The emergence of short video (e.g. TikTok) provides a new avenue for destination marketing. However, limited research exists on short ice-snow destination videos, which are significant for Nordic winter tourism marketing. Drawing on a model based on parasocial interaction theory, this study finds that ice-snow celebrity attachment positively predicts Chinese tourists’ parasocial interaction, enjoyment, and hence intention to visit Nordic destinations in winter. Considering that Chinese tourists are an important consumer group for Nordic tourism, the study contributes not only to parasocial interaction theory in the context of short videos and the presentation of ice-snow tourism experiences but also to how to improve ice-snow tourism marketing via celebrity strategies.