Editor's Note: On September 15, the “International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) Annual Conference and Dialogue among World Famous Mountain 2023” opened in Xingyi City, Guizhou Province. Gathering over 200 participants, including IMTA members, renowned international organizations, relevant national cultural and tourism departments, leaders and officials from Guizhou Province, professional tourism organizations and enterprises, world-famous mountain and mountain tourism destination institutions, media and other esteemed guests. The Conference was themed with “Mountain Tourism Resource Innovation and Destination Construction.” Simultaneously, the Dialogue among World Famous Mountain explored the theme “World Famous Mountains Empower the Wellness of Mountain Tourism.” Discussions revolved around cutting-edge strategies for mountain resource protection, innovative utilization, and development, fostering an inclusive and collaborative atmosphere.
He Yafei, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), presented at the “Dialogue among World Famous Mountains 2023” and delivered a speech.
The following is the full text of the speech:
Today, the IMTA members and industry guests gathered in colorful Guizhou again to attend the 2023 International Mountain Tourism Alliance Annual Conference and Dialogue among World Famous Mountains. On behalf of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, I would like to extend a warm welcome to your attendance at the Dialogue!
The “Dialogue among World Famous Mountains” is not only an exchange platform for consultation, contribution and shared benefits among IMTA members, but also a cooperation platform for interaction, mutual assistance, and mutual benefit in the international mountain tourism industry. The theme of this dialogue is “World Famous Mountains Empower the Wellness of Mountain Tourism”, which not only conforms to the ecological value endowed by nature on world famous mountains, but also highlights the humanistic value of famous mountains for mountain tourism, and highlights the top resource value of famous mountains for tourism.
Nowadays, the changing global geographical politics, unprecedented economic turmoil, and continuous technological revolution are driving the transformation and restructuring of global supply chains, consumption chains, and production chains through new tourism, consumption, and demand.
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
The values of world famous mountains are embodied in: unique geographical features, high-quality ecological environment, long history precipitation and brilliant source of civilization.
The unique geographical features and natural ecological environment of the world famous mountains provide an irreplaceable and important guarantee for human civilization, survival and development. Respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature can effectively protect the mountainous areas with lucid waters and lush mountains, continuously benefit the people, and provide sustainable development momentum for the tourism industry.
Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
The world's famous mountains need green development as a guide to ensure high-quality protection, development and utilization of mountains, reduce the cost of resources and environment for development, and promote green tourism, circular tourism, and low-carbon tourism to build a green, low-carbon, and circular tourism industry, especially mountain tourism, and demonstrate the sustainable vitality of famous tourism mountains.
According to the latest Report on Development Trend of World Mountain Tourism by the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, mountain tourism currently accounts for about 16% of the total global tourism. In view of the fact that the growth rate of mountain tourism is faster than other tourism categories, the number of international mountain tourists in 2023 may exceed the level in 2019, that is, no less than 225 million. The rapid growth of mountain tourism has become the main driving force to promote the recovery and development of the world tourism economy.
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
The world famous mountains give us rare resources and platforms, how to make the world famous mountains empower the high-quality development of mountain tourism? I would like to make a few comments:
First of all, world famous mountains can provide high-quality and unique resources for the supply-side revolution of mountain tourism. The world famous mountains are rich in natural and cultural resources, with strong flexibility, which are suitable for innovating various tourism products and life experiences. With the support of new technologies and innovative spirit, they can meet the different needs of tourists of all levels and ages for sightseeing, vacation, health, wellness, sports, etc.
Secondly, famous mountain-empowered tourism needs to highlight the sustainable development concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. When it comes to “empowerment”, it is necessary to balance and coordinate the planning, development, and protection, adhere to integrated protection and systematic development, and on the basis of respecting the laws of nature, adjust measures to local conditions and develop according to different zones and classifications, find projects and plans that combine ecological protection with sustainable development, and consolidate the cornerstone of the long-term development of famous mountain tourism.
Fanjing Mountain, Guizhou, China
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Furthermore, with the “tourism +" model first proposed by the IMTA and always adhered to, we will integrate various economic resources and empower diversified mountain tourism. The different combinations of tourism development ideas such as “tourism+ sports” “tourism+ wellness” and “tourism +culture” are also a reflection of the new concept of comprehensive, coordinated, and all-around development in the period of economic transformation. The era of one-way and isolated development in the economic field has long ended, and our thoughts and actions must be updated in a timely manner to keep up with the pace of development of the times.
In addition, famous mountain-empowering tourism must strengthen the supporting role of technological innovation, build a technology-empowered famous mountain tourism system, make full use of the ever-changing achievements of the technological revolution, increase added value and enhance attraction in all upstream and downstream links of tourism such as product development, intelligent tourism, and digital applications, creating a new world of mountain tourism with unlimited prospects.
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Finally, the long-term goal of famous mountain-empowering tourism should be to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations and cultures, showcase the unique and exclusive cultural characteristics of mountains, integrate different civilizations, enhance mutual understanding and friendship, enhance the well-being of people in all countries on the road of sustainable development of world famous mountain tourism, and let people all over the world share the beauty of nature and life in lucid waters and lush mountains.
To this end, I would like to make a few suggestions:
First, we should build the evaluation standard and system of "world famous mountains" with the new development concept. The standard is a veritable “Esperanto” and the result of the progress of human civilization. The standards and system construction of world famous mountains need the guidance of new development concepts of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, so as to find the common ground and convergence among countries and cultures, and make steady progress. In this regard, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance is glad to continue to cooperate with the United Nations World Tourism Organization and other institutions, enterprises and individuals to put forward the goal and path of establishing standards in order to build a new pattern of mountain tourism development.
Chamonix Alps, France
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Second, we must actively promote the world famous mountains to become an important carrier leading high-quality, personalized tourism and life. The high-quality and personalized development of world famous mountains should serve the high-quality and high-standard life, and the people's pursuit of a better life should always be the unremitting efforts of the mountain tourism industry. Whether it is ecological management, resource integration, product supply or standard formulation, we must adhere to this direction and provide constantly optimized products and services for mountain residents and tourists from all over the world.
Third, we should effectively utilize and innovate the construction of the “World Famous Mountain Tourism+” comprehensive platform, making the world famous mountains a community of shared future in human tourism that connects the environment, culture, and geography. The five continents of the world are connected by mountains, giving birth to numerous magnificent cities and scenic spots built on the mountains, with infinite scenery. Although any form of tourism has national boundaries and is governed by the laws and regulations of the host country, the similarities and differences of civilization, culture, social system and ideology should not restrict the construction and development of world famous mountain tourism. On the contrary, world famous mountains and their tourism should become an important platform for countries and regions with different historical cultures, different levels of development and different social systems to exchange and learn from each other and promote development.
Source: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
The Dialogue among Famous Mountains this year gathers the wisdom of all IMTA members and the strength of industry entities to jointly explore ways to innovate sustainable mountain tourism in the new era, discuss strategies for the protection, beautification, construction and development of mountain resources, and share the healthy life brought by mountain tourism to the new consumer market. I believe that with the joint efforts of all parties, world famous mountain tourism will undoubtedly provide benefits for the development of the tourism industry in the new era and meet people's consumption needs.
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
