On December 27, the second General Assembly of International Mountain Tourism Alliance(IMTA) was held successfully. 138 members from five continents gathered by video conference. Leaders of IMTA reviewed the five years of work and proposed the development goals for the next four years and the work plan for 2023. The assembly deliberated and adopted the amendment note of the Statues of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance and other related matters.
The assembly elected the second Council and leadership by secret ballot. Dominique de Villepin was re-elected as Chairman of IMTA, He Yafei as Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, Pansy Ho as Vice Chairman, and Fu Yingchun as Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General. This is a group of leaders with advanced ideas, professionalism, international vision and extensive influence in the domestic and international industries. In the coming years, they will lead IMTA to a brilliant future.
The assembly also elected the second Council, consisting of 41 members from 22 countries and regions on three continents. Francesco Francalli, former Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization(UNWTO), Wei Xiao 'an, well-known Chinese tourism expert, Xu Jing, former Director of the Asia Pacific Department of UNWTO, Wu Xiaoli, Deputy Director of the Information Station of Phoenix TV, and Chen Ping, global Vice President of the Internationale Organisation Für VOLKSKUNST(IOV) were elected as individual councils. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, Chimelong Group, Global Tourism Economy Research Centre(GTERC) and other 32 institutions were elected as group councils. These senior, competent and experienced individual and group councils with international influence in the tourism industry and related fields will further promote IMTA towards the goal of becoming a world famous platform for mountain tourism and an international organization model, and build an international tourism organization with reasonable structure, excellent ability, broader vision, courage to develop, unity and cooperation, and trusted of IMTA members.
In addition, 19 organizations have joined IMTA as new members, including the International Nordic Walking Association(INWA), the Pichincha Provincial Government of Ecuador, and the Gran Canaria Tourism Board of Spain. So far, the membership of IMTA has increased from 126 organizations and individuals at the beginning to 194, and the number of member countries and regions has also increased from 29 to 34. The membership has been continuously expanded, and the membership structure and layout have been further optimized. It is composed of tourism agencies, non-profit organizations, tourism-related enterprises, related consulting agencies, tourism colleges, airline companies, equipment manufacturing enterprises, outdoor sports organizations and other countries and regions of the world.
The formation of the new organizational structure will serve as the foundation for the development of IMTA in the next four years. It will lead IMTA to uphold the goal of sustainable tourism, firmly implement the purpose of "protecting mountain resources, inheriting mountain civilization, promoting mountain economy and benefiting mountain people", and give full play to its function as a professional international organization. With the attitude of openness and inclusiveness, exchange and cooperation, collaboration and sharing, mutual benefit and win-win, we strive to spread the concept of sustainable mountain tourism, build a community of shared future for mountain tourism, better serve the industry and society, and strive to create a bright new future for mountain tourism.