On May 29, the "International Mountain Tourism Day (IMTD) 2024" Theme Event was successfully held in Nice, the capital city of the French department of Alpes-Maritimes, France. Representatives of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in France, the French cultural and tourism authorities, representatives of local government, representatives of international organizations, members of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), tourism agencies, tourism enterprises, industry experts, and media gathered together to discuss and revolve around the theme of "Mutual Understanding among People through Mountain Tourism" and the forum theme "Mountain Tourism Destinations Responding to Climate Change". The rich exchange activities highlight and promote the development concept of mutual learning among civilizations, driving innovation in the "Mountain Tourism+" model.
Christiane Amiel, Deputy Mayor of Nice delivered a speech and accepted an interview with the organizer.
The following is the full text of the speech:
Hello, everyone! I’m Christiane Amiel, Deputy Mayor of Nice, handling international affairs and our sister city partnerships. I’m glad to be here with you all this morning.
Some of you might be surprised that the organizers chose our city, Nice, to host a mountain tourism conference. Nice is known as the capital of Côte d'Azur, the French Riviera, and for its lifestyle and seaside attractions. It’s a land of abundance and diversity, where the Southern Alps meet the sea.
Tourism is our pillar industry, but I’ll leave the details to the experts with us today.
Nice Côte d'Azur, source: IMTA
Besides tourism, Nice is also a hub for meetings and conferences, and I want to remind you that the 2025 UN Ocean Conference will also be held here.
Nice is house to several business schools, prestigious universities, research centers, and teaching hospitals, featuring world-famous doctors and scientists. Now, our city also has an international security team and attracts many talents to its research centers.
Culturally, Nice is vibrant with its opera houses, theaters, and museums that host performances by great artists from around the world. Our Matisse Museum’s exhibits are on display at the National Art Center in Tokyo. It has been a huge success. The Matisse Museum is open to visitors as a highlight of our city.
Nice Matisse Museum, source: iStock-graemenicholson
Located on the Mediterranean coast and at the foot of the Alps, Nice is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, near the Italian border. It enjoys a mild climate and unique advantages, destined to become a winter resort destination.
At the extended 44th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Fuzhou, China, Nice was listed as a 2023 World Heritage Site. So, organizers, ladies and gentlemen, you made the right choice.
Vieux Nice, source: Chinese Consulate General in Marseille
With the challenges and common problems we face, especially climate change and ocean warming, it makes perfect sense to focus on these issues at today’s conference. The Storm Alex in 2020 that devastated our mid-to-high-altitude mountain villages was proof of global challenge. We need our tourism to be sustainable and respect nature and biodiversity. My colleague Rudy Salles will discuss this with you later.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have a lot to say, but I’ll keep it brief. So, I hope you all gain a lot from today’s conference and enjoy your time in Nice. Today we talk about mountains, but I also would like to invite you to experience Côte d'Azur, the sea, and Nice itself. Stroll around the old town, enjoy the local atmosphere, have a great meal, try our local cuisine with the label of origin, and maybe have a glass of wine.
Thank you all for listening, and I wish you a successful and enjoyable day. Thank you!
Text source: IMTA
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
