On November 17th-19th, the 2020 International Mountain Tourism Alliance Annual Conference opened in Guiyang. The Conference is concentrated on the theme of "The Path of Mountain Tourism Development in the Post-COVID World". During the annual conference, the participants focused on this major topic, and discuss depth in how to promote the revitalization and quality of mountain tourism after the pandemic, and provide thoughts guidance and practice support for global mountain tourism management and promotion of global tourism industry.

This Annual Conference is hosted by the International Mountain Tourism Alliance. UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, GTEF, WTA, WTCF, ASEAN-China Centre, WCCO and other well-know international organizations and associations provided powerful support.

Good morning to you all!

First of all, I would like to thank the Guizhou Provincial People's Government and the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee for their strong support of the IMTA's work and the annual conference, and the Department of Culture and Tourism for its support and guidance of the work of the IMTA. We should also speak highly of the work of the Secretary-General and the Secretariat. Against the backdrop of the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have overcome many difficulties and, with the full support of all members, done a great deal of fruitful work to ensure that this year's work is completed successfully and the annual conference is held as scheduled. Just now, Secretary-General He Yafei also talked about the work plan for next year, and now, I would like to suggest that we give them a round of applause to express our deepest gratitude.

The world today is experiencing unprecedented changes of a century, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, and long-term and short-term variables are intertwined. In this context, when we study the global tourism industry, including the development of mountain tourism, I think we should focus on and study the following issues.

First, it is necessary to study and get well prepared for the uncertainties and possible variables in the development of the world economy and their impacts and implications on the global tourism industry. We should be able to seize opportunities and respond to challenges in a scientific and adaptive manner, and plan in advance to mitigate major risks that the international tourism industry may face.

Second, it is important to conduct in-depth study and get well prepared for the possibility of a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the variables that may emerge out of it, as well as its impacts and implications on the global tourism industry. At present, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge facing the development of global tourism, and from the current situation, as you have just talked about in your speeches, these impacts and implications will continue for quite some time. According to recent statistics, as of November 17, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide has exceeded 55 million, and now, it is still spreading in Europe and the United States, with many countries having entered a state of emergency. The development trend of the pandemic is still worrisome. National and regional governments, tourism and related industries, tourism enterprises and related employees must be fully prepared for this, because it means that, for a considerable period of time to come, international tourism will be in a relatively stagnant and semi-stagnant state, and a considerable number of countries and regions where tourism accounts for a high proportion of the economy, and a considerable number of tourism enterprises, will face increasing difficulties with fewer employment opportunities and higher unemployment rate. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has presented these data. The pandemic has been profoundly changing the international tourism environment and the travelers' psychology, travel habits, and safety philosophy. It is an urgent issue and serious challenge for the international tourism industry. How should we deal with it in the short, medium, and long term? It is a question that requires our urgent and in-depth research.

Third, modern technology has been profoundly influencing and shaping the tourism industry, which requires our in-depth study and preparation in all aspects. The world is in the intersection of digitalization, networking, and intelligentization, and the development of information technology has brought and will bring new changes to the world, forming a spatial network of inter-connectivity of everything, human-computer interaction, and the integration of heaven and earth. Here, I will only take the changes in transportation as an example. In September 2019, the Outline of Building a Strong Country through the Construction of Transportation was released, and it was clearly proposed the technical reserves and R&D of 400 km/h high-speed wheel-rail (including variable track gauge) passenger train system, and low vacuum tube (tunnel) high-speed trains, etc. Let's imagine that when the future scenarios such as 1,000 km/h "super high-speed trains", supersonic airplanes with a speed that exceeds 24 times of sound speed, and manned gliders become a reality, what it will mean for the global tourism industry, including mountain tourism. My experience and prediction are that it will fundamentally change the traditional travel and tourism industry, as well as the sense of tourism, the sense of time and space, and the ways of transportation and organization.

Therefore, I would like to suggest studying several questions in advance. Firstly, we should redefine global tourism. We need to review it in an all-round and profound way from the perspective of the new era background and development stage. And we should be well aware that the tourism is an important part of the economy in each country and region around the world. In general, the sound development of the tourism industry in a country or region can greatly contribute to the local economic and social growth. As mentioned by Director Lu Yongzheng, the tourism contributes to 10 % of the economic growth in Guizhou province, which is good for encouraging and promoting the development of the primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry. And it also boosts the integration of three industries, and creates more new economic and industrial patterns, especially in driving final consumption and creating many jobs. Meanwhile, tourism is quite vulnerable to the crash and influence of the social, political, and economic environment and various circumstances. Tourism will suffer extreme fluctuation because of the uncontrollable factors under special conditions and in a special time. However, tourism is also very resilient. Once the emergency is over, it rebounds swiftly. About this question, we should understand the characteristic of tourism comprehensively and dialectically with a view of medium and long-term development.

This unexpected COVID-19 pandemic is a test for global tourism development on its ability, institution, system and mechanism, as well as management mode, talent training mode, and new technology application. The pandemic has not only revealed the weakness in the global tourism public security management system, but also exposed the problems in tourism policy supply, tourism management mode, tourism emergency system, and tourism insurance system. Therefore, we must review the global tourism and foster a new awareness by taking advantages of this amendment and adjustment period brought by the pandemic. So we should take this chance to summarize, think, and study promptly how to realize a better and higher quality development in global tourism including international mountain tourism in five to ten years. We must react to this problem with new thinking, new drivers, new modes, and new choices. I especially suggest encouraging innovation in the system, work mode, operation mode, and talent training model.

Secondly, we should carry out studies to formulate and enact various policies, measures, systems, and the relevant laws and regulations. Currently, we should make feasible countermeasures, including emergency measures. Each country and region has enacted various measures according to the circumstances. Tourism is vulnerable, so I would like to suggest that governments should learn from the past to formulate and enact policies, measures, and systems that are feasible for the present and the future based on the local actual situations. And they should, as appropriate, enact the relevant law and regulations to consolidate tourism development on the basis of the institutions.

Thirdly, we should boost the development of international tourism and international mountain tourism comprehensively by fully using modern high technologies. It is predicated that the level of the application of high technologies can determine the fate of tourism industry and enterprises to a large extent. Under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, global tourism's development quality, tourism management ability, and operation level are standing at the crossroad of transformation and upgrading. I would like to suggest that the UNWTO and other international tourism organizations take immediate actions to establish international standards with the combination of digital and smart technology and tourism, and accelerate the digitalization and intellectualization of the international tourism industry. The international tourism industry should proactively promote the application of high and new technologies represented by big data, Internet+, artificial intelligence+, 5G applications, life sciences, and so on. We should be ahead of the use of modern high technologies in the construction of tourist cities, tourist attractions, travel agencies, hotels and restaurants, various types of tourism public service facilities, emergency rescue facilities, as well as tourism management, tourism services, tourism supervision and control, and other aspects. Countries should make it a rigid rule that medium and large tourist attractions and tourism facilities under construction or newly built should apply modern high and new technologies so that tourism products can really take advantage of high and new technologies to provide tourists with safer, more convenient and more accurate services.

After listening to the speeches from the distinguished guests this morning, especially the speech of Secretary-General Mr. He Yafei, who said that under the current special international relations, all of us in the tourism industry are in the same boat, and should help each other and overcome the difficulties together. Therefore, after listening to the speeches from the distinguished guests, I would like to propose that the international tourism organizations should promptly call on and promote various countries and governments to study paths and means to open up international tourism in the context of scientifically promoting the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control. This matter should also be prepared early, including the way to promote the entry and exit of people and so on. This is an additional piece of advice from me. Please feel free to correct me if there is any mistake or error.

Thank you.