Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beauty of Life, Revitalize the Tourism Industry “International Mountain Tourism Day 2023” theme events kick off in Laos
On 29 May, the “International Mountain Tourism Day 2023” theme events titled “Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beauty of Life, Revitalize the Tourism Industry” kicked off in Vientiane, Laos. The events were jointly organized by Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR (MICT), International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), and supported by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), ASEAN-China Center (ACC), China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Foreign Affairs Office. Over 250 guests from international organizations, IMTA members, and tourism institutions, culture and tourism enterprises, experts and scholars, and global media workers from Laos and other countries, gathered together to discuss the supply, market development, and solutions of mountain tourism facing the new consumer demands, explore the system of mountain tourism cooperation and governance within the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) framework, and jointly facilitate the full recovery, opening and interaction of the tourism market. Guests, from various perspectives, offered constructive and forward-looking insights on the new-stage innovation and regional development of mountain tourism.
Guests present at the opening ceremony are: Ounethouang Khaophanh, Vice Minister of MICT; Fu Yingchun, Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General of IMTA; Phouvong Vongkhamsao, Deputy Mayor of Vientiane; Zhang Xilong, former First Class Counsel at the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China; Xu Peng, Vice Chairman of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA); Phengchanh Phengmeuang, Director of the Department of Planning and International Cooperation, MICT; Emma Chen, Global Vice President of the Internationale Organisation Für Volkskunst (IOV); Darany Phommavongsa, Director General of Tourism Management Department, MICT; Franka Gulin, European Travel Commission China Chapter Chairwoman; Inthy Deuansavanh, member of Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI); Goto Satoshi, Vice President of the Asian Union of Spelegology; and so on. At the opening ceremony, Minister Ounethouang Khaophanh and Chairman Fu Yingchun delivered remarks on behalf of the organizers. Peter Semone – President of PATA, Pansy Ho – Vice Chairwoman and Secretary General of GTEF, Vice Chairwoman of IMTA; Zhu Shanzhong – UNWTO Ambassador for Tourism, Dou Enyong – Vice President of CNIE, and Shi Zhongjun – Secretary General of ACC delivered video speeches on behalf of the other organizers and international organizations. After that, Minister Ounethouang Khaophanh declared the official opening of the events. Francesco Frangialli – former Secretary General of UNWTO, Emma Chen – Global Vice President of IOV, Franka Gulin – European Travel Commission China Chapter Chairwoman, Jin Zhun – Secretary-General of the Tourism Research Center, Chinese Academy of Social Science, and Song Liguo – General Manager of Strategic Cooperation Department of Trip.com Group delivered keynote speeches titled “Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development of Mountain Tourism,” “The Inheritance and Resource Utilization of Folk Handicrafts in Mountainous Areas,” “Changes and Responses to Supply and Demand in the Global Mountain Tourism Market,” “Mountain Tourism Cooperation and Sustainable Development under RCEP Framework” and “Empowering Mountain Tourism, Enjoying a Wonderful Journey Together” respectively.
2023 "International Mountain Tourism Day" launching ceremony
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Next, Wu Mai, Vice Secretary General of IMTA, read out the Revitalizing Tourism and Creating a Bright Future Together----Vientiane Consensus for International Mountain Tourism Day 2023 as the representative, and issued commemorative envelopes.
The events include profuse and diversified supporting events, including the launching ceremony, theme forum, Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference, World-famous Mountains Recommendation — Exhibition of Asian Mountain Tourism Photography & Traditional Folk Handicraft, Mountain B&B (Luang Prabang) Cooperative Exchange, Mountain Tourism (Bali) Exchange, and Mountain Tourism Market (Kuala Lumpur) Exchange Symposium.
World-famous Mountains Recommendation — Exhibition of Asian Mountain Tourism Photography & Traditional Folk Handicraft
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Tourism revitalization via communication and cooperation
2023 is the revitalization year for world tourism. According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, world tourism has recovered to 80% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 of this year, and global arrivals have reached 235 million, more than two-folds of the data in Q1 of 2022. Economic Research Impact Report 2023 released by WTTC reveals that world tourism outputs 9.5 trillion dollars this year, making a contribution to GDP only 5% short of that of 2019.
Ounethouang Khaophanh, Vice Minister of MICT, mentioned in the opening remark that right now, world tourism is recovering from the pandemic hit, and mid and high-speed railway is, many hold, a major engine for multilateral tourism, as the China-Laos Railway connecting Laos and Kunming of China offers more transport options for the two peoples. Railway is becoming an economic tie that bridges China and its surrounding areas, an engine that drives economy, and an attraction to more and more local and international tourists. Laos, as a result, gets more geared to the international community and becomes a tourism destination.
Kuang Sai Waterfall, Luang Prabang, Laos
Photo: MICT of Lao PDR
There is no doubt that tourism is now steadily recovering and revitalizing, as remarked by Mr. Fu Yingchun, Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General of IMTA, at the opening ceremony: “The innate uniqueness and developing future of mountain tourism will play a catalytic role in activating consumer demand and boosting industry confidence, so strengthening international cooperation will be inevitable for tourism revitalization. In the context, many options are available for regional cooperation in tourism, such as the "Belt and Road" initiative, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Relying on these major regional cooperation initiatives, the tourism industry characterized by promoting consumer and economic flows with people flows will discover its own opportunities and entry points. In addition, the main topics of this event also concern empowering the tourism industry to carry out multi-disciplinary and cross-city cooperation as well as providing intellectual and practical support to promote the interaction of international markets. Today, we are here to celebrate the fifth International Mountain Tourism Day, which makes us feel so grateful and proud. We are grateful to all the friends who care about and support the International Mountain Tourism Alliance for its growth and progress. We are proud that the Alliance, living up to expectations, gradually makes the International Mountain Tourism Day become a shared platform connecting members and the mountain tourism industry; builds a cooperation mechanism to promote the development of the sustainable tourism and the co-establishment of the governance system step by step; develops into a bridge dedicated to the mutual learning and friendly interaction of mountain tourism civilization, and becomes a recognized and influential "business card" in the mountain tourism industry.”
site of activity
Photo: MICT of Lao PDR
Connected by mountains and rivers, ASEAN and China are good neighbors, good friends and good partners sharing cultural affinity. As Mr. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of the ACC, mentioned, tourism cooperation is an essential part of ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges. The practical cooperation in tourism have brought tangible benefits to the peoples on two sides, creating favorable conditions for the sustainable development of ASEAN-China relations. In the post-pandemic era, ASEAN countries and China are shouldering great responsibilities to accelerate regional economic recovery and advance sustainable development. To this end, ACC is willing to work closely with parties like IMTA to brand and promote mountain tourism and to better play the important role of tourism in improving people’s well-being and ecological environment, serving to strengthen people-to-people ties, and contributing to the continued building of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Mountain tourism landscape in Laos
Photo: MICT of Lao PDR
2022 has seen the official implementation of the RCEP, signaling the founding of the largest tourism economic community in the world. Mr. Jin Zhun, Secretary-General of the Tourism Research Center, Chinese Academy of Social Science, said in his keynote speech: “RCEP is a cross-border, cross-market, and intercultural community, in which economic development has played the most important role, boasts of covering the largest number of people in the world, including international tourists and the largest tourism industry in scale. Meanwhile, it also pursues cooperation, openness, and development to realize its cutting-edge potential. This enormous tourism economic community is not only brought together by a large number of people and unprecedented economic and trade scale but also supported by the fact that tourism has broken free of its own barriers to make innovations. Countries in the network should join hands to channel more impetus from economic and trade development into the tourism industry and lead Asia-Pacific tourism and economy towards a new form of development through open cooperation and sustainable development.
“I strongly believe we need to all engage in more cooperations like this and carefully listen to what every side can say in order to properly navigate changes in supply and demand in mountain tourism sector. Open and honest dialogue with exchange of information it is one of the first steps in our search for ways to navigate new trends while honoring what nature gifted to us. Our meeting in Vientiane and our Laos visit really provide a great opportunity to engage in meaningful communication to set a good example for future practices,” said Franka Gulin, European Travel Commission China Chapter Chairwoman.
Sustainable development brings a beautiful life
Sustainable development has been a common goal of the entire human race. Tourism plays a critical and indispensable part in economy, society and environment. Thanks to the promotion by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNWTO, world tourism sticks to the concept of sustainable development, preserves natural and cultural heritages, and tries to benefit the residents and tourists and share a beautiful life with them, which is also the route that mountain tourism must take in the future.
Cairngorms Mountains, England
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
“We must consider the close relationship between the sustainable development of local economy and mountain tourism. We are noticing that the tourism sector is turning to sustainable development, environmental influence, and culture and heritage protection. In particular, many mountain communities are on the path towards sustainable development, to solve the problem of environmental degradation and underdevelopment,” said Mr. Peter Semone, Chairman of PATA, in his speech, “stakeholders need to think about development issues in a more inclusive, sustainable and adaptable manner. By highlighting the sustainable development of mountain tourism, we can distribute the benefits from tourism to the local communities more evenly, and better protect the local natural resources and cultural heritages to provide residents with a better life.”
Mr. Fu Yingchun also pointed out that we must, according to the new development concept, take the road of ecological priority and green low-carbon development, protect the natural and humanistic ecosystem gifted by nature to human beings, conserve the biodiversity and the harmony between human and nature, and build a system of "Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit, Inclusiveness" based on civilization, mutual learning and sharing. Only by insisting on leading the development of culture and tourism industry with ecological civilization, can we make our home better, which is also the premise for tourists to share the beauty of life and the essential principle of the sustainable development of tourism.
Nepal section of the Himalayas
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Mr. Francesco Frangialli, as former Secretary General of UNWTO and individual member of IMTA Council, mentioned in his speech, “This understanding of the nature of sustainability was put forward by the Portland Report for the UN in 1986, then adopted by the UN member in 1992, in the RIO Conference, as submitted with the Agenda 21 and Framework Convention on Climate Change. And then, in 2002, ten years later, tourism was put into the picture to WTO in the book submitted. Sustainability is the keyword to maintain tourism.”
Emma Chen, Global Vice President of IOV, proposed five suggestions on the sustainable development of mountain folk traditional handcrafts worldwide: 1. Organize professionals to participate in the innovation and modernized R&D and design of traditional handicrafts, create linkage opportunities for traditional craftsmen and contemporary designers to jointly explore ways to combine traditional techniques with modern designs. 2. Utilize the advantages of new Internet media to expand sales channels and enhance marketing, introduce and disseminate traditional handicrafts through social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and other digital marketing means. 3. Establish an effective transmission mechanism and education and training system, encourage traditional craftsmen to teach traditional skills and knowledge by setting up traditional crafts training centers, colleges, workshops, etc. 4. Call on countries to formulate relevant laws and regulations and introduce relevant industrial support policies, to support the development and inheritance of traditional handicrafts. 5. Integrate mountain folk crafts into the key aspects of mountain tourism development.
Miao girl embroidering
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
“Developing mountain tourism destinations under the RCEP framework requires exploring embedded destinations, with green modernization, green urbanization, and green globalization as the main driving forces for growth. Based on global innovation and technology, sustainable development, and reform and opening up, a high-quality international circular tourism consumption mode will be formed. Together with the RCEP network, this mode will strive to improve the national image, promote modern ideology, enhance open international exchange, and stimulate exploratory development,” said Mr. Jin Zhun in his keynote speech.
“Wonders of mountains” drives economic growth
Mountain, as a surface configuration, covers 30% of the land area of the earth. Mountains grow in every continent of the world. The multipeaked mountains present not only countless famous mountains, rivers and natural and cultural heritages, which are also the "Wonder of Mountains" carrying infinite value and bringing an incredible future to the tourism. The mountain tourism, with the characteristics of being close to nature, pursuing healthiness and being environmentally friendly, stimulates consumption potential and gives a strong support to the service quality while responding to the development trend of the ecological tourism by the structural optimization to the tourism supply chain.
Mountain tourism in Laos
Photo: MICT of Lao PDR
Mountains are a natural gift shared by mankind with immense potential to explore. Pansy Ho, Vice Chairwoman and Secretary General of GTEF, Vice Chairwoman of IMTA, said, “mountain tourism is gaining popularity worldwide, accounting for one-fifth of the global tourism sector. In China, mountain tourism has been on the rise and is expected to ramp up tourism recovery in the post-pandemic era. Part of its success lies in its engagement of the local communities in the planning and management aspects, which ensure that local needs are taken into consideration. The Chinese government has been always maintaining a balance between environment conservation and green tourism, as it believes protecting the ecological environment is in itself benefiting the economy.” Mr. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary General of ACC, said, “The boosting of mountain tourism has not only generated economic benefits, created opportunities for local communities, but also helped preserve their natural resources, becoming an important means of poverty reduction and rural revitalization.”
Mr. Zhu Shanzhong, UNWTO Ambassador for Tourism, mentioned in his speech, “The role of mountain tourism in our post-pandemic world cannot be overstated. Now, the world is seeking open-air, nature-based destinations. Mountain tourism caters to this demand while also providing much-needed support to local economies, promoting biodiversity conservation, and fostering cultural exchange and understanding. It is a crucial component of our path to a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive global tourism sector.” Ms. Wu Xiaoli, Deputy Director of Phoenix TV News, sent her wishes: “Today, as tourism comes back to life, I hope more mountain tourism products would come into the market to enrich our life. I wish mountain tourism a bright future.”
Mount Elbrus
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
“Mountain is not only a critical tourism resource, but also an ecological resource that benefits our physical and mental health. As the tourism industry prospers, more and more countries choose tourism, to be the new economic engine and mountain tourism also improves the well-being of mountain residents, deepens the mutual-trust and communication among different areas, and brings more development opportunities for the local employment and economic growth of mountainous areas” said Mr. Dou Enyong, Vice President of China NGO Network for International Exchanges.
Mr. Song Liguo, General Manager of Strategic Cooperation Department, Trip.com Group, made his judgement and insights on the future development of mountain tourism based on data analysis: “On Trip.com, we have hundreds of travel tags that clearly classify tourism products of destinations. We have accessed data from nearly 10,000 major mountain tourism scenic areas and found that, amidst the overall improvement of the market, there is a significant surge in the popularity of mountain tourism. From January to May of 2023, mountain tourism product bookings increased by over 60% than 2019, trading volume of mountain tourism products by 53.2%, and the orders for mountainous scenic areas by approximately 279%.”
Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference opens again
The first “Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference” was held in Guiyang city, Guizhou province, China in 2022, aimed to promote the friendly communication and cooperation among Asian countries, create a healthy market and operation mode for Asian mountain tourism, and raise people’s awareness on sustainable development. This year, as an important part of the “International Mountain Tourism Day 2023” theme events, the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference kicks off in Vientiane of Laos again, participated by representatives of renowned mountain tourism organizations and enterprises, and directors of provincial departments of culture and tourism in Laos to explore patterns and ways to deal with the changing consumption trends, supply innovation, and market development in 2023 – the year of tourism reshaping, and to promote new business patterns and products that lead the new consumer demands.
site of activity
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Asia boasts a long history, colorful cultures, profuse and diversified resources and products of mountain tourism. Laos, as an Asian country that bridges the neighboring countries along the Mekong River, also enjoys abundant natural resources. Vice Minister Ounethouang Khaophanh said in his speech: “Governments must formulate strategies oriented by nature, culture and history to continuously promote the sustainable development of tourism. The year 2024 is the Lao Tourism Year, and our government will try its best to advertise for the tourism industry. I believe IMTA will provide more opportunities for the international community to jointly discuss, develop, and drive the fast recovery and sustainable development of tourism, especially mountain tourism.” In the eyes of Mr. Fu Yingchun, mountain tourism is an engine with great potential and prospect for Asian economy. “Promoting world tourism, especially mountain tourism, to make it an important engine to help recover Asian and global economy, stabilize employment, reduce poverty, facilitate communication and cooperation among cultures and civilizations, is a major goal of Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference.” In addition, Ms. Maribel Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of WTTC, highlighted in her speech: “Congratulations to the fifth International Mountain Tourism Day! I hope we could continue to march head, travel around, get to know more people, and serve more tourists, because we, the tourism industry, represent excellence, wealth, and strength.”
Mountain tourism landscape in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
Mr. Ogeun Panyanouvong, Deputy Director of Public Relations Division, Tourism Marketing Department, MICT, illustrated the determination of Laos to embrace modernized ecological tourism from six aspects – tourism policies, concept and goal of mountain tourism, Lao landform and terrain, status quo of mountain tourism in Laos, edges and scenic spots of mountain tourism, and future development and plan for Laos. Next, Mr. Ogeun Panyanouvong invited investors, especially Chinese enterprises, to visit Laos to jointly development and revitalize the Lao tourism industry. The China-Laos Railway brings benefits in transport, culture and economy for people living along the route. As Anongdeth Phetkaysone, Vice General Manager of Laos-China Railway Company Limited, introduced, the China-Laos Railway, since coming into operation in 2022, has delivered a total of 2.45 million passengers, with the maximum number of tourists per train reaching 4,600. On April 13 this year, Kunming South Station and Vientiane Station opened for operation, making it possible for international passengers to travel to and fro Kunming and Vientiane in one day, and delivering around 200 passengers per day. It offers tourists with a new transport option, and facilitates relevant industries.
Luang Prabang, Laos
Photo: MICT of Lao PDR
“Mountain tourism must be thought out on the fundamentals of quality and not quantity,” said Mr. Serge Koening, a member of the IMTA Expert Committee and an international mountain tourism expert, as he introduced the status quo of mountain tourism in Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, and highlighted the imperative need to anticipate the mountains of tomorrow. Ms. Li Xia, Director of the Information Management Department of China Culture and Media Group, Executive Director and General Manager of CCMIT, stated her visions on the new development opportunities of mountain tourism from three aspects – the nature and advantages of the resources that mountain tourism relies on, the forms of mountain tourism developed by using these advantages, and the corresponding groups. Ms. Wen Weiya, as the representative of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guizhou Province and Head of the Guizhou International Mountain Tourism Development Center, introduced the beautiful landscapes, everlasting clear water, colorful cultures and pleasant climate in Guizhou province, a "Mountain Park," and invited tourists around the world to Guizhou for admiring the majestic mountain scenery, experiencing the passionate outdoor sports, appreciating the colorful mountain landscapes, feeling the mountain coziness of recreation and enjoying the policy dividends of investment. Mr. Liu Wei, Head of the Myanmar-China Culture and Tourism Promotion Society, introduced the natural landscapes that make visitors linger, long-lasting and brilliant Buddhist culture, historical sites and relics, and simple and peaceable customs of Myanmar. Additionally, Green Discovery, the first tourism enterprise in Laos that combines project development, product R&D, and tourism service. Its services cover development of new tourist attractions, protection and reproduction of elephants, protection and appreciation of monkeys, experience in coffee bean plantations, drift adventure, and forest hiking. Inthy Deuansavanh, Chairman of Green Discovery, highlighted that they try their best to live peacefully with residents, maintain the balanced development of tourism economy and local life, in the hope of providing high-quality advertisement and services to attract more visitors for mountain tourism in Laos.
Wanfenglin, Guizhou, China
Photo: International Mountain Tourism Alliance
International Mountain Tourism Day is a global commemorative day initiated by IMTA in 2018, a holiday for mountain tourism enthusiasts and practitioners, as well as a sharing platform that benefits and is jointly developed and participated by the global mountain tourism industry and IMTA members. It has now evolved into the most influential and renowned mechanism-based brand that demonstrates how IMTA proactively participates in the global tourism governance.
“International Mountain Tourism Day” was initiated in Nepal in 2019, and now held in Laos five years later. Within this half a decade, we have been adhering to the vision of “seeking to protect mountain resources, preserving mountain civilization, and promoting mountain economy to the benefit of the people living in mountainous regions.” The “International Mountain Tourism Day 2023” theme events are a collision of tourism intelligence under the special background in the important time at the beautiful place, injecting new ideas and impetus into the sustainable development of international mountain tourism, yielding a positive influence on the revitalization of world mountain tourism and opening of the tourism market.
