"Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beautiful of Life, Revitalize the Tourism Industry"
- the Theme Events of International Mountain Tourism Day 2023 Opens in Laos
On May 29th, the International Mountain Tourism Day 2023, with the theme "Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beautiful of Life, and Rivitalize the Tourism Industry," commenced in Vientiane, Laos. The events was jointly organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR, International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), with support from UNWTO, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), ASEAN-China Centre, China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Foreign Affairs Office of Guizhou Province. Over 250 participants from international organizations, members of the IMTA, relevant tourism agencies from Laos and other countries, cultural and tourism enterprises, experts, scholars, and international media representatives gathered to discuss mountain tourism supply, market development, and solutions for new consumer demands. They aimed to promote the recovery and reopening of the tourism market and explore cooperation and governance systems for mountain tourism under the RCEP framework.
Notable guests included Ounethouang Khaophanh, Vice Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR; Fu Yingchun, Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General of IMTA; Phouvong Vongkhamsao, Deputy Mayor of Vientiane, Laos; Zhang Xilong, Former Inspector at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China; Xu Peng, Vice Chairman of the World Tourism Alliance(WTA); Phengchanh Phengmuang, Director-General of Planning and International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR; Emma Chen, Global Vice President of the Internationale Organisation Für Volkskunst (IOV); Darany Phommavongsa, Director-General of the Tourism Business Management Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR; Franka Gulin, European Travel Commission China Chapter Chairwoman; Inthy Deuansavanh, Member of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Goto Satoshi , Vice President of the Asian Union of Speleology. During the opening ceremony, adresses were delivered by Ounethouang Khaophanh and Fu Yingchun, representing the organizers, and video addresses were given by Peter Semone (Chairman of PATA), Pansy Ho (Vice Chairman of GTEF and IMTA), Zhu Shanzhong (Tourism Ambassador of UNWTO ), Dou Enyong (Vice President of CNIE), and Shi Zhongjun (Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Center), representing other organizers and international organizations.
Francesco Frangialli (former UNWTO Secretary-General), Emma Chen, Franka Gulin, Jin Zhun （Secretary-General of CASS), and Song Liguo (representative of Trip.com Group ) gave a keynote speech. Wu Mai, Deputy Secretary-General of IMTA, releaseed the Revitalizing tourism and creating a bright future together----Vientiane Consensus for International Mountain Tourism Day 2023. Commemorative Envelope was distributed during the opening ceremony.
The events also included activities such as launching ceremony, theme forum, Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference, IMTA “World-famous Mountains Recommendation — Exhibition of Asian Mountain Tourism Photography & Traditional Folk Handicraft” and exchanges meetings in Luang Prabang （Laos), Bali (Indonesia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
