Editor’s Note
On 29 May, the 2022 International Mountain Tourism Day theme event was held online and themed on “Mountain Tourism Promotes Healthy Life and Cultural Exchange”. The event motivated the New Media network, connected IMTA members, destination agencies, enterprises, and experts from all over the world, and carried out “cloud communication, dialogue, and presentation” around three chapters — “Focus · Mountain”, “Health · Life”, and “Civilization · Communication”. Against the complex global landscape and threat from COVID-19, the event helps create a healthier and more positive atmosphere and market for mountain tourism, promote cultural exchange, friendly communication, and mutual integration among countries, to jointly prepare, build, and share a bright future of mountain tourism. At the event, Lu Yongzheng, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, accepted an exclusive interview.
Accelerating the Establishment of New International and Professional Development Pattern for Mountain Tourism
Q：
This year's International Mountain Tourism Day event is hold under the dual pressure of the global pandemic crisis and the complex international situation. In this context, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance has put forward the theme of "Mountain Tourism Promotes Healthy Life and Cultural Exchange". Guizhou is the initiator of the IMTA and the place where its headquarter is located. What changes do you think the mountain tourism industry will bring to people's lives in the future?
A：At present, the world is still under the shadow of the once-in-a-century pandemic and the recovery of the tourism industry still faces tremendous difficulties and challenges. We are gratified to see that the International Mountain Tourism Alliance as an international organization initiated by Guizhou Province, uses the global platform of "International Mountain Tourism Day" to actively speak out for the tourism industry at its difficult time, and advocate mountain tourism as a green and healthy lifestyle, bringing sunshine and confidence to the tourism industry which is undergoing a “cold winter” period. I believe that through this activity, mountain tourism will be more deeply rooted in people’s hearts usher in a broader development prospect, and bring stronger international influence to the IMTA.
The once-in-century pandemic has profoundly changed the world pattern brought profound and extensive impact on the entire human society and inspired our reflections and insights about life. One of the important influences is that a healthy lifestyle has increasingly become the aspiration and expectation of people all over the world. As a modern way of tourism, mountain tourism suits people's needs for leisure, vacation, sports, etc and is in line with people's desire to remain simple, return to nature and pursue health. It provides the best option for people to go outdoors relax and pursue freedom under the normalization of the pandemic. I have noticed that in the context of the severely-impacted tourism industry by the pandemic, the domestic camping and home-stay industries have recently bucked the trend and ushered in unprecedented popularity. This is an autonomic change in the way of tourism consumption, under the restrictions of the inter-provincial and outbound travels which fully demonstrates people's unabated enthusiasm for tourism and the special charm and bright future of mountain tourism.
Q：
We know that Guizhou is a province with low pandemic risk, excellent ecological environment and rich humanistic resources. How can Guizhou make use of its unique mountain characteristics to give full play to the potential of mountain tourism and effectively advocate a healthy life and cultural exchanges in Guizhou?
A：Guizhou is the kingdom of mountains and the province of mountain parks in China. It is famous for its mountains, and it is attractive and unique because of its mountains. Steep mountains, unique valleys, karst caves, wetlands and hot springs are common scenery of the province. The unique Karst landform has given birth to countless magnificent scenery. Meanwhile, Guizhou has a comfortable ecological climate, strong cultural atmosphere and convenient integrated transportation which have created excellent conditions for its development of mountain tourism.
In recent years, we have thoroughly implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection in Guizhou to "enrich the tourism ecology and humanistic connotation and achieve high-quality development of tourism". By highlighting the characteristics of mountains and taking full advantage of the mountain resources, we have accelerated our construction of a world-class mountain tourism destination and a first-class vacation and wellness destination in China. We have successfully expanded the tourism scale from medium size to large size and achieved significant phased results in the development of mountain tourism. The tourism brand of "Fascinating Guizhou · A Heaven of Myriad Mountains" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of people, and it has attracted more and more domestic and foreign tourists to Guizhou to share the splendor, beauty, safety and health of mountain tourism.
Although the pandemic has not yet passed, we believe that no matter how long the winter is the sunshine will penetrate the mist and the spring will come. In the face of the transformation and adjustment period of tourism industry, we shall anchor our development goals, strengthen our confidence, maintain our concentration, practice our internal skills and continue to deepen the connotation and quality of mountain tourism. We will head towards the directions of internationalization, professionalism and specialization make every effort to build a new pattern of mountain tourism to better meet domestic and foreign tourists' longings for a poetic life, for the distant travel, and for health, and build an important platform for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
Q：
Guizhou has abundant of resources and it’s a big mountain tourism province. What strategies and methods will Guizhou adopt to show its natural and humanistic charm in the future? What new commercial forms and products will be launched and what concepts will be adopted to promote the sustainable development of mountain tourism?
A：First, we will adhere to the "combination of movement and stillness" to ensure that tourists can benefit their health in Guizhou. We should combine "movement" with "stillness" to enrich and improve the operational type of tourism in Guizhou. "Movement" means relying on the topography and land-forms of high mountains and deep valleys, numerous rivers and flying waterfalls to accelerate the improvement of mountain tourism facilities, develop sports tourism products such as rafting, off-road driving, rock climbing, hiking, cave exploration, low-altitude flying, skiing and grass skiing, etc and promote the holding of more mountain sports events in Guizhou. "Stillness" means relying on the advantages of Guizhou's pleasant climate, dense hot springs, and the profoundness of Miao medicine to cultivate and expand health and wellness tourism such as alpine summer resort, forest recreation, hot spring fitness, medical recuperation, etc. So that tourists can gain happiness and excitement through mountain sports in Guizhou while savoring tranquility and leisure in the scenic landscape. Meanwhile, based on Guizhou's industrial foundation, we will focus on cultural and wellness tourism, tourism equipment manufacturing and characteristic tourism products and strive to create a destination for mountain tourism, vacation and rehabilitation.
Second, we will follow nature’s course to enable tourists to enjoy the beauty of landscapes in Guizhou. A good ecological environment has become Guizhou's biggest development advantage and competitive advantage. We will conscientiously implement the concept of "building a community of life for Man and Nature” proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and establish an ecological outlook that follows nature’s course, respects nature and coexists in harmony with nature. We will protect the ecological environment like protecting our eyes and treats ecology like treating our lives. In the planning, development and management of mountain resources, we will make efforts to minimize the impact on the environment, maintain the authenticity and integrity of mountain resources to the greatest extent maintain mountain ecosystems and promote the sustainable development of mountain tourism.
Third, we will advocate the appreciation and sharing of diverse cultures to enable tourists to enjoy the beauty of culture in Guizhou. Mountains are the cradle, stage, and home of life for the people of all ethnic groups in Guizhou. They have given birth to the unique red culture, ethnic culture, ecological culture and traditional culture of Guizhou. We will work hard to protect and inherit the local culture, effectively implant the essence of culture into the development of mountain tourism, fully present the splendor and harmonious coexistence of each culture and let the mountain tourism fully reflect the history, culture and national characteristics of Guizhou. We will also actively support the development of the IMTA, tell a good story of Guizhou through the IMTA and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
As a Chinese poem read, “Green mountains are like the tide”. The future of mountain tourism in Guizhou is promising. We sincerely hope that all parties will seize the opportunity of mountain tourism development support and participate in the development of mountain tourism in Guizhou explore in the "blue ocean" of mountain tourism and share the "bonus" of mountain tourism. With its greater charm, Guizhou welcome tourists from all over the world to indulge in the splendor of the landscape, experience the unique beauty of the scenery and appreciate the harmony between man and nature after the pandemic.
