Snow-starved resorts, ageing ski enthusiasts, and climate change may give the appearance that the ski industry is on a slippery slope. But enthusiasm for winter sports is growing anew. Carrie Law, the CEO of Juwai.com, the number one China-based international real estate website, said: "China is the world's largest beginner ski market, which promises huge future growth, and the ski property industry is nascent. The downside of this is that there are relatively few long-time skiers in China. Chinese don't aspire to the ski-chalet second home as much as to a beach, vineyard, or sophisticated urban lifestyle. Our research shows that about 18 % of Chinese skiers have skied overseas, the top destinations being Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, but there are only about 12 to 15 million Chinese skiers. And most are beginners, rather than experienced skiers who grew up with the sport and in the mountains", reports Property Report (24 December 2018).
