China's sports minister believes the increasing passion for winter sports from people in western and southern areas will provide a big economic boost.

More than 300 million people are expected to take up winter sports in the coming years, spurred by the successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

"It's not from thin air. The target is the result of years of investigation," Liu Peng said on Wednesday during a media briefing focused on developments in the National Fitness Program over the past five years.