The middle class is flocking to Xinjiang for the New Year, spending 50,000 on a ski trip, with Hilton, All Seasons, and 3,000-yuan small cabins competing for business.

This article is sourced from Times Finance. Author: Lin Xinlin

Editor’s Note: Carpooling home, group buying New Year’s goods—this year, have you “pooled” for the New Year? When Generation Z leads the Spring Festival, it doesn’t mean tradition disappears; instead, the flavor of the New Year shifts from solid to liquid, transforming from top-down inheritance to bottom-up creation. During the Year of the Horse in 2026, Times Finance launches the “Piling Up the Year” special to witness a reshaping of the festive atmosphere.

“A family of three spent 50,000 yuan on skiing in Altay, which could have covered a trip to Hokkaido.”

Xinjiang Altay, a ski resort, supplied by interviewee

This Spring Festival, the tourism market centered around Xinjiang and the broader Northwestern region has become a hot topic in the travel sector. Data provided to Times Finance by TravelSky shows that, as of five days before Lunar New Year’s Eve (February 11), domestic flight bookings to Xinjiang during the holiday exceeded 350,000 tickets, a daily increase of about 27% compared to the same period last year. Among these, the daily bookings to Altay increased by approximately 66% year-over-year.

Xinjiang’s tourism popularity has long surpassed the traditional summer and autumn seasons. In 2025, the region is expected to host 323 million visitors and generate 370 billion yuan in tourism revenue, both surpassing previous years by over 8%, setting a new record.

The 2026 Spring Festival also saw many middle-class families carrying snowboards.

Behind the surge in visitors, a quiet transformation is underway in Xinjiang’s accommodation market. Once considered a “luxury hotel desert,” the northwest province is now staging a fierce competition between chain high-end brands and local特色 accommodations.

Middle-class travelers flocking to Xinjiang for the Spring Festival

This year, traveling to Xinjiang for snow and skiing became a popular choice among high-spending domestic tourists.

The recent New Year’s Day holiday confirmed Xinjiang’s winter tourism boom. According to data from the Xinjiang Department of Culture and Tourism, during the three-day holiday in 2026, the region received 1.6838 million visitors, with total tourism revenue reaching 1.532 billion yuan.

This enthusiasm continued through the Lunar New Year. Amid countdown celebrations at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, many young tourists and families headed to Altay’s Jike Puling Ski Resort for fun, or visited Sayram Lake to witness the blue ice spectacle, flocking to the Northwestern region.

“This Spring Festival, Xinjiang’s tourism bookings are very hot, and most resources are already absorbed,” said He Peng, general manager of Xinjiang branch of Zhongxin Tourism. He Peng, a local with many years in the tourism industry, has witnessed the rapid growth of the local market, with his company’s business in Xinjiang increasing by 15-20% annually.

He Peng believes that Xinjiang’s tourism started to turn a corner in 2023, especially in northern Xinjiang’s Altay region, with Kanas and Hemu being the core areas.

Several key factors drive this trend, including the opening of multiple ski resorts in Hemu attracting large numbers of skiers; the opening of the Ahe Highway making Altay an important transportation hub connecting top scenic spots; and the broadcast of the TV drama “My Altay,” among others.

“Now, the core areas of northern Xinjiang are almost busy year-round, with no off-season,” He Peng said. Only during the snowmelt and before trees bud in March to May is the scenery less attractive and prices more affordable; the rest of the year—summer, autumn, and winter—is peak season.

Xinjiang Sayram Lake, supplied by interviewee

Scarcity of tourism resources, vast territory increasing transportation costs, and concentrated demand during the Spring Festival make a trip to Xinjiang during the holiday a “luxury” expense.

Tourist Zhang Li calculated for Times Finance: a five-night tour costing 20,000 yuan, round-trip tickets for a family of three exceeding 10,000 yuan, plus expenses for ski instructors, equipment rentals, and scenic area tickets totaling about 8,000 yuan, making the total over 50,000 yuan. “This expense far exceeded expectations; I didn’t expect to spend so much at first.”

A local tour guide for small groups in Xinjiang said that, for example, an eight-day northern Xinjiang tour for a tourist from East China pursuing an extreme skiing experience could cost over 20,000 to 30,000 yuan per person. Even without ski expenses, the basic per-person expenditure would approach 10,000 yuan.

Another local travel agency staff member revealed that this year, due to cancellations of many Japanese flight routes during the Spring Festival, some tourists originally planning to visit Japan for snow fell back to Xinjiang, further tightening resources.

High-star hotels rush into Xinjiang

The rising consumption threshold is mainly driven by increased vehicle and hotel prices.

According to Times Finance, during this Spring Festival, overall ground transportation prices in Xinjiang, especially in Altay, increased by 30-50%. Due to the vast territory and limited transportation hubs, travelers wanting to visit popular spots like Hemu Village for frost flowers, sunrise snow scenes, or skiing, need to drive six hours after landing at Altay Snow City Airport; from Urumqi Airport, the drive can be as long as 11 hours.

Accommodation competition is even fiercer.

Data from Qunar shows that many parts of Xinjiang became popular destinations during the holiday, with hotel bookings increasing by 53% year-over-year. In particular, hotel reservations in Yili doubled, Urumqi increased by nearly 70%, and overall hotel bookings in Altay rose by 25%.

The booking volume for chain high-star hotels was especially notable, with an increase of nearly 80%. Wanda Hotels’ relevant staff told Times Finance that, for example, the Wanda Meihua Hotel in Altay was fully booked during the holiday, with a significant increase compared to last year.

Behind this surge is the rapid expansion of Xinjiang’s accommodation supply.

Historically, Xinjiang’s hotel chain penetration has been below 30%, with many gaps in standardized, quality accommodations. Since 2024, the pace of international high-end hotel brands entering Xinjiang has accelerated, with a boom in brand presence expected in 2025 and 2026.

According to Times Finance, international brands like InterContinental, Marriott, Hilton, and others have already established a presence, while domestic chains such as Huazhu, Atour, Jinjiang, and BTG Homeinns are also expanding rapidly, reshaping the original landscape of Xinjiang’s lodging market.

A manager from Wanda Hotels and Resorts said that, as of now, the brand has opened 26 hotels in Xinjiang, with over 40 projects in the pipeline. On January 26, two star-rated hotels in Urumqi opened just before the holiday to seize the Spring Festival consumer season.

Compared to international hotel groups’ cluster strategies in core ski areas, domestic mid-range chain brands are now expanding into lower-tier cities and counties. He Peng pointed out that brands like Jiqing and Atour, previously only present in Urumqi, Altay, and Kashgar, are now rapidly penetrating surrounding counties and scenic areas like Nala Tigh and Baiyin Buluk, establishing coverage.

“Now in Xinjiang, no matter where you plan your trip, you can find chain hotels of three, four, or even five-star standards, changing the old stereotype that Xinjiang’s accommodations are poor,” He Peng said.

Who is competing in the 3,000-yuan-a-night wooden cabin business?

The speed and scale of capital entering the market have surprised many seasoned Xinjiang travel enthusiasts.

“When I first visited Xinjiang in 2021, hotel options were very limited; only Hilton and InterContinental Express in Urumqi,” recalled consumer Zhang Fei. In just over two years, brands like Edition, Indigo, Ritz-Carlton, and Holiday Inn have densely entered the market.

During this year’s Spring Festival peak, prices for these chain mid-to-high-end hotels were also high. “Some international brands even charge more than they do in first-tier mainland cities,” Zhang Fei said. According to pre-holiday checks, during the holiday, the standard room at Hemu Kanglai Conrad in Altay was bookable at 5,500 yuan per night, with suites exceeding 10,000 yuan; the Hemu Hilton’s basic room started at 2,700 yuan.

Prices for chain mid-to-high-end hotels also rose significantly. Times Finance found that near the Spring Festival, the Quanjude Jike Puling Ski Resort hotel surged to over 2,600 yuan per night; the Atour hotel near Hemu Visitor Center was similarly priced.

“In Xinjiang, hotel prices are more affected by peak and off-peak seasons than in the mainland,” He Peng explained. For example, Atour, which is usually a standard business travel hotel in the mainland, becomes a top hotel in many counties due to weaker local supporting facilities, leading to higher price fluctuations.

Nevertheless, many tourists are willing to pay for more transparent pricing, standardized services, and brand premiums.

“I just booked two rooms for two nights at Quanjude for 5,000 yuan,” said a consumer. “Even if prices double, at least I get hot water, cleanliness, and basic amenities. It’s better than spending two or three thousand on a wooden cabin that might not even have hot water.”

For a long time, snow景小木屋 (snow景 cabins) have been a key accommodation option in Xinjiang, especially in popular spots like Hemu. However, due to inconsistent quality and price volatility, they have been criticized. For example, a well-decorated snow景小木屋 in Hemu during the Spring Festival can easily cost over 3,000 yuan.

The influx of chain hotels not only enriches the local accommodation ecosystem but also directly impacts low-cost, unstable homestays. On social media, many tourists post comments like “Chain hotels offer high cost-performance, beating village cabins,” or “Both cost over 2,000 yuan, I’d definitely choose Hilton.”

However, snow景小木屋 and big-brand hotels are not purely competitors.

Experienced Xinjiang traveler Zhang Fei said that staying at Hilton or other international hotels in the main ski resort or visitor center offers the convenience of “ski-in, ski-out” and complete facilities, but visiting Hemu Village for snow景 views requires long transfers. If not self-driving or joining a tour, taxi fares can easily cost a couple of hundred yuan.

“In fact, wooden cabins are our current preferred accommodation for group trips in Hemu,” He Peng also pointed out. “Hemu Old Village’s cabins are the biggest selling point because they are close to the core scenic spots—just look out the window to see snow mountains and forests, and walk to Haden Platform. It allows for more immersive eco-experience.”

Why are chain high-star hotels rarely found in core scenic areas? He Peng revealed that these brands have high standards for architecture and decoration, and in core scenic areas like Kanas, Hemu, and Nala Tigh, accommodation construction is strictly regulated by scenic area management committees.

For example, in Hemu, new building permits are prohibited in the old village, and existing homestays are limited to small wooden cabins no taller than two stories. Only transfers and renovations of existing homestays are allowed, with no new constructions approved. Therefore, modern multi-story hotels are mainly located near the new Hemu Visitor Center and ski resorts, such as Holiday Inn Express, Conrad, Hilton, and Atour.

Despite the irreplaceable role of various accommodation types, the “catfish effect” of chain high-star hotels cannot be ignored.

A high-end wilderness homestay investor in South Xinjiang told Times Finance, “Chain operations have scale advantages; their management and quality won’t be worse, and gradually they will bring Xinjiang’s accommodation prices down to a reasonable level.” He also revealed that after major capital influx, some northern Xinjiang homestays have begun seeking transfers.

“With brands that have standards, they set a price ceiling for local accommodations,” He Peng said.

By 2026, more international luxury brands and domestic chain hotels will accelerate their presence in Xinjiang. In this vast region, known as a nationwide chain hotel “pocket,” this industry reshuffle is likely to deepen.