Letter of thanks

On Dec 31, the authorities in Heilongjiang released a "New Year's Thank-You Letter to Domestic and Overseas Tourists" via local media to express their gratitude to visitors.

"Thanks for your enthusiastic visits to magnificent and beautiful Heilongjiang," the letter said. "Tourists' tracks at Harbin Ice and Snow World, Snow Town, the Yabuli Ski Resort, and Mohe, China's northernmost city, have created a beautiful landscape in the province."

The letter urged travelers to venture beyond the icy attractions of Harbin.

It pointed them to the barbecues of Qiqihar, the hot springs of Daqing, to dawn breaking in China's easternmost city of Fuyuan, and to Heihe on the Russian border, where they can "enjoy the integrated urban customs of Europe and Asia".

Acknowledging the importance of feedback, the letter welcomed tourists' suggestions, and promised to make improvements through the 12345 hotline and social media platforms.

This commitment was mirrored by government departments, which the letter said are strengthening market supervision and problem-solving processes.

The letter also recognized the power of user-generated content.

"All the short videos and travel articles you post online are the best promotion of Heilongjiang. Your likes and comments are also the greatest encouragement to Heilongjiang, as they can increase awareness of the province's unique scenery, high-quality products, and its warmhearted residents," it said.

He Jing, director of the Heilongjiang culture and tourism department, told China Central Television: "The popularity of Harbin is no accident, and since the start of 2023, we have been promoting Heilongjiang in a multidimensional way on new media platforms, establishing numerous destinations dubbed by netizens as must-visit attractions. Moreover, we have made every effort to optimize the tourism market environment."

The department is also paying more attention to comments made in online videos.

"We will do our best to meet tourists' needs," He said. "Some visitors said it would be better if the moon was shining when they took photos at Saint Sophia Cathedral, so we sent a drone to lift an artificial moon over the landmark. Others said it was too cold in Harbin, so we immediately built a number of small prefabricated houses for them to get warm.

"All these details can make tourists feel comfortable and respected, and they post news of them on the internet, receiving a warm response."

Experts said the authorities in Harbin and throughout Heilongjiang need to seriously consider ways to promote the long-term sustainable development of ice and snow tourism.

Wang Lili, a researcher at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Science and director of its Regional Economic Research Office, said: "Heilongjiang should well-inherit and advance its ice and snow culture, and constantly promote the creative transformation and innovative development of its culture. The province can transform the natural advantages of ice and snow into economic development advantages."

It can also improve its ice and snow smart tourism service platform and digitize services to help launch a personalized ice and snow tourism consumption model for different consumer groups, she said.

"Governments can improve emergency management capabilities, passenger flow statistics, and an early warning system with the application of 5G technology, the internet of things, and other comprehensive monitoring platforms," Wang added.

"The culture and tourism department can integrate tourism resources across the province, such as snowfields, forests, wetlands and hot springs to plan different tourism routes. The improved supply of tourism products can provide visitors with a variety of choices and extend the length of their stay in the province."