On September 26, the IMTA Annual Conference 2024 opened in Xingyi, Guizhou Province. With the theme of "Inclusiveness, Mutual Learning, Innovation—Empowering Sustainable Mountain Tourism with New Quality Productive Forces", the conference pooled wisdom and strength from across the industry to discuss and share innovative development paths for high-quality and sustainable mountain tourism in the context of the new era, with a particular emphasis on empowering the sector through new productive forces.
Empowered by the Time: Mountain Tourism Unveils a new look
"The Annual Conference of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) is not only a grand event for our members, but also a significant exchange and cooperation platform for our members and the mountain tourism industry," said Dominique de Villepin, Chairman of the IMTA, in a video message that officially kicked off the event.
The development of IMTA has always been closely stuck to the themes of the time and the market demand. With the accelerated recovery of the tourism industry and the proposal and implementation of the concept of “new productive forces ”, the principle of "Inclusiveness, Mutual Learning, and Innovation" has become the core driving force behind global sustainable tourism development. Mountain tourism, in particular, is witnessing new growth opportunities, presenting fresh challenges and expectations for the alliance’s work.
De Villepin emphasized that the year 2024 marks a pivotal transition for the tourism industry from recovery to sustainable prosperity,,as a result, mountain tourism is exhibiting new characteristics: a burgeoning market demand for intelligent tourism, prominent characteristics of leisure tourism, and deep integration that gives birth to new business forms. He suggested that, to confront future transformations and challenges, a multidimensional and in-depth analysis of industry trends is essential to navigating future challenges more effectively. It is imperative for governments, businesses and all walks of life to collaborate in refining policies, improving the environment and enhancing services to address the current challenges and problems faced by international tourism. This aligns with IMTA's initiative in creating international dialogue platforms, such as the IMTA Annual Conference, International Mountain Tourism Day and the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference.
He Yafei, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of IMTA, pointed out that, the data from United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism now) showed that global tourism revenue reached $1.6 trillion in 2023, with international tourist numbers recovering to 90% of 2019. The new era is shaping a fresh landscape of global tourism. IMTA has embraced an open-minded and inclusive approach, promoting mutual learning and respect for diverse civilizations and cultures. By accelerating the integration of culture, education, science, and tourism, the IMTA continues to innovate and drive the sustainable development of new models in global mountain tourism.
Over the past year, IMTA has consistently organized mountain tourism-themed activities, creating a robust platform for exploring opportunities and trends in mountain tourism development. These initiatives have facilitated the exchange and cooperation among members, governments, and industry stakeholders, achieving remarkable results that are widely recognized.
Pansy Ho, IMTA Vice Chairman, remarked that, the intensification of climate change impacts on the ecological environment, the reorganization of the global supply chain, and the acceleration of technological progress are reshaping people’s lifestyles and industrial structures. As a result, promoting the sustainable development of sustainable mountain is not only about discovering new drivers for economic growth, but also about taking on the social responsibility of protecting the ecology, promoting cultural exchanges and boosting the revitalization of local economies. IMTA has upheld the concept of "ecological priority, green development, unity and collaboration, mutual benefit and win-win" since its establishment, leveraging its robust membership network and industry resources to actively promote the innovative use of mountain resources, the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of regional economies, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the global tourism industry..
Ongoing Innovation: IMTA Has Achieved Fruitful Results
Fu Yingchun, Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General of the IMTA, provided a summary of IMTA’s achievements in 2024 and outlined the key objectives for 2025. He noted that under the new development context, IMTA has, since the beginning of this year, capitalized on its professional strengths and platform advantages. By collaborating closely with alliance members and industry partners, IMTA has integrated itself into the framework of mountain tourism governance. Its international reputation and influence have steadily increased, business cooperation opportunities have expanded, and overall operations have yielded new results.
The "Integrated Mountain Tourism" platform system created by IMTA has maintained a steady growth trajectory. Among its three core platforms—the International Mountain Tourism Day, the Annual Conference Forum, and the Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference—each has demonstrated renewed vitality and dynamism.
At the event, He Yafei officially awarded the host city of “International Mountain Tourism Day 2025.” to Gran Canaria, Spain. Gran Canaria, a well-known tourist destination, attracts visitors with its beaches, pleasant climate, sunshine, and natural scenery. In recent years, with the rise of mountain tourism, the island has developed a rich array of mountain tourism offerings, continuing its international positioning in tourism exchange and cooperation. When mountains meet oceans,the landscapes add new excitement for next year’s "International Mountain Tourism Day."
The "International Mountain Tourism Day" is a standout achievement in the IMTA's brand-building efforts. In May 2024, the event was successfully held in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France, marking the alliance's first international event in Europe. It aligned with the global trend of sustainable development and resonated with the theme of building a mountain tourism community with a shared future, garnering widespread attention from the industry. One of the key highlights was the forum on "Climate Change and Responses for Mountain Tourism," where participants conducted in-depth discussions on the challenges brought by climate change to mountain and ice and snow tourism, and the response strategies for sustainable tourism and climate change, and put forward forward-looking and guiding opinions and solutions. On this basis, the forum led to the creation of Mountian Tourism Destinantions Responding to Climate Change, which was released at the opening ceremony of the International Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports Conference.
During the report’s release, Francesco Frangialli, former Honorary Secretary-General of the UNWTO (UN Tourism now) and IMTA board member, emphasized that the technical publication combines scientific evidence with practical experience from tourism professionals and mountain communities. Through this research, the IMTA has contributed to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
At the opening ceremony, the Certification Criteria of World Famous Tourism Mountains was also released. with the first 14 certified sites, including Jungfrau in Switzezrland, Annapurna in Nepal, Table Mountain in South Africa, and Changbai Mountain in China, were recognized as "the World Famous Tourism Mountains". Wu Bihu, director of the Center for Retreation and Tourism Research and an IMTA expert, stated that the recognition of these world-famous mountains will further promote the protection and utilization of mountain tourism resources and actively contribute to the establishment of a global mountain tourism governance system. Besides, the development of the alliance's standards and evaluation systems has taken a significant step forward.
At the event, plaques were also awarded to three newly certified “IMTA International Mountain Hiking Demonstration Routes”, including Hengshan Part (in Hunan Province), Hengshan Part (in Shanxi Province), and Songshan Part (in Henan Province), which are the parts of the renowned Hiking Routes of Five Sacred Mountains. International Mountain Hiking Tourism Guide was organized by IMTA experts and supported by the European Ramblers Association, French Hiking Federation, and Federazione Italiana Escursionismo.. Since its release, the guide has received high praise and broad recognition from the industry. Based on this guide, IMTA has selected 19 hiking routes around the world, promoting the design and development of world-class hiking tourism products and setting a benchmark for the high-quality development of hiking tourism.
Building Strength: Joining Hands for Sustainable Prosperity
During the event, IMTA Council has agreed to build a IMTA liaison office in Xingyi City.. Qian Zhenghao, Standing Committee Member of the Qianxinan Prefecture Committee and Executive Deputy Governor of the People's Government of Qianxinan Prefecture, and Fu Yingchun,IMTA Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General jointly unveiled the IMTA liaison office in Xingyi City.. Xingyi, rich in mountain tourism resources with outstanding geographical and cultural advantages, has extensive experience in hosting international conferences. As the birthplace of IMTA, the establishment of the liaison office will help to gather development momentum and strengthen the cohesion of the alliance.
To pool the wisdom of the industry and scientifically grasp the trends of mountain tourism, The IMTA Expert Committee was officially established in 2020, consisting of 24 experts and scholars with extensive academic expertise and rich industry experience. During the event, Geoffrey Lipman, former President of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism now), Zhang Xilong, Executive Vice President of the Integrated Development Branch of the China Communications and Transportation Association former Deputy Director-General and First Class Inspector of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Jin Zhun, Secretary-General of the Tourism Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Takashi Moriya, former Chairman of Nicchu Peace Travel Service Co., Ltd., Wang Xiaoyu, a special researcher at the Tourism Research Center of CASS, Bernard Debarbieux, Professor and former Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Geneva, Rogers Martin Valencia Espinosa, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism and former Minister of Tourism and Culture of Peru, and Chairman of the Cusco Economic Research Institute, Li Shouwen, Executive Chairman President of China International Camping Congress; and Xiao Gang, Chief Chinese Representative of the International Nordic Walking Federation (INWA), all joined the IMTA Expert Committee. Their contributions will provide intellectual and technical support for the future development of mountain tourism.
IMTA also awarded certificates to 11 new members who joined IMTA this year, including the Chungcheongnam-do Tourism Association of South Korea, Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal, and Turismo de Aragón (Spain). These additions have strengthened industry connections, further expanding the "international family" of IMTA. Currently, IMTA has a total of 199 institutional and individual members, including 118 domestic members and 81 international members.
Since its establishment, IMTA has successfully navigated a seven-year journey, and played a unique role in contributing to and promoting the sustainable development of global mountain tourism. 2024 marks a pivotal year as the tourism industry transitions from recovery to sustainable prosperity. Against this backdrop, the Annual Conference 2024 aims to provide new impetus for high-quality and sustainable mountain tourism development through the principles of “Inclusiveness, Mutual Learning, and Innovation.”