On May 29, the"International Mountain Tourism Day 2025" Theme Events kicked off on Gran Canaria, Spain. With the theme "Embracing Mountains and Seas, Coexisting with Cultures — Mountain Tourism and Cultural Inclusiveness for the Future," the event brought together representatives from international organizations, government officials, industry leaders, experts, scholars, and media worldwide to explore inclusive collaboration and shared development in global mountain tourism. The program included an opening ceremony, thematic forums, mountain cultural exchange sessions, a China-Spain cultural tourism exhibition, and the "Gran Canaria Night" welcome dinner. Participants engaged in diverse formats to share advanced concepts, discuss cutting-edge issues, and deepen practical cooperation. Mr. He Yafei, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the IMTA, delivered a speech at the "Exchange and Sharing Session of Mountain Culture and Tourism".

The full text of the speech is as follows:

Today, we gather on the beautiful Gran Canaria to celebrate the 2025 International Mountain Tourism Day. On behalf of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all distinguished guests present here, and express sincere gratitude to friends from all walks of life who have long cared about and supported the development of mountain tourism.

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain. In this year of special significance, our grand event, with the theme of "Embracing Mountains and Seas, Coexisting with Cultures — Mountain Tourism and Cultural Inclusiveness for the Future", invites guests to jointly explore the path of inclusive mutual learning, sharing and co-construction in global mountain tourism.

Gran Canaria boasts unique natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Like a bright pearl inlaid in the Atlantic Ocean, it is home to golden sand dunes, lush mountains and majestic volcanoes. The magnificent beauty where mountains and seas meet on Gran Canaria Island attracts tourists from all over the world to explore and experience, and such beauty also embodies cultural inclusiveness. Mountains are natural carriers of cultural inclusiveness.

Mountains account for 31% of the total land area on the earth's surface, with a long history, abundant resources and diverse forms. With a long history, rich resources and diverse forms, mountains have nurtured unique production and lifestyle such as terraced fields and farming, forming cultural landscapes where customs vary even within a short distance.

Mountains provide living space for human beings and are also the birthplaces of different human cultures. The development of mountain tourism, with cultural inclusiveness as its core, breaks away from the traps of homogeneous development and cultural isolation. It continues to innovate and transform along the path of sustainable development, shifting from a single model to diversified co-governance, and stimulating cultural inclusive mutual learning amid cultural differences.

In the next few days, we will conduct in-depth discussions and exchanges around themes such as the innovation of mountain tourism formats and community co-construction, and mountain cultural tourism empowering sustainable people's well-being. We look forward to listening to voices from different countries and fields, and sharing successful experiences and innovative concepts in mountain tourism development.

We believe that through this event, we will further build consensus, strengthen cooperation, and inject new impetus and vitality into the development of mountain tourism. "Mountains and seas embrace, humanities coexist" is our beautiful expectation for the future development of mountain tourism. We should embrace different cultures and civilizations with an open and inclusive attitude, and jointly promote the sustainable development of mountain tourism.

Finally, I wish the 2025 International Mountain Tourism Day themed event a complete success, and may all guests have an unforgettable and wonderful time on Gran Canaria. Thank you all!

Source: IMTA

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong