On 17-21 August 2022, the 2022 Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference was held at the headquarters of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) in Guiyang, Guizhou Province. Mr. Lu Yongzheng, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, Mr. Shao Qiwei, Vice Chairman of IMTA, Mr. Zhang Xilong, DG-level Inspector of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, Ambassador Wang Fukang of Department of Asian Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Dong Chuanjie, DG-level Inspector of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Ambassador of Thailand to China and Mr. Palitha Kohona, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Ms. Khamphao Ernthavanh, Ambassador of Lao PDR to China and Ms. Verna Esmeralda C. Buensuceso, OIC-Undersecretary (Deputy Minister) of the Philippine Tourism Department delivered video remarks. Ms. Li Yaying, Deputy Director of the Education, Culture and Tourism Division of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended the conference upon invitation. 

The conference was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the Government of Guizhou Province and the IMTA. Diplomatic envoys, representatives of international organisations and foreign tourism agencies from 17 Asian countries, officials of relevant provincial culture and tourism departments in China and experts from tourism industry and media participated in this conference online and offline.

The theme of this conference is “Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit, Inclusiveness, Cooperation and Sharing-Jointly Building a New Future for Asian Mountain Tourism”. Besides the opening ceremony and theme forum, many supporting activities such as Asian Mountain Tourism Recommendation, Mountain Life Consumption Show & Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition, Mountain & Rural Revitalisation Tourism Featured Product Show and Asian Mountain Tourism Photography Exhibition were held. Mr. Dino R.Kusnadi, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indonesian Embassy in China, and Ybhg Dato’ hj Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, Director General of Tourism Malaysia delivered video remarks at the Recommendation. Representatives from ASEAN Member States, including Mr. Sreng Sataro, Charge D’affaires of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in China, Mr. U Thaw Tar Aung, Consul-General of Myanmar in Kunming and Mr. Khamlay Sipaseuth, Governor of Louang Namtha of Lao PDR, made presentations on mountain tourism resources of their own countries. To facilitate the recovery of tourism in Asia, the conference released outcome documents such as “Together for the Rejuvenation of Asian Tourism-Guiyang Initiative” and “Asia Tourism Promotion Plan and Chinese Practice in Poverty Alleviation through Tourism”.

With numerous mountain chains and rich tourism resources, Asian mountain tourism plays an important role in the global tourism development system. Initiated by China, IMTA is the world’s first international organisation focused on mountain tourism. Since its establishment, IMTA has actively boosted international exchanges and business cooperation in the tourism industry, enriched the development experience of mountain tourism, and promoted the sustainable development of mountain eco-tourism. As the host of this conference and the site of IMTA headquarters, Guizhou has built itself into a world-class mountain tourism destination and domestic first-class holiday resort by taking advantage of its unique mountain natural and cultural ecosystem in recent years.