Weekend Long Read: Officials Turned Influencers Drive Tourism Boom

Two reindeers made a grand entry into the lobby of a hotel in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province in Northeast China, prior to a press conference held to promote local tourism and attended by social media influencers, officials and tourists.

Once part of China’s rust belt, the city was the top northern destination for tourism in China this winter. During the three-day New Year’s holiday, it welcomed approximately 3 million visitors, generating a total revenue of 6 billion yuan ($834.1 million) — over five times that of the traditionally popular southern beach city of Sanya during the same period.