The 25th Winter Universiade, an international winter sports meet held late last month, gave Harbin's economy a boost.

The tourism, transportation, retail and accommodation industries in the capital of Northeastern China's Heilongjiang province saw customers pour in and revenues spike from Feb. 18 to 28, a post-Spring Festival period that is usually a businesses lull.

The event brought the city 765,000 visitors.

"Our ticket sales have doubled year-on-year during the Winter Universiade," said Zhao Hongjun, planning manager of Harbin Ice & Snow World, a large ice and snow art exhibition.

The exhibition drew 5,000 to 6,000 visitors a day during the sports meet, while in previous years, there had been only 2,000 to 3,000 a day in late February, Zhao added.

"Business is much better this year," said Wang Zhiqiang, deputy general manager of Harbin Dazhong Traffic Transport Co Ltd.

The company's turnover exceeded 3 million yuan during the Universiade, up 224,000 yuan year-on-year, said Wang.

One taxi earned about 480 yuan per day, almost as much as in Spring Festival, China's largest holiday, he added.

An odd-and-even license plate rule, in place for the meet, helped taxi turnovers. From Feb. 15 to March 1, private vehicles with license plates ending in an odd number were only allowed on the roads on odd-numbered days, cars with even-number plates could be on the road only on even-numbered days.

Hotel business

The occupancy rate in most of the city's budget hotels was over 90 percent, and in the major five-star hotels near the venues it was over 80 percent.

Visitors to town took advantage of local recreation options and retailers of ski suits and ices skates said sales were brisk.

"In just one day we sold more than 30 sets of sports products," said a salesclerk in the Daoli district of Harbin, who was only identified as Mr Yang.

On Dacheng Street, which is filled with sporting goods stores, most shops reported 50 percent higher revenues than at the same time last year.

The catering and restaurant industry also benefited from the Universiade.

"Our business is great, even though this is supposed to be the off-season," said Wang Yanqin, sales manager of Qiulin Food Co Ltd. "Sales are up about 20 percent year-on-year," said Wang, particularly the company's "Big Bread" products, which seemed popular among European visitors.

Harbin-sausages, a local specialty, were gobbled up in increased amounts and were even included in the athlete's diets.

"We've invested 3 billion in the Winter Universiade," Li Zhanshu, governor of Heilongjiang province, said before the meet, "but it will pay off economically and in the province's development."

A springboard

Li has said the event could be a springboard for a Harbin bid for the Winter Olympics, possibly in 2018 or 2022.

A successful Universiade improved the quality of local service and facilities, he added.

The venues and facilities, where the 2,000 athletes competed in 12 sports, the organisers say, were constructed to world championship and Olympic standards as part of a $400 million investment in the biennial event.

Even International University Sports Federation (FISU) president George Killian - an ex-International Olympic Committee member - got in on the act, saying at the opening news conference that he thought Harbin would be a great Winter Olympic host.

"George Killian said Harbin is qualified to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Harbin is very much keen to have such an opportunity," Du Jiahao, deputy governor of the province, replied.

Harbin failed in a bid to host the 2010 Olympics but the success of the Beijing Olympics was a huge boost of confidence for China and it still resonates some several months later

(China Daily 03/16/2009 page5)