Editor’s Note
On 29 May, the 2022 International Mountain Tourism Day theme event was held online and themed on “Mountain Tourism Promotes Healthy Life and Cultural Exchange”. The event motivated the New Media network, connected IMTA members, destination agencies, enterprises, and experts from all over the world, and carried out “cloud communication, dialogue, and presentation” around three chapters — “Focus · Mountain”, “Health · Life”, and “Civilization · Communication”. Against the background that the global tourism industry is still facing epidemic crisis and other complex situations, the event helps create a healthier and more positive atmosphere and market for mountain tourism, promote cultural exchange, friendly communication, and mutual integration among countries, to jointly prepare, build, and share a bright future of mountain tourism. At the event, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance cooperated with its members and industry organizations from 5 continents, more than 30 countries to carry out a variety of activities to show the difference mountain tourism features and jointly celebrated the arrival of the International Mountain Tourism Day.
Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism：Celebration of 2022 International Mountain Tourism Day
Dear friends. Good morning! It is my great pleasure to participate in the exchange activities of the International Mountain Tourism Day today. On behalf of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, I would like to extend my warm welcome to the friends attending this event and express my heartfelt gratitude to the old and new friends who care and support the development of cultural tourism in the mountainous Guizhou.
Guizhou is the initiator of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance. Since the establishment of the alliance which is based in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, the IMTA has linked mountain tourism industry resources in more than 30 countries of five continents, established an information platform, academic platform, activity platform and communication platform for mountain tourism. With tourism as the link it has boosted friendly exchanges between countries and the people and comprehensively enhances the attractiveness of Guizhou as an international mountain tourism destination.
Guizhou is the only mountainous province in China without plains. The mountain determines that the advantages and features of Guizhou's industries, should be based on Guizhou's natural ecology, resources and environmental carrying capacity to form its unique competitive advantage based on local elements. Guizhou's exploration of a new path of high-quality development with distinctive features has important symbolic significance for both China and the world.
Facing the huge challenges of the pandemic crisis the tourism industry still shows great resilience and new vitality. Urban leisure and rural vacations have formed a phenomenon-level consumption. Various forms of live broadcast marketing with the combination of "highly-recommended products + beautiful scenery + delicious food" has successfully created a new "national trend" in the field of tourism consumption. Eco-tourism, leisure vacation and other ways of tourism have promoted the diversification of tourism consumption, extended the scope of the tourism industry and accelerated the transformation of tourism industry from resource-dependent to innovative development. Complying with this new trend Guizhou is continuing to meticulously create and upgrade mountain tourism destinations and promote the transformation from traditional sightseeing to wellness vacations.
Guizhou has a dense cover of refreshing forests and magnificent and beautiful natural scenery and the forest coverage rate is nearly 60%. Here, the peculiar landscapes and landforms have nurtured the unique health tourism resources in Guizhou who has won the reputation of "Hot Spring Province" and “Mountain-park Province”. The natural resources in Guizhou can meet tourists’ desire to return to nature.
In Guizhou, you will not experience severe cold in winter or extreme heat in summer. The weather is suitable for outdoor sports for more than 330 days a year which is why Guizhou has been called an "outdoor sports paradise". Each year, the International Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports Conference and a number of international and domestic outdoor events are held in Guizhou.
Guizhou has a rich variety of ethnic customs. In Guizhou, tradition and modernity collide with each other to create the unique folk culture and gourmet culture, providing a wealth of products and scenes for the leisure consumption of tourists. The Chishui River has given birth to the national wine Maotai and the local cuisines characterized by sour, fresh, spicy and thick flavors are spread all over the province. Tourists can appreciate the rich and colorful embroidery, silver ornaments, batik, local opera, Dong nationality songs and other intangible cultural heritage while eating gourmet food, shopping for cultural creations and staying in characteristic homestays to fulfill their leisure needs of all aspects.
This event is a collision and exchange of ideas. Under the situation of the pandemic, such exchanges will also provide new ideas and directions for the development of mountain tourism in Guizhou. In collaboration with our friends, we will continue to strengthen, friendly cooperation and exchanges in mountain tourism, and work together to build a shared future of mountain tourism. Welcome to Guizhou!
