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.

He Yafei, former vice minister of foreign affairs in China, Secretary General of IMTA delivered a speech at the Summit's Opening Ceremony:

At present, we are witnessing profound changes of the world unseen in a century. In detail, the balance of global powers is tilting to developing countries symbolized by China; traditional security threats like intense geopolitics and novel threats like climate change and cyber risks break out concurrently, threatening the very survival of human race; the fast-changing technological revolutions keep altering and even overturning our lifestyle and production mode, reshaping the whole world. The global governance system is experiencing strict tests, and will face total collapse if unable to adjust to the drastically changing global tendency. And both world and regional tourism is under enormous challenges, desperate to find breakthroughs.

Drastic changes call for great concepts and grand development. That’s why we need to, via the platform of “5.29” International Mountain Tourism Day, dig deep and exchange ideas on how to renovate the governance system of world tourism, to give full play to the pivotal role of tourism in promoting economic growth and people’s friendship, especially in revitalizing mountain tourism and bridging the gap of wealth.

In 2020, the COVID-19 broke out, threatening and hugely damaging global economy and world tourism, and has been doing so even today. Nonetheless, as more and more people get vaccinated every day, we are marching near herd immunity, helping the tourism sector bounce back and take off like the rising sun. This year, we witnessed 230 million domestic tourists in China during the Labor Day holiday, 103.2% of the number before COVID-19, and reaped 113.23 billion yuan of tourism revenue, 77% of that before COVID-19.

Therefore, under the changing international situation and the spreading coronavirus, world tourism and tourism governance have gone through fundamental changes:

First, from the demand side, COVID-19 changed people’s view on tourism. Now, tourists would not “have a trip for the sake of travel.” Instead, they have more refined and special demands, such as “tourism + wellness,” holiday tour, “tourism + sport,” “tourism + cultural experience,” and “tourism + history.”

Second, from the supply side, the rapid progress of revolutionary technologies like 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Life Science, robot, and Internet of Things (IoT), have dramatically altered the contents and expression of tourism, making a lot of things possible now. In the tourism sector, we have also seen a new trend of “nothing is impossible,” proving that the innovation and integration of tourism products are just around the corner.

Third, to adjust to the changing world political and economic landscape, the Chinese government, according to the “14th Five-Year Plan” and 2035 Long-Range Objectives, has launched the “dual circulation” economic strategy. And China’s tourism is bound to experience a similar “dual circulation” strategy. In addition, the continuous development of China’s economy, the huge increase in the number of China’s middle-income residents, and people’s pursuit of a better life, will facilitate the rapid progress of China’s tourism market.

Other countries are also expanding their domestic, regional, and sub-regional tourism markets based on their own conditions, innovate tourism models, and design new products, so as to adjust to the ever-changing business patterns and new market structure.

Last, green and eco-friendly development is the direction and goal of the future global economy, as well as the foundation of restructuring the global tourism governance system. China has made major promises in dealing with global challenges like climate change, and China’s tourism must act accordingly to promote green and healthy tourism. To be specific, the tourism sector should explore the contents, protect the ecological environment, and stick to the principle of sustainable development. And I believe these are also everyone’s expectation to the governance and development of world tourism.

So, to adjust to the in-depth alterations of the world situation and global tourism governance, IMTA has in recent years taken the lead in proposing the refined and customized concept of “tourism+,” and has been recognized and supported by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and other institutions of tourism, culture, and sport, as well as enterprises of travel kit.

“While we live in an age rife with challenges, it is also an age full of hope,” said President Xi. The new era calls for new ideas, concepts, and patterns. The pattern of “tourism+” centers on “tourism + experience,” including diversified experiences of health, sport, and culture. IMTA hopes to provide a platform via events like “5.29” for countries and all walks of life to exchange ideas and cooperate in terms of tourism innovation and integration, thereby facilitating the friendship of people all over the world.

Now, I will propose some of my opinions on how to reform global tourism governance and revitalize mountain tourism in the new era:

First, we should overcome the impact of COVID-19 and other interferences, open tourism markets to each other, and integrate tourism resources. By promoting tours and holidays of all sorts, we aim to bridge the cultural gap between people of different countries, deepen their mutual understanding, promote the exchange and integration of various cultures and civilizations, thereby contributing to the goal of building a community of shared future for mankind.

Trips among developed countries, and from developed to developing ones are in smooth progress, while trips among developing countries and from developing to developed ones are lagging behind. Tourism infrastructures in developing countries are not so advanced, which also stops them from exploiting their tourism resources. The gaps in economy, culture, and now vaccine for COVID-19, would probably make it even more difficult to open up each other’s tourism market. That’s why all countries need to work together, to stop world and regional tourism markets from splitting up.

Take countries along the “Belt and Road” for example. According to China Tourism Academy, the number of Chinese tourists kept increasing by the year, from 15.49 million in 2013 to 27.41 million in 2017—77% of growth in five years, 15.34% growth rate per year, higher than the average rate. Tourism promotes the mutual understanding, commercial trade, and political trust of different countries, laying a public foundation for the new-type cooperative global partnership and a community of shared future for mankind.

Second, the fourth industrial revolution and rapid technological advances help renovate tourism patterns, enrich tourism contents, and overcome barriers in time and space, thereby making everything possible and providing tourists all over the world with brand-new experiences. To put new tourism business patterns, products, and “tourism + experience” into practice, we need to combine with cutting-edge technologies like 5G, AI, IoT, deep-sea and space technology, and Life Science, so as to offer people of all income levels tailored life experience that is refined, customized, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural.

Also, in terms of technological revolution, countries have different edges, so they need to draw on each other’s advantages, open up necessary technologies, to learn from each other, and benefit the public.

Third, thriving the rural area and bridging the gap of wealth via tourism is the expectation of rural residents, especially mountain residents, as well as an efficient way testified by history.

After realizing the strategic goal of eliminating absolute poverty in 2020, China set rural revitalization, and narrowing the gap of wealth between urban and rural areas as new development priorities. And rural tourism, especially mountain tourism, is exactly an efficient way to make these priorities come true.

Rough statistics show that tourism takes up about 10% of each country’s GDP, yielding a pivotal impact on economic growth. And mountain tourism is the pillar of tourism industry. According to UNWTO, mountain tourism takes up around 20% of world tourism, creates 100 to 140 billion dollars of output per year, and keeps climbing up. In the post-COVID world, people’s tourism demand will be combined with pursuit of health, low density, and nature, which is exactly where mountain tourism stands out.

In south China, the rapid development and the progress in the quality of B&B, rural holiday, mountain sport, mountain wellness, and other business patterns, illustrate why rural tourism is key to lifting up the income level for local residents, bridging the income between urban and rural areas, and marching towards the path of common prosperity. These business patterns have long been prospering in European countries. Recently, I exchanged ideas with Ambassadors of Austria, Spain and Portugal in China, about the importance of mountain tourism to national economy, especially to the economy of poor areas. And many countries share the same idea.

Fourth, how does tourism governance help reform the global governance system by writing rules and criteria? What role does tourism play to help integrate the diverse cultures and civilizations all over the world in this era of great changes? How does mountain tourism take over the burden and responsibility from mountain sustainable development? These are all critical problems that need to be pondered over and dealt with by all countries.

At present, global governance system, including tourism governance, faces many grand challenges, such as increasingly uncertain and instable international relationships. More importantly, the downward pressure of global economy and the widening gap of wealth and inequality in western countries, trigger domestic political polarization, and populism, which further intensifies the anti-globalization power and makes the relationships between major countries more complicated and sensitive. As a result, international strategic stability gets hugely weakened, and the security in Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East gets severely threatened.

Traditional and non-traditional threat to global security concentrated outbreak, increasing the “global governance deficit,” and breaking the governance system apart, which makes it even more difficult for us to adjust to the rapid changes. It is the very reason that causes global chaos, as well as the chaos in world tourism.

So, in the post-COVID era, world tourism must buck up, participate in the reform of global governance system with a new face, and construct a community of shared future for tourism in the new era. And hereby we put forward three proposals:

First, creating new tourism patterns centered on solidarity, mutual assistance, mutual benefit, and win-win objective.

“One man can hardly carry heavy load, but many can easily move mountains.” Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 threat, tourism enterprises of all countries face the challenge of life or death. So, tourism administrations and guilds must give full play to their coordination duty, to maintain a complete tourism supply chain, alleviate brain drain, improve industry standards, explore the development direction, take the lead in promoting the spirit of justice, fairness, mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, and sharing, thus making joint contributions to the revitalization and transformation of the tourism sector.

Second, striving for innovation and building a community of shared future for a stable and prosperous tourism industry.

“Let’s work together as partners and sail together for a new future.” Faced with this great change unseen in a century, it is inevitable to reshape the supply chain of tourism, refined, customized and green tourism has become the latest tendency. For that, tourism markets of all countries need to join hands to, guided by the novel concept of “tourism+,” renovate the supply, industry, data, and talent chains via technological, cultural, and green empowerment, in order to revitalize tourism in the new era and build a community of shared future for world tourism.

Third, further opening up, seeking inclusive development, and creating a new future for tourism in the new era.

“Big enough to accept the public, virtue enough to be far-reaching.” Opening-up is an inevitable trend for development, and key to economic recovery after the COVID-19 outbreak. Economic globalization is a general trend, so is opening up. To march ahead, tourism sector must follow the general trend. Taking tourism as the carrier and platform, integrate factors like culture, sport, health, and technology into “tourism+,” and create a new future for tourism in the new era.

Here are two things we should pay close attention to about rural revitalization through mountain tourism:

First, setting up new standards and relevant supportive policies for mountain tourism.

Mountain tourism enjoys unique ecological and environmental resources, diversified regional cultures. Therefore, standards for mountain tourism need to help demonstrate such features, to be comprehensive by including standard systems on service, security, environment, and civilization protection, to promote the sustainable and healthy development of mountain tourism.

To set such standards, we should consider the common problems and long-range development that the whole world has to face. Such as population ageing, we should take the resources like medical treatment, insurance, and Artificial Intelligence into consideration, as well as fuse into national development strategies of each country. Take China for example. China integrates mountain tourism and rural revitalization, to not only rapidly recover mountain tourism, but also drive the progress of relevant industries, providing new momentum for global economy.

IMTA is willing to work with other international and domestic organizations, as well as mountain tourism insiders, to explore and set up industrial standards, jointly launch strategies and promote the implementation of standards, and strive for the sustainable development of mountain tourism.

Second, improving the supply and industry chains of mountain tourism, to promote the integrated progress of relevant enterprises, and secure high-quality development in an all-round way for mountain tourism.

Mountain tourism isn’t only about large corporations, five-star hotels, and AAAAA tourist attractions; it is also about a large number of small and middle-sized enterprises and individual practitioners, scattered B&B hotels, and small travel projects with unique features and culture contents.

IMTA will work with everyone to support these small and middle-sized enterprises and individual practitioners, for they were the ones hit the hardest by COVID-19. And we will make tourist services more professional, connect upstream and downstream firms, as well as horizontally, concurrently facilitate domestic and international mountain tourism, and develop new projects, experiences, and methods with positive and diversified contents for everyone.