On 30 January 2024, Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister of France and Chairman of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), attended and delivered a warm address at the "Nihao, China" tourism promotion event of the China-France Year of Tourism in Paris, France, upon the invitation of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He stated that the two great civilizations of China and France have long been mutually attractive, and their cooperation and exchanges have yielded fruitful results and rich experience, creating many cultural heritages of humanity of which we are proud. Seizing new opportunities, the IMTA has proposed developing new partnerships among nations, cities, and regions based on respect, innovation, and sharing. These partnerships would implement exchange programs and promote integrated cultural tourism products in respective markets. While fostering joint investment, there is a focus on actively developing a form of tourism that is green, environmentally friendly, and localised — one that places greater emphasis on health, sports, and family, with particular attention to key target groups such as youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. With the joint support of international organisations and institutions such as the UN Tourism, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Guizhou Province of China, the IMTA has achieved encouraging results in theoretical exploration, mechanism innovation, and platform building. Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli met with Chairman de Villepin and other important guests. The "Nihao, China" tourism promotion was a key cultural and tourism event hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, consisting of a "China-France Tourism Dialogue" and a promotion session. It showcased the unique charm of China's cultural and tourism resources through various means such as promotional presentations and intangible cultural heritage performances. Over 500 guests attended, including representatives from tourism authorities, travel agencies, and media of both countries. Chairman de Villepin's participation as a distinguished guest demonstrated the Alliance's new image within the international tourism sector.