What the International Mountain Tourism Alliance 2021 Annual Conference Dealt with

On December 21, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) 2021 annual conference began in virtual format. In the context of the global pandemic of COVID-19, international organizations, IMTA members, tourism experts, academics and entrepreneurs from around the world attended via videoconference, and around 50 guests were present at the main event center in Guiyang.

The conference focused on the theme "How International Organizations Can Play a Leading Role in Global Tourism Recovery and Governance Restructuring", which revolved around the two topics of interest: "Tourism Restructuring and Governance during the Pandemic" and "Innovative Construction of a Future-oriented International Tourism Organization Platform and Cooperation Mechanism".

During the conference, Dominique de Villepin, President of IMTA and former French Prime Minister; Shao Qiwei, Vice President of IMTA and former President of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA); He Yafei, Secretary General of IMTA and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China; Tan Jiong, Vice Governor of the People's Government of Guizhou Province; Francesco Frangialli, Honorary Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization; Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council; Xu Jing, former regional director for Asia and the Pacific of the World Tourism Organization; Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy; Wei Xiao'an, part of Famous Tourism Experts in China; Chen Ping, global vice president of the International Organization Für Volkskunst; and Chen Tiejun, president of Hainan Tourism Investment & Development Co. , Ltd. and other guests at home and abroad also delivered speeches online or in person.

In the context of the post-COVID-19 crisis, we need to analyze all together the challenges and opportunities facing countries and regions around the world to find the best way to recover and revitalize tourism. As Mr. Dominique de Villepin, President of IMTA, said, we must stand united. Through this crisis, we see how much we depend on each other for our common security and prosperity based on trust and cooperation. This is even more true in the case of international tourism.

At the conference, the IMTA Specialized Committee on Mountain Hot Spring Welfare was unveiled. Huzhou City in Zhejiang Province was chosen as the venue for "International Mountain Tourism Day" 2022. Eight entities, including Coastal City Development Group Co., Ltd.(Cambodia) and the Danish China Tourism and Cultural Exchange Association (Denmark), officially became members of IMTA.