A Assessment on the Worldwide Convention of Mountain Tourism and Outside Sports activities 2024
Beijing, China, twenty eighth October 2024, ZEX PR WIRE, Gathering in a Haven of Wellness and a Metropolis of Tradition, Embracing a Golden Autumn with Clear Skies and Lush Environment, the Worldwide Convention of Mountain Tourism and Outside Sports activities 2024 (MTOS) was efficiently held in Xingyi Metropolis, Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province from September 26 to 27. Over 400 contributors from China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Pakistan, Nepal, Spain, and different international locations—comprising representatives from worldwide organizations, overseas embassies in China, Worldwide Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) members, tourism-related companies, mountain tourism vacation spot administration businesses, {industry} consultants, students, and media—gathered to debate and share insights on the convention’s theme, ‘ Integration of Culture, Sports and Tourism Presents a High – Quality Life.’ Collectively, they explored modern, sustainable pathways for high-quality mountain tourism within the new period, providing options to empower new productive forces within the mountain tourism {industry}.
MTOS is the one nationwide and worldwide high-level summit in China centered on mountain tourism. This 12 months’s convention was hosted by the Worldwide Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), organized by the IMTA Secretariat and the Individuals’s Authorities of Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, and acquired robust help from the Guizhou Provincial Division of Tradition and Tourism, Guizhou Provincial Sports activities Bureau, Guizhou Provincial International Affairs Workplace, Guizhou Tourism Business Improvement Group Co., Ltd., and Guizhou Civil Aviation Business Group. The convention featured numerous thematic sections and included a complete of 17 occasions.
As Zurab Pololikashvili, UN Tourism Secretary-Normal, talked about in his congratulatory letter to the convention: “This annual event serves as a significant platform, not only for the Chinese mountain tourism sector but also for the global tourism community. This year’s theme, focused on the construction and innovation of mountain tourism governance systems, reflects the forward-thinking approach needed in today’s rapidly evolving tourism landscape .”
Celebrating the Grand Opening and Sharing the Fruitful Outcomes of Mountain Tourism
On the morning of September 26, guests had been captivated by practically 100 pictures works from 25 international locations, showcasing the beautiful pure and cultural attract of mountain tourism on the World Mountain Pure and Cultural Pictures Exhibition . Co-hosted by IMTA and the Japan-China Friendship Photographers Affiliation, the exhibition acquired robust help from many famend worldwide photographers and associated organizations.
The convention’s opening ceremony comprised three segments: Opening Deal with, Releasing Achievements, and an Awarding Ceremony. In the course of the Opening Deal with, audio system analyzed the background and significance of the convention from totally different views, starting from native insights in Guizhou and China to broader Asia-Pacific and international views, whereas additionally highlighting the vital function performed by the Worldwide Mountain Tourism Alliance.
Lu Yongzheng, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and Head of the Publicity Division of the Provincial Social gathering Committee, remarked that that is the primary convention held since changes had been made to the convention’s organizational construction. He famous that the theme, ‘Integration of Culture, Sports and Tourism Presents a High – Quality Life,’ aligns with the general public’s need for a greater life, constructing a bridge for worldwide exchanges on mountain tourism and revealing new traits within the high-quality improvement of the tourism {industry}.
Peter Semone, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Journey Affiliation (PATA), identified that mountains have gotten focal factors for vacationers in search of new experiences. Pushed by this demand, China’s mountain tourism locations are quickly creating into world-class areas. He emphasised that the affiliation’s mission and aim are to handle the mountain tourism {industry} responsibly, sustainably, and with equitable profit distribution whereas supporting the restoration and progress of inbound tourism to China and the broader Asia-Pacific area.
He Yafei, IMTA Vice Chairman and Secretary-Normal, delivered a speech and formally introduced the opening of the convention. He famous that because the inception of the MTOS in 2015, the occasion has embraced the modern idea of “Tourism + Sports,” striving to create an vital platform that integrates mountain tourism with out of doors sports activities. This platform not solely promotes the deep integration of mountain tourism, sports activities, and the tourism {industry}, contributing to the cultural and tourism improvement in Guizhou, but additionally serves as a mannequin for the synergistic improvement of mountain tourism, out of doors sports activities, and the mountain economic system.
As a key a part of the opening ceremony, two important research achievements, drafted and formulated by the Worldwide Mountain Tourism Alliance, had been formally launched.
“Our aim with this research is not only to examine the impact of climate change on mountain tourism destinations but also, more importantly, to explore how the tourism industry and local communities can mitigate the effects of global warming and adapt to new environmental conditions,” stated Francesco Frangialli, Honorary Secretary-Normal of UNWTO and council member of IMTA, as he introduced the examine titled “Mountain Tourism Destinations Responding to Climate Change” in three languages—Chinese language, French, and English. The examine provides educational options to handle local weather points within the improvement of mountain tourism.
Moreover, the Certification Standards and Pointers of World Well-known Tourism Mountains was unveiled. The paperwork was drafted by IMTA to advertise and set up a world tourism mountain analysis system, aiming to guard and make the most of mountain tourism assets and contribute to the worldwide governance of mountain tourism. The rules are designed to cement the authority of “World Famous Tourism Mountains.” Wu Bihu, Director of the Worldwide Middle for Recreation and Tourism Analysis on the Faculty of City and Environmental Sciences of Peking College and an skilled of IMTA, launched that the Certification Standards are categorised primarily based on “Natural Orientation” and “Cultural Orientation” classes. These requirements, consistent with the event traits of the mountain tourism {industry}, define the essential standards for a “World Famous Tourism Mountains” throughout three features: pure assets, cultural assets, and complete supporting companies. The Certification Pointers clarify the implementation procedures of the Certification Standards and will likely be repeatedly up to date and improved.
Following a worldwide name for nominations, 14 world tourism mountains had been chosen as the primary batch, together with Jungfrau (Switzerland), Annapurna-I (Nepal), Risco Caido and Gran Canaria Sacred Mountains（Spain）, Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Desk Mountain (South Africa), and 10 mountains from China: Changbai Mountain (Jilin Province), Mount Emei (Sichuan Province), Fanjing Mountain (Guizhou Province), Hengshan (Shanxi Province), Hengshan (Hunan Province), Yulong Snow Mountain (Yunnan Province), Songshan (Henan Province), Wugong Mountain (Jiangxi Province), and Mangshan (Hunan Province).
Following the awards ceremony for the primary group of “World Famous Tourism Mountains,” the convention additionally awarded the title of ” World Wellness Demonstration Metropolis ” to Xingyi, additional enhancing town’s enchantment and affect within the wellness tourism sector and driving the mixing of mountain tourism and wellness industries.
Collaborative Dialogue: Asian Experiences Benefiting the World
Instantly after the opening ceremony, the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Convention 2024 was held. This was the third such occasion below the Ministry of Tradition and Tourism’s “Asia Tourism Promotion Plan.” Centered across the theme of “Mutual Learning and Cooperation – Join Hands to Embark on a New Journey of Asian Mountain Tourism,” the convention explored matters akin to ” Mountain Tourism Innovation & Group Co-construction” and ” Asian Knowledge and Follow for Mountain Tourism.” Consultants from numerous Asian international locations shared their insights, contributing the Asian perspective to the worldwide stage and providing fashions for collaborative improvement that exhibit the ideas of session, co-construction, and shared advantages.
On the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Convention, Djibril Fofana, Normal Secretary of the World Affiliation for Hospitality and Tourism Training and Coaching (AMFORHT), shared how training allows native communities to higher perceive their atmosphere, historical past, and tradition whereas elevating consciousness of the significance of defending fragile ecosystems, notably in mountainous areas. Coaching, alternatively, permits professionals within the tourism {industry} to boost their expertise, innovate, and adapt to new traits, which is vital for sustaining high-quality tourism companies. Fofana emphasised that shut cooperation with the Worldwide Mountain Tourism Alliance will play a vital function on this space.
Ajay Prakash, International President of the Worldwide Institute for Peace by means of Tourism (IIPT), shared his insights on how mountain tourism gives a lifeline for a lot of rural communities around the globe by creating jobs and stimulating native companies. He emphasised the significance of balancing the environmental pressures attributable to overtourism with the necessity to defend fragile ecosystems. To realize this, modern infrastructure, digital platform empowerment, and the event of much less environmentally impactful tourism types, akin to sports activities tourism, may very well be explored. He additionally careworn that sustainable mountain tourism can solely be achieved by means of the collaboration of governments, non-public enterprises, NGOs, and native communities.
Professors Tanaka Toyoji from the Worldwide Alternate Middle at Nishikyushu College, and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, Chairman of the Board of Administrators of Ureshino Onsen Vacationer Affiliation, launched Ureshino Onsen, a scorching spring vacation spot with over 1,400 years of historical past in Saga Prefecture in Japan. They highlighted that as society continues to evolve, the character of tourism is altering as properly. Wellness tourism is gaining reputation inside mountain tourism tasks, with scorching springs serving as the muse and “health” and “well-being” components built-in into the vacationer expertise. This method gives guests with a way of emotional satisfaction and happiness.
Resonating with the Spirit of the Occasions: Innovation at IMTA Annual Convention
The IMTA Annual Convention 2024 is likely one of the core occasions. Because the world’s first non-governmental, non-profit worldwide group centered on mountain tourism, IMTA has constantly upheld its mission to “protect mountain resources, preserve mountain culture, promote mountain economies, and benefit mountain communities” whereas striving for the sustainable improvement of mountain tourism. This 12 months’s annual convention theme, ” Inclusiveness, Mutual Studying, Innovation – Empowering Sustainable Mountain Tourism with New High quality Productive Forces,” aimed to delve into modern improvement paths for high-quality and sustainable mountain tourism within the context of the brand new period.
Dominique de Villepin, Chairman of the Worldwide Mountain Tourism Alliance, said that going through the transformations and challenges of mountain tourism’s future requires a deep understanding of {industry} traits from a number of views, dimensions, and ranges. Governments, companies, and all sectors of society should work collectively to foster the rising prosperity of the tourism market. That is the driving drive behind IMTA’s creation of worldwide dialogue platforms such because the annual assembly, Worldwide Mountain Tourism Day, and the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Convention.
In a congratulatory letter, Zurab Pololikashvili, UN Tourism Secretary-Normal, counseled the function of IMTA in selling international sustainable mountain tourism practices. He famous that IMTA has contributed considerably to enhancing cultural range and environmental consciousness whereas additionally fostering native financial progress by means of inclusive and sustainable improvement practices.
IMTA Vice Chairman and Secretary-Normal He Yafei remarked that the brand new period is shaping a recent panorama for international tourism. Over the previous 12 months, IMTA has repeatedly organized mountain tourism-themed occasions, creating a robust platform for collaboration. Via discussions on alternatives and traits in mountain tourism, IMTA has facilitated exchanges and cooperation between its members, governments, and the {industry}, yielding exceptional outcomes.
IMTA Vice Chairman Pansy Ho expressed that IMTA stays dedicated to selling the ideas of “ecology first, green development, solidarity, cooperation, and mutual benefit.” By leveraging IMTA’s membership community and {industry} assets, IMTA actively helps the modern use of mountain assets, the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage, and the event of regional economies, contributing to the sustainable improvement of the worldwide tourism {industry}.
In IMTA’s annual work report, Fu Yingchun, Vice Chairman and Govt Secretary-Normal of IMTA, highlighted that IMTA has actively built-in into the worldwide mountain tourism governance system. Its worldwide visibility and affect have continued to develop, with important growth in enterprise collaboration alternatives and improved general operational effectiveness. The “Mountain Integration” platform created by IMTA has maintained a gradual progress trajectory, with the three key platforms—Worldwide Mountain Tourism Day, the Annual Convention Discussion board, and the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Convention—demonstrating renewed vitality and power this 12 months.
As a outstanding a part of IMTA’s brand-building efforts, “International Mountain Tourism Day” has now been efficiently held six occasions. In Might 2024, the theme occasion for Worldwide Mountain Tourism Day was hosted in Good, Alpes-Maritimes, France, resonating broadly with the {industry}. On the annual assembly, He Yafei awarded the internet hosting rights for the Worldwide Mountain Tourism Day 2025 to Gran Canaria, Spain.
In the course of the annual convention, the “International Mountain Hiking Tourism Demonstration Routes” had been additionally awarded to the Hengshan, Hengshan (Shanxi), and Songshan segments of the Chinese language 5 Sacred Mountains climbing routes. Constructing on the momentum of the annual assembly, IMTA additionally expanded its Skilled Committee and membership. 9 senior consultants from the tourism {industry} and associated fields joined the Skilled Committee, bringing new insights to IMTA’s assume tank. Moreover, 11 new member organizations had been awarded certificates, rising IMTA into a worldwide household with 199 institutional and particular person members (118 home and 81 worldwide).
Throughout media interviews, a number of company praised the IMTA for its excellent contributions in platform operations, model constructing, and achievement realization. They expressed robust willingness to strengthen communication and cooperation with IMTA for mutual advantages.
Various Actions Entice Media Consideration
This 12 months’s convention was extremely modern in its occasion design, providing a sequence of thrilling auxiliary actions past the primary convention occasions. These actions garnered in depth media protection, main the brand new wave of mountain tourism
The 2024 Wanfenglin Mountaineering Convention, themed “Run with Passion, Enjoy the Beauty of Xingyi,” was launched with nice enthusiasm. As a core occasion of 2024 MTOS, the climbing convention attracted over 10,000 climbing fanatics, permitting contributors to expertise the attraction of outside sports activities and selling the mixing of tradition, sports activities, and wellness tourism
The 2024 China Worldwide Tenting Convention and Tradition, Sports activities, and Wellness Tools Expo kicked off on September 26 at Jushan Sq. in Xingyi. Li Shouwen, Govt Chairman of the China Worldwide Tenting Convention, emphasised that out of doors sports activities and experiential tourism have gotten new traits in trendy life-style and consumption. This 12 months’s theme, “Collaboration between East and West: Integrating into the Unified National Market,” centered on creating secure gear, secure environments, and secure processes. Leveraging the MTOS platform and IMTA’s international assets, the occasion facilitated worldwide exchanges and contributed to the “dual circulation” financial technique.
The 8·9·00 Idea Assembly is a custom-made platform for the youthful technology, designed by IMTA to foster alternate and innovation round cultural tourism traits. In an open and relaxed environment, this youth-oriented discussion board lined matters akin to cross-industry integration in mountain tourism, digital advertising, enterprise mannequin upgrades, and sustainable improvement. It sparked curiosity and resonance from younger entrepreneurs and profitable younger professionals alike.
On the Mountain Tourism Funding and Financing Alternate Seminar organized by IMTA, greater than 50 home and worldwide funding consultants, cultural tourism enterprise representatives, and monetary establishment representatives mentioned matters akin to cross-border mergers and acquisitions for useful resource integration, alternatives and dangers within the securitization of cultural tourism property, and profitable experiences in homestay funding and model administration. Wu Mai, IMTA Vice Secretary Normal, said that IMTA will leverage its strengths and platform features, actively introduce diversified financing methods, strengthen cooperation with monetary establishments, and use monetary instruments to innovate cultural tourism merchandise.
Across the 2024 MTOS, quite a lot of supporting occasions had been held, together with the 2024 Wanfenglin Half Marathon, the 18th China Wanfeng Lake Wild Fishing Competitors, the 2024 China Mountain Bike League (Xingyi Station), the 2024 China Anlong Worldwide Rock Climbing Week & First “Rock Tourism Guizhou” Rock Climbing Carnival, and the 2024 Wanfenglin Mountaineering and Path Impediment Race. These actions enriched the event of the out of doors sports activities {industry}, empowering it whereas showcasing the pure magnificence and dynamic spirit of Guizhou Province, often known as the “Mountain Park Province.”
The convention was extremely acknowledged by attending leaders and company, receiving heat suggestions. Media shops offered complete protection of the occasion. The convention and IMTA’s improvement caught the eye of Hao Xiaohong, former Vice President of the Nationwide Tour Affiliation of the US, who promptly revealed an in-depth report within the U.S. media titled Mountain Tourism, Striving Ahead—The Driving Drive from Guizhou, China. Within the article, Hao expressed her admiration: “Guizhou is blessed with unique natural resources, a true gift from nature. It is a fortune to collaborate and prosper in this land of mountains. Mountain tourism is progressing steadily, and I wish IMTA and Guizhou continued success!”
As of October 16, over 100 media shops—together with CGTN, Individuals’s Every day, The Paper, China Tradition Every day, China Tourism Information, China Radio Worldwide, and Sina Weibo—revealed hundreds of stories on the MTOS opening ceremony, the IMTA annual assembly, and different supporting occasions just like the 8·9·00 Idea Assembly. The stories reached audiences in China, the U.S., France, and different international locations and areas.