On 9 July, “2018 International Mountain Tourism Alliance Forum in Beijing” was held at the Beijing Conference Center. Wei Hongtao, one of members of the Party group, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Bo Kuen Choi, senior official of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Dr. Chris Bottrill, President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Duan Qiang, President of the World Tourism Alliance, Shao Qiwei, Vice President of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), He Yafei, Secretary General of the IMTA and Mr.Gautam Bambawale, Ambassador of India to China attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the forum. Nearly 500 people including representatives of international organizations in China, envoys of some mountain tourism countries to China, experts, scholars, entrepreneurs and scientific research institutions in the tourism industry, representatives of tourism multinational enterprises in China as well as part of members of the Alliance took part in this grand action to discuss the resources integration and cross-border integration of international mountain tourism, and expand the exchange aspects and industry influence of international mountain tourism industry, contributing ideas and exerting efforts for promoting economic and social development of mountain areas.
IMTA, formally established in Guizhou Province, China on 15 August, 2017, is the first international organization themed around mountain tourism which was approved by the Chinese government and registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, headquartered in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province. The IMTA has members from 29 countries and regions in five continents around the world, a total of 126 group members and individual members, including 60 foreign institutional members, 57 domestic institutional members and 9 individual members.
“International Mountain Tourism Alliance Forum in Beijing 2018 ” was the first mega event held by the IMTA since its official establishment. This forum, themed with “New Opportunities, New Perspectives, New Forces - International Cooperation and Platform Construction for Mountain Tourism Development in the New Era”, was designed to make an in-depth exploration on innovative development of the Alliance and establishment of platforms including IMTA annual meeting and international mountain tourism conference in the new era, “Culture & Tourism Integration”, “Mountain Tourism Plus” mode and experience sharing, mountain tourism format innovation and rural revitalization to alleviate poverty and other topics.
On the opening ceremony, Shao Qiwei, Vice President of the IMTA made a warm welcome speech on behalf of the Alliance, gave a comprehensive description of the purpose and mission of IMTA and indicated that the Alliance would conduct industrial and cross-border exchanges and cooperation with the governments, industry associations, enterprise institutions and academic research institutions in relevant countries and regions through a variety of ways.
Wei Hongtao, member of the Party group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, gave a positive evaluation of construction and development of the Alliance in his speech, fully affirmed a number of active attempts and beneficial explorations by the Alliance to promote the development of international mountain tourism since its establishment, taking another solid step in boosting the development of mountain tourism.
Dr. Bo Keun Choi, senior official of the UNWTO, Dr. Chris Bottrill, President of the PATA and Mr. Duan Qiang, President of the World Tourism Alliance extended their congratulations on holding the forum and believed that they, as non-governmental international tourism organizations, have a common goal and vision for development of the world tourism, and they would rely on their own advantages and characteristics to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with international organizations, and make joint efforts and contributions to the world tourism development.
IMTA has its root in Guizhou. ChenYiqin, Governor of People’s Government of Guizhou Province especially sent a congratulatory letter to express congratulations on the holding of the forum and also stressed that IMTA originated in Guizhou was a pioneering opportunity for Guizhou province. As the initiator of IMTA, Guizhou would continue to spare no effort to support the innovative development and platform construction of the Alliance, and make joint efforts to promote sustainable development of international mountain tourism.
Following the opening ceremony, the event moved to the main forum. Mr. He Yafei, Secretary General of the IMTA delivered a keynote speech titled “The Innovative Development of International Mountain Tourism Alliance under the Background of Globalization”. Under the general background of economic globalization and construction of a community with shared future for humanity, his speech made an analysis and judgment on the development of world tourism industry, and put forward recent work focuses based on that in respect of how to actively play the role of IMTA and strengthen the foreign exchanges and cooperation: first, promoting the protection of mountain ecological environment, the harmonious development of tourism development and ecological protection, and the construction of an ecological environment allowing coexistence and co-prosperity between human and nature; second, driving the inheritance of mountain civilization; third, boosting the sustainable development of mountain economy, as the ecological protection and inheritance of civilization could not be done without the sustainable economic development; and fourth, promoting the poverty alleviation and economic development of people in mountainous regions to become the basis of the benign operation of mountain ecosystem. He also drew a beautiful blueprint for the innovative development of the Alliance in his speech.
Mr. Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary General of the World Tourism Cities Federation delivered a keynote speech titled “Operation Mode and Experience Sharing of Professional International Tourism Organizations”. His speech gave a detailed introduction to the establishment and operation of the World Tourism Cities Federation, providing a lot of useful practical experience and sample reference for developing and growing international tourism organizations.
Mr. Dai Bin, President of China Tourism Academy gave a keynote speech titled “Value and Values of First-Class International Tourism Organizations”, elaborating the effect and significance of the establishment of international tourism organizations on the theoretical level and putting forward some constructive instructions and suggestions for innovative development of international tourism organizations.
Mr. Kang Guoming, Chairman of China CYTS Tours Holding Co., Ltd. made a keynote speech titled “Give Play to the Role of Tourism Enterprises in the Platform Construction of International Tourism Organization”. As the founding council member of IMTA, the CYTS, from the perspective of the enterprise and based on the travel, scenic areas integrated marketing and other advantages in many aspects, setting scenes at mountains and outdoors and orienting toward the needs and desires of tourists at three different age groups i.e. the young, young and middle-aged as well as the middle-aged and old, has built “three ones” brand in collaboration with IMTA and other members: one international youth mountain outdoor camp; one official mountain outdoor sports festival of the Alliance and one health preservation featured mountain outdoor travel destination. Efforts are made to enhance the vitality of the Alliance and shape the industrial influence.
Both Switzerland and Nepal are typical mountain countries. Mr. Alain Gaschen, Minister of Embassy of Switzerland in China as well as Mr. Leela Mani Paudyal, Ambassador of Nepal to China also introduced the past and present development of their own country in mountain tourism, allowing participants to have more knowledge and understanding of mountain tourism and also get a lot of useful inspiration and reference.
With the vigorous supports of the World Tourism Organization, World Tourism Alliance, World Tourism Cities Federation, Global Tourism Economy Forum, Guizhou Tourism Development Committee, Guizhou Foreign Affairs Office, Yenching Academy of Peking University, Global Governance Research Center of Renmin University of China, Center for China and Globalization (CCG), Institute of Economic View, Tourism College of Beijing Union University and Yanching Institute of Technology, this forum achieved a success, realizing the purpose of sharing and exchanging cooperation and sharing experience of international tourism organizations as well as exploring the collaborative development path, and defining the overall direction of promoting the sustainable development of international mountain tourism hand in hand.
