The International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports 2025 was inaugurated on November 11 in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, China, with the continued theme “Integration of Culture, Tourism and Sports Presents a High Quality Life.” The Conference gathered around 350 participants from 30 countries and regions, marking a significant step forward in promoting global mountain tourism sustainable development.

A series of key activities were held, including the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) Annual Conference, the International Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference (IMTPC), a Field Trip to Guizhou Mountain Tourism Destinations, and the “Bank of Guizhou - Mountain Culture, Tourism and Outdoor Sport Equipment Exhibition”.

Opening remarks were delivered by Dominique de Villepin, IMTA Chairman, Lu Yongzheng, Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, alongside Zhu Shanzhong, UN Tourism Ambassador and Mansour Chaya, Chargé d’ Affaires a.i., Embassy of the Republic of Lebanon in China. IMTA exchanged MoC with Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Everest Alliance Nepal and Department of Culture and Tourism of Hubei Province of China; a special publication, Innovation in Mountain Tourism and Community Co-development was released during the Conference. The Conference also featured an award ceremony where eight “World Famous Tourism Mountains” and six “International Mountain Hiking Tourism Demonstration Routes” were issued certificates. Fifteen new members were welcomed into IMTA.

Themed “Promote Mountain Prosperity and Create Shared Brilliance,” the IMTPC was held in the afternoon. Liu Zhaohui, IMTA Vice Chairman and Giorgio Grussu, Project Coordinator of the MPS, hosted by the FAO gave speeches. The Research Report on Strategies for Developing Guizhou's Inbound Tourism Market Targeting Key Countries in the Asia-Pacific Region was presented by Peter Semone, PATA Chairman. Yang Xiangdong, Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guizhou Province shared marvellous tourism scenic in Guizhou. Other seven representative from five different countries promoted the development status of mountain tourism.

Meanwhile, the “Bank of Guizhou - Mountain Culture, Tourism and Outdoor Sport Equipment Exhibition” was opened to the public, showcasing the latest innovations in mountain-related tourism and sports gear. A photography exhibition titled “Life Amid the Earth’s Folds” highlighted the ecological and cultural richness of mountainous regions through visual storytelling.

The post-conference field trip to Guizhou's mountain tourism sites included the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, showcasing innovative Bridge-Tourism integration.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong