Winter Olympics will be a major boost: Officials

"Zhangjiakou has built a name for winter tourism over the years, but the accommodation facilities still do not meet the demands of hosting such a great event," said Yang. "The potential for the winter tourism industry here is huge, and successfully hosting the Olympics will help realize it."

Take Huangtuzui village as an example. It contains more than 30 family-operated hotels and many high-end tourism projects are already underway.

According to Chongli county government, the number of visitors exceeded 1 million and related income reached 670 million yuan ($111 million) last year. The annual visitor numbers are expected to reach as much as 4 million by 2020.

Lin Xianpeng, sports industry professor at Beijing Sport University, said the bid for the event will help cement Zhangjiakou's status as a winter sports entertainment destination in North China and boost local catering and accommodation businesses in the years to come.

According to Liu, a candidature file consisting of 101 points drafted by a panel including members of the General Administration of Sports, Beijing and Hebei representatives, was submitted to the International Olympic Committee on March 14.

A more detailed report needs to be filed in January 2015 and the bid winner will be announced in July 2015.

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