Dominique de Villepin: IMTA will take positive actions to promote Sino-French tourism exchanges and cooperation

The "Hello China" tourism promotion event, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the Chinese Embassy in France, and organized by the China Tourism Office in Paris, was held at the Palais Bourbon in Paris on the 30th. As the first overseas promotion event of the "Hello China" tourism brand in 2024, the event consists of two parts, the "Hello China" tourism promotion event and the "Sino-French Tourism Dialogue". More than 500 guests including tourism authorities, travel agencies, media representatives from China and France attended the event.

Dominique de Villepin, Chairman of International Mountain Tourism Alliance(IMTA), was invited to attend the "Hello! China" tourism promotion event and delivered a speech.

The following is the full text of the speech:

Mr. Sun Yeli, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China,

Distinguished Ambassador, Dear Friends,

With the invitation of the Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, it is a great pleasure to join the "Hello China" tourism promotion event with you. As a friend of China and the Chairman of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance initiated by Guizhou Province, I am very honored to participate in this event on the eve of the opening of the Paris Olympic Games and on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

We share the same passion for art and culture in China and France. These two great civilizations have long been attracted to each other, and Sino-French cooperation and exchanges have produced rich practical results and successful experiences, creating many great works of human heritage that we are proud of.

Paris Eiffel Tower, source: Baotu.com

Leaders and diplomatic departments of China and France have been committed to continuous cooperation and exchanges for many years to enhance understanding between the two countries and their peoples. It is in this spirit that my son and I established an art and cultural foundation in Hong Kong. At the same time, we also began to prepare for the creation of an art center in Mr. Zao Wou-Ki's studio in Gaudigny, to commemorate this great French-Chinese artist. In this studio near Paris, he created many famous works. Therefore, we are also very happy to cooperate with Ms. Françoise Marquet-Zao, the president of the Zao Wou-Ki Foundation, to successfully hold the largest exhibition in China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, to commemorate this great painter.

Hangzhou West Lake, source: Baotu.com

I am very sure that our shared love, experience and professional skills for China and France can allow us to go further on the path of excellence and model, and also fully demonstrate our demand for art, culture and tourism in this world full of changes.

The uncertainty in the world today in politics, economy and finance is largely due to the threats and impacts caused by geopolitics, extreme climate and technological transformation we are experiencing. Too much tension, competition and misunderstanding have fueled confrontation, which has made people rediscover the importance of art, tourism and culture in promoting dialogue and cooperation between the two peoples.

In the post-pandemic era, after a long period of stagnation and reflection, the tourism industry, especially the mountain tourism market, has ushered in a reshaping opportunity. The International Mountain Tourism Alliance seized the new opportunity and proposed to develop new partnerships among countries, cities and regions on the basis of respect for innovation and sharing, that is, to develop partnerships, carry out exchange projects, and promote cultural tourism integration products for their respective markets. While jointly investing, we actively develop a green, environmentally friendly, localized tourism that focuses more on health, sports, and family, especially focusing on key target groups such as youth, elderly people or disabled people.

Tourists skiing in the French Alps, source: Baotu.com

With the joint efforts of the UN Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and other international organizations and institutions, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance has achieved gratifying results in theoretical exploration, mechanism innovation, platform construction and other aspects. Therefore, we will hold the "International Mountain Tourism Day" theme activity again on 29th May this year to strengthen the innovation of mountain tourism concept and practice. I would like to thank each of you for your positive actions and efforts for the beautiful vision of tourism. This year will be a crucial year for us to inject new impetus into our actions, and we need to make extraordinary efforts with the background of international crisis.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong