From December 25 to 27, the thematic Thematic Training Workshop "IMTA Innovations & Community Participation in Mountain Tourism" (2rd Session) was held in Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province. This Thematic Training Workshop aimed to further expand training outcomes, promote mutual learning and exchange, inject new momentum into members and the industry, and enhance their professional capabilities in the field of innovative mountain tourism development and community co-construction. The International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) invited experts from domestic tourism and related fields to provide systematic, in-depth, and professional knowledge and case studies to participants. Over 100 representatives from IMTA members, industry professionals, mountain tourism destinations, and related institutions attended the training.

Training Session

Seizing New Opportunities in the Industry, Collaborating for a New Chapter of Development

In his opening speech, He Yafei, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the IMTA, stated that this Thematic Training Workshop would continue to explore and share the extension of the "Mountain Tourism+" concept that the alliance has long adhered to. He pointed out that China's cultural and tourism industry has been elevated to a strategic pillar of the economy. As practitioners, it is essential to understand the industry from the perspective of national development strategy, with new concepts, new visions, and new perspectives. The essence of tourism is to serve people, meet tourists' aspirations for a better life, provide genuine and effective supply, and integrate demands such as sports, culture, and wellness. He called on the industry to make further efforts in integrating culture, tourism, and technology to empower new tourism formats. He also emphasized the importance of innovative development for community co-construction, highlighting the need to combine new cultural and tourism formats with social co-construction to preserve mountain characteristic cultures and promote the economic development and well-being of mountain communities.

He Yafei, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the IMTA

Jiang Wenhong, Member of the Party Group and Vice Mayor of Shaoguan Municipal Government, introduced Shaoguan's cultural and tourism resources and development status in his address. He stated that as a famous historical and cultural city in Guangdong, Shaoguan boasts superior location and transportation, rich history and culture, stunning scenery, harmonious natural ecology, and emerging rural development. In recent years, Shaoguan's cultural and tourism industry has flourished, becoming a growth driver and a strategic pillar industry. Jiang Wenhong expressed hope that experts and teachers would share the latest information, explore paths for high-quality development of mountain tourism, provide valuable suggestions for Shaoguan's mountain tourism development, promote dialogue between Shaoguan and the industry, and recommend high-quality investors for cooperative development of cultural and tourism projects.

Jiang Wenhong, Member of the Party Group and Vice Mayor of Shaoguan Municipal Government

Wu Mai, Deputy Secretary-General of the IMTA, stated that the Thematic Training Workshop aimed to deepen the discussion and practice of innovative mountain tourism development and community co-construction, helping the industry and members grasp new changes and trends, and promoting the deep integration of innovative mountain tourism formats and local communities. He noted that against the backdrop of rapid economic and technological development, mountain tourism has demonstrated significant potential and structural advantages. Through thematic lectures, case studies, exchange seminars, and field visits, the conference explored the two-way integration of innovation in the mountain tourism industry and community development, providing new ideas and pathways for the development of mountain tourism.

Wu Mai, Deputy Secretary-General of the IMTA

Integrated Innovation in Mountain Tourism, Empowering Community Co-construction and Sharing

Professor Sun Jiuxia, Pearl River Scholar Distinguished Professor and Professor at Sun Yat-sen University's School of Tourism Management, delivered a thematic sharing on "Rural Revitalization and Urban-Rural Integration in the Context of a Mediated Society." Focusing on three main themes—the re-creation of fields in digital cultural tourism, rural cultural revitalization in the new era, and the integrated development of cultural tourism and urban-rural integration—she elaborated on the concept of field re-creation combining offline physical spaces and online digital spaces. She demonstrated practical outcomes through the case of Yugouliang Village becoming an internet-famous village. She also analyzed the cultural dilemmas brought by modernization and urbanization, explored the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the revitalization of traditional village cultures, and emphasized the importance of endogenous forces. Additionally, she analysed new phenomena in cultural tourism integration, proposed frameworks and pathways for promoting urban-rural integration, and introduced practical experiences from Zhejiang and their application in Guangdong's county-level development. Finally, she highlighted the key role of the interaction and re-creation mechanism among media, consumer experiences, and localities in the development of digital cultural tourism.

Professor Sun Jiuxia, Pearl River Scholar Distinguished Professor and Professor at Sun Yat-sen University's School of Tourism Management

Fang Yan, Assistant President of Sunriver Holding Group, delivered a lecture on the theme "Practice and Sustainable Development of Barrier-Free Scenic Area Construction." He pointed out that building barrier-free scenic areas is not only a sign of social progress and a reflection of corporate social responsibility but also a concrete action responding the concept of a shared future for mankind and focusing on the tourism rights of vulnerable groups. It is also a requirement of the market economy, improving tourism service convenience for special groups such as the elderly. Taking Mangshan Mountain Wuzhifeng Peak Scenic Area as an example, located on the Hunan-Guangdong border with unique natural landscapes and high-quality resources, the area has established a comprehensive barrier-free tourism system including walking paths, cable cars, and mountain elevators, providing full barrier-free transfer and services. This practice has not only generated significant social and economic effects but is also recognized by the China Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities as a precedent in barrier-free construction at home and abroad, offering important lessons and promoting the sustainable development of scenic areas.

Fang Yan, Assistant President of Sunriver Holding Group

Qiao Hao, Standing Committee Member and Deputy Secretary-General of the Outdoor Sports Committee of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, shared insights on the "Popularization of Ice Climbing Tourism." He emphasized the close integration of mountain resources and tourism development, citing outdoor activity cases from countries such as the United States and Canada. Qiao Hao specifically introduced artificial ice wall technology, which has popularized ice climbing and made tourism experiences possible. He further elaborated on the economic benefits of ice climbing tourism, such as consumption driven by characteristic ice climbing activities, including ice and snow study courses, Changbai Mountain wild hiking, and a series of experience programs. Through practical cases in the Changbai Mountain area, Qiao Hao demonstrated how ice climbing tourism has transformed from a professional sport into a mass-participatory tourism activity, not only promoting local economic development, enhancing community participation and cultural heritage, but also providing a platform for outdoor education, offering more opportunities for people to experience nature and enhancing environmental awareness and survival skills.

Qiao Hao, Standing Committee Member and Deputy Secretary-General of the Outdoor Sports Committee of the Chinese Mountaineering Association

Zhang Yuanhai, Senior Engineer of the UNESCO International Research Center on Karst and President of the Asia Union of Spelegology, shared insights on the theme "Geodiversity and Sustainable Development: Case Studies of Karst World Geoparks in China." He emphasized the integration of geodiversity with the cultural and tourism industry and the exemplary role of geoparks in promoting social, economic, and environmental benefits. He analyzed the distribution and characteristics of world geoparks and explored the role of geodiversity in promoting the cultural and tourism industry. He stated that geoparks play an important role in advancing sustainable development, achieving remarkable results through popular science education, ecological protection, and community participation. Taking examples such as the Stone Forest World Geopark, he demonstrated the practical outcomes of geodiversity in ecological agriculture, cultural protection, and tourism development.

Zhang Yuanhai, Senior Engineer of the UNESCO International Research Center on Karst and President of the Asia Union of Spelegology

Deepening Practice and Brand Building, Supporting High-Quality Development

Professor Ming Qingzhong, Chief Professor of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and Dean of the Tourism and Cultural Industry Research Institute, delivered an in-depth lecture on the "Assessment and Utilization of Mountain Tourism Resources." He elaborated on the classification and characteristics of mountain tourism resources, proposed evaluation standards, and analyzed issues in utilization models, such as limited development space, seasonal constraints, and transportation accessibility limitations. He introduced various development models, including the "1+N" integrated model and the characteristic resource-led functional model. In terms of utilization strategies, Ming Qingzhong emphasized scientific planning leadership, multi-level development, paid attention to tourist experiences, aligning with tourist psychological habits, strengthening conceptional development, following ecotourism paths, improving service systems, utilizing modern technology, enhancing industrial integration, elevating host cultural awareness, and deepening community participation, aiming to comprehensively promote the scientific assessment and efficient utilization of mountain tourism resources.

Professor Ming Qingzhong, Chief Professor of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and Dean of the Tourism and Cultural Industry Research Institute

Zeng Anming, Deputy Director of the Tourism Industry Integration Investment Committee of the China Light Industry Investment and Development Association, provided an in-depth analysis of the "Graded B&B Assessment Standards and High-Quality Development Paths for Mountain B&Bs." Addressing the challenges faced by mountain B&Bs, Zeng Anming proposed a series of high-quality development paths, including precise positioning and characteristic building, optimizing service quality, improving policy support, enriching B&B formats, enhancing promotion and publicity, adhering to cultural leadership, and innovating talent training. He emphasized that while facing challenges, mountain B&Bs also have significant development opportunities. By implementing these development paths, economic, social, and ecological benefits can be unified, which is of great significance for promoting the high-quality development of the mountain tourism industry, boosting the economy of mountain areas, rural revitalization, and ecological environmental protection.

Zeng Anming, Deputy Director of the Tourism Industry Integration Investment Committee of the China Light Industry Investment and Development Association

"'Integration of Transport and Tourism' should be people-oriented, focusing on enhancing the happiness and sense of gain of tourists," said Qu Jingyi, Brand Communication Director of the Integrated Development of Transport and Tourism Branch of the China Communications and Transportation Association and Chief Producer of the documentary "Integration of Transport and Tourism, Beauty of Life." She shared insights on the "Observations on the Development of the Integrated Transport and Tourism Industry from a Communication Perspective." Through detailed descriptions of multiple integrated transport and tourism cases, such as the "Silk Road Dream Enjoy" tourist train, the Xisha Island tourism route, and the G348 Three Gorges Highway, she demonstrated the positive role of combining transport and tourism in promoting regional development and providing novel tourism experiences. She deeply observed and analyzed the current state of China's integrated transport and tourism industry, showcasing the practical achievements of combining transport development and tourism through a documentary perspective, as well as the significance of this integration for improving people's quality of life and promoting regional economic development.

Qu Jingyi, Brand Communication Director of the Integrated Development of Transport and Tourism Branch of the China Communications and Transportation Association and Chief Producer of the documentary "Integration of Transport and Tourism, Beauty of Life"

Tang Zhaohui, CEO of Shanghai Yuexiang Management Consulting Co., Ltd., shared insights on "How the Cultural and Tourism Industry Can Tell Brand Stories Well." He emphasized the importance of telling good brand stories, noting that it is key to building emotional resonance and deep connections with consumers, competing for consumer mindspace, adapting to market changes, and enhancing brand recognition. Tang Zhaohui elaborated on the core value of brand stories, including building consumer trust through authentic and meaningful stories, inheriting the regional and industry-specific culture behind the brand, inspiring brand innovation, and conveying brand concept that resonate with consumers. He proposed methods for creating the uniqueness of brand stories, such as digging brand origins, shaping characters, constructing narrative styles, and utilizing multimedia means for presentation, while continuously updating story content to maintain vitality.

Tang Zhaohui, CEO of Shanghai Yuexiang Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

Observing Typical Cases, Collaborating for Future Development

After the lectures, participants visited Yunmen Mountain Scenic Area, Danxia Mountain Scenic Area, and Yuedan Highway for field investigations of mountain tourism projects and observed typical cases of community co-construction. During the event, representatives from various member units studied together, engaged in in-depth exchanges, and gained substantial insights. Chen Xiaoxiao, a representative of the Hainan Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., an IMTA member unit, stated that the training courses focused on both theoretical knowledge and practical utilizing, making it highly rewarding. Peng Nengwen, a representative of the Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Group Co., Ltd., said that the training was highly anticipated and richly rewarding, providing a pleasant and fruitful learning experience. He warmly invited participants to visit the Guizhou Tourism Group for exchanges and to jointly explore the greatest common divisor of cultural tourism.

Participants Conduct Field Research on Mountain Tourism Projects

The IMTA was initiated by Guizhou Province and is the first international organization dedicated to mountain tourism. The alliance aims to protect mountain resources, inherit mountain civilization, promote mountain economy, and benefit mountain people, committed to sustainable mountain tourism development. To meet the new demands for integration, innovation, and linkage brought by the vigorous development of mountain tourism, the alliance has launched the "Innovations & Community Participation in Mountain Tourism" training series, becoming an operational practice in the context of new quality productivity to advance the mountain tourism industry and people's livelihood and well-being. It helps the industry and members grasp the new changes and trends in mountain tourism and contributes positively to the sustainable development of mountain tourism and the improvement of mountain community livelihoods.

Source: IMTA

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong