EDITOR'S NOTE：On May 29 2021, the main activity of the third International Mountain Tourism Day—the World Heritage Famous Mountain (Jinfo Mountain) Summit kicked off in Nanchuan District, Chongqing Municipality, China successfully. Themed with “World Heritage Protection and Green Development of Mountain Tourism”, the Summit got strong support from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), the Internationale Organisation Für Volkskunst (IOV) and the China Association of National Parks and Scenic Sites. The theme forum presented wonderful contents with high-level opinions, frontier observations and dialogues on trends. The speeches will be released in succession to share with industry colleagues.
Dominique de Villepin, the former French Prime Minister, Chairman of International Mountain Tourism Alliance, delivered an online address at the Summit's Opening Ceremony. The full text follows:
Chongqing is in many ways a symbol of the future. It is a symbol of the numerous challenges of the future to develop huge cities in a sustainable way, knowing that Europe and Eastern Asia are among the 2 most densely populated areas in our world. It is a symbol of the fast development of the New China turned towards Inland China, towards new sources of development and growth, towards high technology and high-end services. It is a symbol of the necessary balance and complementarity between urban, high-populated areas, and mountain regions in strong needs of protection and guided development.
For IMTA and every one of us, the challenge is high around the world as well as in China facing COVID19 and the severe blow given to international tourism. The number of cases has stopped 150 million with more than 3 million deaths and a deepening crisis in place like Brazil and India. Following the analysis of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Global Tourism continues to suffer deeply with an expectation of international tourism arrivals down about 85% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with 2019. The setback is largely due to the travel restrictions in response to the new virus outbreaks. Of course, in some cases like China, domestic tourism has replaced world travelers as we have seen during the May Day holiday with nearly 60 million trips just on the first day made possible because of the virus situation and the control in the country. Depending on the health situation, we might see a bettering of the travel perspective with an uplift of restrictions because of the vaccination programs and the use of the health passports.
The tourism sector around the world will have a special responsibility in summer 2021 to start building the post pandemic era safer, more resilient, and more sustainable.To make it possible, we will all have to work jointly to restore confidence in tourism through special health measures, but also through economic and financial facilities for the consumers and the tourism industry supporting businesses and protecting jobs.
Before we are able to create a safer and sustainable world tourism model, a regional and national strategy should be privileged. Sanitary constraints should encourage us to change our common practices and behaviors. We have discovered the fragilities of the globalized international system, so we must better control our environment and adjust to new realities. This means looking for pragmatic answers within the reinforced framework of nation state with the help of the best research and innovation, and taking the advantage of regional cooperation that can maximize the benefit of all parties. But these constraints should not make us forget the more global transitional process we are in. The environmental transition that justify the important efforts of the world community announced during the April Climate Summit on carbon neutrality. The awareness grows. We know that any temperature rises above 1.5 degrees will escalate into a global disaster with strong impact on mankind and biodiversity.
The tourism industry is part of this undergoing transition with a movement of concentration, reducing the number of world players, a movement of internationalization, encouraging cooperation and partnerships between states and companies to set new rules and standards and a trend of innovation in service and technology. In this competition, Asia and China do have valuable assets with quality infrastructures, leading companies, and a huge potential of travelers and tourists. We should take advantage of the situation to work on a new model of tourism based on a different vision with a strategic approach, upgrading infrastructures and services to integrate high safety and security norms as well as more quality integrating well-being culture and entertainment. Second, a diversified approach to be able to respond to the different needs of the public, young people, family, as well as elderly people or people with handicap. Also specialize approach in order to respond to specific demands concerning health issues, cultural or environmental needs.
The challenge for mountain tourism is especially high because of growing expectations, the interests in rural and mountain tourism is increasing why people living in urban areas are willing to reconnect with nature often traumatized by the COVID-19 lockdown. Mountain tourism do represent 20% of the sector offering numerous activities like hiking, trekking, and skiing. China can take advantage of important natural resources and appealing lifestyles like in the Guizhou Province benefiting from a natural and ethnic diversity, unique arts and traditions. The next Olympic Winter Games of Beijing in 2022 are going to be a wonderful window of opportunity to promote a sustainable tourism. This means we have to work collectively to develop ambitious initiatives.
First and foremost, in order to respond to the worries of the population, we must take into account the healthcare dimension. It is needed to counterbalance the tensions of modern life, pollutions, stress, fatigues.Mountain tourism can provide many benefits for the general population and many for the more fragile looking for a quiet environment, clean air, and open doors activities.
Second, we need to develop adequate economic projects starting with sustainable infrastructures in remote areas such as Western China and Central Asia. This has been the vision of the Belt and Road Initiatives. Implementing inclusive projects of roads, highways, railways, and airport as the best alternative to isolation and slow development. Effort should be made to better leverage investment, to support cross border tourism project like smart hospitality, local food production, and waste management in protected areas.
Third, we should consider more cultural and environmental initiatives, promoting shared development between people, cultures, and countries, always remembering that mountain tourism is a way of educating people to the important values of respect and share it. It is a place of collective heritage, attracting visitors looking for new knowledge and experiences. It is a platform for dedicated sports favoring the discovery of nature. It is an environment where you can refocus on yourself and your families, escaping from the many constraints of modern life.
Excellencies, dear friends, we have today an opportunity to adapt mountain tourism to the new realities of the time. Changing fast enough is our challenge. I'm confident we have the awareness and the ability to respond to such an important and beautiful challenge.
