Officials said that the "growing public demand" for recreational winter sports driven by Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics will "significantly boost tourism to the Chinese capital," according to Sun Xiaochen of CHINA DAILY. Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development Deputy Dir Wang Yue said that visiting the "Bird’s Nest or the Water Cube has been a must for tourists who visit Beijing" while the city's bid for the 2022 Olympics is expected to "further lure global visitors with new winter sports facilities." Wang: "Sports-themed packages such as venue-exploring tours and sports merchandising sales have contributed a lot to Beijing's tourism industry since the 2008 Olympics. ... A variety of winter sports facilities will be built in Beijing and the surrounding areas. We believe they will become new attractions for the city even in tourism low seasons during winter." Some of the "landmark 2008 Olympics venues like the MasterCard Center, formerly known as Wukesong Arena, have built new facilities to cater to the increasing number of winter sports enthusiasts in Beijing" (CHINA DAILY, 12/22).
