On 29 May, the “International Mountain Tourism Day 2023” theme events titled “Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beauty of Life, Revitalize the Tourism Industry” kicked off in Vientiane, Laos. The events were jointly organized by Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR (MICT), International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), and supported by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), ASEAN-China Center (ACC), China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Foreign Affairs Office. Over 250 guests from international organizations, IMTA members, and tourism institutions, culture and tourism enterprises, experts and scholars, and global media workers from Laos and other countries, gathered together to discuss the supply, market development, and solutions of mountain tourism facing the new consumer demands, explore the system of mountain tourism cooperation and governance within the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) framework, and jointly facilitate the full recovery, opening and interaction of the tourism market. Guests, from various perspectives, offered constructive and forward-looking insights on the new-stage innovation and regional development of mountain tourism. The events has aroused widespread concern in the international tourism industry.
On the "Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beautify of Life, Revitalize the Tourism Industry" Theme Forum, Franka Gulin, Croatian National Tourist Board, China Representative Office Director and European Travel Commission China Chapter Chairwoman delivered a speech on "Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development of mountain tourismt".
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman, it is my utmost honor and pleasure to be able to join this event, be with you in person and also deliver the keynote speech on this occasion.
In 2020 while reading the Report on World Mountain Tourism Development Tendency I have learnt some interesting data including some 1.22 billion mountain tourists recorded and extraordinary revenue of some 1.36 trillion USD reached during the previous year. This definitely showed a huge potential this type of tourism has and opened dialogues on different modes of its proper management as well.
But we all know that COVID-19 dramatically changed tourism industry worldwide and subsequently affected consumers demands and behavior. In this sense tours labeled “safe”, having in mind ‘health safety’ while being close to nature and enjoying different aspects related to sports, adventure or a medical tourism kicked off some new and fashionable lifestyles worldwide.
Since I have spent majority of 2020-22 in China I was able to witness these new trends unfolding and demonstrating how rural getaway aspect of tourism and more precisely mountain tourism gained great importance. While also setting some new lifestyle trends especially on social media that were not heavily present in the past in the country that was famous for its mountainous regions and significance they represent to its citizens in terms of culture, heritage and of course leisure.
As a Croatian tourism industry representative, as European I can also confirm that similar trends did occur in Europe during the pandemic, especially during 2020. Traditionally mountain tourism famous countries such are per example Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Slovenia did see extra surge in this type of tourism comparing to trends recorded previous years. We also have to note that some of these countries do rely a lot on this industry aspect heavily no matter season even pre-COVID.
What needs to be additionally highlighted its the fact that surge in demand on both ends of the world, namely Europe and China, as those are the cases I had opportunity to observe first hand, created need for new facilities, transportation solutions and new jobs, while both creating new opportunities and raising more and more questions over environmental practices.
Since in the years post pandemic we can also expect that this trend will continue to be on its high worldwide we do need to be ready for every discussion that might arise related to its growth and potential while addressing and minimizing potential negative affects that might occur.
In this sense sustainability is a great topic and often term that we do use a lot in industry exchange among European countries and its per example one of European Travel Commission’s keyword for future practices when it comes to every single aspect of tourism.
I can proudly showcase you briefly an example of how scientists from field of biology and nature conservation joined hands with tourism management experts in effort to navigate challenges when national parks meet with surge of demands.
In 2000s experts from Croatian oldest National Park - Plitvice Lakes, karst pearl of mountainous stretch of my country, realized there is an urge to pay more attention to a visitors management in order to safeguard and preserve natural values that started clashing with constant surge in number of visitors and related demand.
In their said efforts Plitvice Lakes National Park management relied on University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Science whose experts were heavily invested in protecting the national park while giving suggestions how to navigate potential dangers that surge in demand brings.
Trough the governmental cooperation, Zagreb Faculty of Science already had a great cooperation with Chengdu Institute of Biology which had a great team of scientist which had the same ideas in mind-how to navigate surges and tourism demands when it comes to keep intact and minimize impact on natural wonders namely of Sichuan Province.
Cooperation between two institutions brought together Plitvice Lakes and Jiuzhaigou with opening Joint Research Center in both Zagreb and Chengdu in 2014. Both sides lifted their cooperation on new level while including scientists, environmentalists and tourism management experts in a dialogue with a same goal-protect nature and manage tourism demand surge tourism in a sustainable way.
This cooperation included teams from both countries doing exchange trips, meetings, conferences and teaching sessions in both Croatia and China. Two way exchange was prompted setting up cooperation between two other national parks-Croatia’s Krka and China’s Huanglong with the same aim.
Even during the COVID years while Chinese borders remained closed and exchange study trips and meet ups were not possible, two sides continued with their work paying more attention to these new travel and tourism related trends mentioned earlier in this keynote speech and specific aspects mountain tourism has as well.
From my tourism industry perspective I strongly believe we need to all engage in more corporations like this, put sustainable and environmentally practices in place and carefully listen what every side can say in order to properly navigate changes in supply and demand in mountain tourism sector.
Open and honest dialogue with exchange of information it is one of the first steps in our search for ways to navigate new trends while honoring what nature gifted to us. Our meeting in Vientiane and our Laos visit really provides great opportunity to engage in meaningful communication to set good example for future practices. Our good practices and tendencies can bring even more relevant and valuable partners to this association and mechanism. This definitely leads to a stronger positioning in the sector, brings more energy and in the end unites us and makes more stronger while we are tackling possible obstacles and navigating changes such is one highlighted in my keynote.
I would one more time like to thank you for the invitation, and your kind attention today. I am sincerely looking forward our talks and exchanges while in Laos.
