The International Mountain Tourism Day 2026 Theme Events opened on 29 May in Shennongjia, Hubei Province. With the theme "Preserving World Heritage, Sharing the Prosperity of Famous Mountains — Zhiyin Hubei, Mysterious Shennongjia", the gathering brought together representatives from international organizations, foreign embassies and consulates in China, cultural and tourism authorities, and media professionals from around the world to explore pathways for the coordinated development of ecological protection and cultural tourism. The program featured the Opening Ceremony, the Dialogue among World Famous Mountains 2026, the Investment and Business Meeting for Mountain Culture and Tourism, and a series of other events. Guests participated in various formats, sharing cutting-edge ideas and deepening practical cooperation. He Yafei, IMTA Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, delivered a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Events.
The following is the full text of the speech:
We warmly welcome all friends from around the world to gather in Shennongjia, share the ideas, deepen cooperation, and embrace the future together!
Today, we gather at Shennongjia, the World Natural Heritage Site in Hubei Province to celebrate the 2026 International Mountain Tourism Day. With a global vision, International Mountain Tourism Day has become a core event for promoting the international mountain tourism and fostering mutual learning among civilizations—from cultural tourism in the Alps and ecological conservation in the Andes to the sustainable development of famous mountains in China.
Hikers in the Alps Source: pexels@erik-schereder
Through deep integration of culture, sports, and tourism, we unleash new momentum!
Building on your distinctive strengths, we will empower development and promote the integrated growth of mountain tourism, sports events, wellness and leisure, and cultural heritage. In Shennongjia, forest wellness, outdoor mountain sports, and eco-study tours are flourishing. The "Mountain Tourism Plus" model is creating new business formats and experiences, making mountain tourism more dynamic, captivating, and appealing from around the world.
Source: Shennongjia Forestry District Culture and Tourism Bureau
We are protecting the roots of world heritage, and enjoying the beauty of nature's gifts!
Ecological conservation and tourism development are mutually reinforcing. With a firm commitment to ecological protection, Shennongjia continues to safeguard its rich biodiversity and intact forest ecosystem. This is a vivid embodiment of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", contributing the Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global protection and sustainability of mountain resources.
hoSource: Shennongjia Forestry District Culture and Tourism Bureau Photo:Shu Renqing
Today, mountains bring us together, uniting our hearts. Let us join hands to deepen international cooperation, protect World Heritage Sites, promote mountain tourism combination with culture and sports, and advance the high-quality sustainable development of mountain tourism so that we can make International Mountain Tourism Day better known, more widely recognized, and deeply embraced by people around the world!
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao
Editor Ⅱ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅲ: Zhang Yijing