 to Dec 7.

Flight bookings departing from Urumqi increased by 45 percent compared to the period from Nov 15 to 23, while bookings departing from Altay increased by 48 percent.

"During the snow holiday, total ticket bookings for scenic spots in Xinjiang increased by 16 percent compared to the previous period, with the most popular attractions including Sayram Lake, Hemu Scenic Area, and Kanas Scenic Area. Meanwhile, Jilin Province implemented a free skiing policy for university students. Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang are also gradually increasing their discounts. Driven by these policies, tourism in many cities in northeast China and Xinjiang has continued to rise this year, and winter tourism destinations have become more diverse," said Shi Ke, a researcher at the big data research institute of Qunar.com, a leading Chinese travel booking platform.

In addition to ski resorts, glacier and snow mountain scenic spots have also become trending destinations for winter tourism. Ticket bookings for famous attractions have doubled year on year.

Hotel reservations at popular ice and snow tourism destinations are also booming. From November this year to the end of January of 2026, hotel bookings in Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang surged by over 80 percent year on year, while cities like Dandong in Liaoning, Liaoyuan in Jilin, and Yichun in Heilongjiang have also seen significant increases, with growth rates reaching 30 percent year on year.

New 'snow holiday' in northern Chinese regions boosts winter travel

The Chinese Navy's hospital ship "Silk Road Art" will provide emergency aid to Jamaica after a powerful hurricane lashed the country in the end of October, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun confirmed on Monday.

"Recently, the Chinese Navy's hospital ship the 'Silk Road Ark' arrived in Jamaica and will dock at multiple ports to provide humanitarian medical services to the Jamaican people affected by Hurricane Melissa. China empathizes deeply with Jamaica over the severe hurricane disaster it has suffered, and has provided emergency disaster relief assistance based on Jamaica's needs," Guo said at a press conference in Beijing in response to a media query.

"We believe that the 'Silk Road Ark' will convey China's friendship to the affected communities in Jamaica, helping to bolster their confidence as they overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes," said the spokesman.

The "Silk Road Ark" arrived at Montego Bay of Jamaica on Thursday for a 12-day visit. At the request of the Jamaican side, the Chinese hospital ship will dock at three ports in Jamaica - Montego Bay, Kingston, and Falmouth - to provide medical services to local residents.

On October 28, Jamaica was struck by a severe storm, which put the local healthcare system under immense pressure. Many patients urgently needing surgery have been waiting for treatment as the island sufferes medical facility damages and resource shortages.

Chinese naval hospital ship offers emergency aid to hurricane-hit Jamaica: spokesman