On June 27, 2026, the "High-Quality Development of Mountain Tourism Destinations" Academic Symposium, jointly hosted by Tourism Tribune and Guizhou University, was held in Guiyang, Guizhou. Liu Zhaohui, Vice Chairman of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), was invited to attend the opening ceremony and deliver a speech. Leading scholars in tourism studies, key university faculty, and cultural tourism industry administrators from across the country gathered in "Cool Guiyang" to engage in in-depth discussions on theoretical innovation and industrial practice in mountain tourism.
The symposium aimed to deeply practice the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," serve the national strategies of ecological civilization development and building a tourism powerhouse, and promote the high-quality development of mountain tourism destinations. As the only "Mountain Park Province" in China, Guizhou is home to world natural heritage sites such as Libo Karst and Chishui Danxia, and enjoys the unique advantage of hosting the permanent headquarters of the IMTA. The symposium established a high-end dialogue platform integrating "government-industry-academia-research-application," featuring six parallel forums: high-quality development and regional coordination of mountain tourism destinations; multi-format empowerment and scenario innovation in mountain tourism; revitalization and innovative utilization of mountain cultural heritage; digital communication and experience optimization of mountain tourism destinations; ecological value and sustainable development of mountain tourism; and behavioral evolution mechanisms and safety governance paths in mountain sports tourism. The event was dedicated to providing strategic thinking and actionable solutions for the sustainable development of mountain tourism in China and the construction of high-quality mountain tourism destinations.
In his speech, Liu Zhaohui introduced five keywords using the five letters "G R E A T," sharing his five expectations for this event and the development of mountain tourism in China:
G——Gather: Convening wisdom on mountains. Leading scholars in tourism studies, key university faculty, and cultural tourism industry administrators gathered in Guiyang, with Tourism Tribune providing an excellent platform for intellectual exchange and Guizhou University contributing years of in-depth research on mountain culture and tourism rooted in the local context. Wisdom from various fields converged here, with open discussions on the pain points, difficulties, and growth areas of mountain tourism, collectively deliberating on strategies for high-quality development of mountain culture and tourism.
R——Ridge: Rooted in mountain landscapes. Mountains are the backbone of Guiyang, Guizhou, and indeed the unique treasure of Southwest China. This region boasts rare karst landforms, diverse ethnic cultures, and a sound ecological foundation. Developing mountain tourism must adhere to the dual imperatives of ecological protection and cultural heritage preservation, allowing lucid waters and lush mountains to carry the local cultural essence and forge a distinctive development path unique to karst mountain regions.
E——Elevate: Pursuing quality improvement and innovation. Cutting-edge theories should be applied to empower industrial transformation, advancing mountain tourism from mere sightseeing to a multi-format upgrade encompassing wellness retreats, outdoor study tours, mountain sports, rural cultural tourism, and smart mountain tourism, while continuously improving service quality, industrial capacity, and brand influence to achieve comprehensive quality enhancement and efficiency gains.
A——Alliance: Fostering connectivity and symbiosis. As the world's first international organization dedicated to mountain tourism, the IMTA bears the mission of connecting China with overseas partners and linking industry with academia. Since its inception, the IMTA has consistently adhered to its vision of "protecting mountain resources, preserving mountain civilization, promoting mountain economy, and benefiting mountain communities," and is committed to advancing the sustainable and inclusive development of global mountain tourism. In the future, the Alliance will continue to deepen long-term cooperation with Tourism Tribune, Guizhou University, and tourism institutions nationwide, jointly establishing academic exchange mechanisms, collaborative research projects, and international study platforms, and building a two-way bridge for cultural and tourism exchanges between China and overseas partners.
T——Tomorrow: Embarking on a new chapter. It is anticipated that this conference will produce a number of insightful, actionable, and scalable research outcomes, providing theoretical support and practical models for the development of mountain tourism across China. It is hoped that this event will serve as a new starting point, with academic think tanks joining hands with the IMTA to continuously explore development models that are ecologically friendly, culturally prosperous for local communities, and open and shared, collectively shaping a new landscape for the sustainable development of global mountain tourism.
On the same day, Liu Zhaohui also engaged in in-depth exchanges with experts and scholars from across the country, sharing views on topics such as high-quality development of mountain tourism destinations and international cooperation in mountain tourism, thereby accumulating valuable intellectual resources and cooperation foundations for better serving members and the industry.
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao
Editor Ⅱ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅲ: Zhang Yijing