*2.1. Study Area*

Northeast China is in a high latitude region affected by cold temperate and temperate continental monsoon climates. This area forms long cold winters and short warm summers. The winter tourism industry occupies the dominant financial position for this area. The study area is Jilin province located

in the center of northeast China (40◦52–46◦18 N, 121◦38–131◦19 E) (Figure 1). The administration district area is 1.87 × 10<sup>5</sup> km2. The winter in Jilin Province lasts half a year. It has significant potential for winter tourism because of abundant snow resources. Compared with other regions in northeast China, the meteorological conditions of Jilin Province are suited for outdoor activities, with good snow quality for snow sports. Therefore, Jilin Province is a major area for winter tourism, and winter tourism has gradually become a new growth pole to pull economic development into the province. During 2016 and 2017, Jilin province received 6.2 million tourists, and tourism income reached 116 billion CNY (Tourism Commission of Jilin Province data). To deeply plan and develop winter tourism resources, it is very necessary to estimate the spatial suitability for winter tourism in this area.

**Figure 1.** The location of the study area.
