IMTA: International Mountain Tourism Day and Mountain Tourism International Forum launched
By Ramesh Tiwari —
Kathmandu: Experts on mountain tourism have urged the people all over the world to work for protecting ecological environment and cultural resources of the mountains.
The International Mountain Tourism Alliance, Chinese Mountaineering Association and Nepal Mountaineering Association have urged the people in a joint appeal “Guard our Mountain Home” issued here during an international conference on mountain tourism.
“ Let us , with a sense of social responsibility and historical mission, change our role from the beneficiaries of mountain resources to the guardians of mountain home , cherish and revere nature , follow the laws of nature , protect the ecological environment of mountains , cherish mountain cultural resources , use them wisely , and contribute to the everlasting utilization of mountain resources with doubled efforts , “ the declaration says.
The International Mountain Tourism Day and Mountain Tourism International Forum – Nepal were launched amidst a ceremony in Kathmandu on May 29.
The annual conference of International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) held in China last year had proposed to initiate International Mountain Tourism Day.
Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali and high officials of IMTA launched the International Mountain Tourism Day.
Similarly, Mountain Tourism International Forum (Nepal) was also launched under the theme “Ecology, green, science and technology lead the high-quality development of mountain tourism”.
On the occasion, Minister Gyawali stressed on continued efforts towards promoting sustainable mountain tourism and enhance understanding of mountains and our relations to the pristine mountains.
The Executive Secretary General of IMTA Fu Yingchun and head of the delegation of Guizhou Provincial Government Zheng Xu highlighted on various issues of mountain tourism.
Charge d’affaires of China embassy in Nepal Yang Shichao stressed on strengthening Nepal – China cooperation including tourism for the benefit of people of the two countries.
CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association Dr. Mario Hardy and Vice Chairman of World Association of Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training Dr. Moez Kacem, Chairman of Korea Student Alpine Federation Dr. Donghoon Lee, Chairman of Silkroad Resort Li Jianhong and Secretary General of Nepal Mountaineering Association Kul Bahadur Gurung focused on different issues of mountain tourism in their keynote speech at the conclave.
CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi, President of NATTA C.N. Pandey and Dep. Secretary General of IMTA Wu Mai emphasized on joint efforts to minimize the problems of sustainable development of mountain tourism.
On the occasion, veteran climber Xia Boyu was conferred with the title “Goodwill ambassador for Mountain Tourism. ‘
Chinese climber double amputee Xia Boyu, 69, who was crippled by frostbite on Everest in 1975 , scaled the Everest summit on May 14, 2018.
1st Vice President of NATTA Achyut Guragain ,expressing appreciation to IMTA for choosing first host country Nepal for the international event , said that the event would contribute for the success of Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020 to attract two million tourists in Nepal next year.
More than 150 delegates representing 30 countries of the world involved in mountain tourism participated in the conference.
The conference is organized by International Mountain Tourism Alliance and Guizhou Provincial People’s Government in association with NTB and Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA).
Established upon the initiative of the International Mountain Tourism Development Center in China’s Guizhou Province, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) has its permanent Secretariat in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, and a liaison office in Beijing.
The IMTA, a non-government and non-profit international organization, works with UNWTO and other international organizations to establish cooperative relations in mountain tourism development, and jointly promote the realization of sustainable tourism development goals.
The First International Mountain Tourism Conference held in Xingyi of Guizhou province of China stressed on friendly mountain eco-system for sustainable development of the economy, society and environment in mountainous countries and regions around the world in October 2015.
The IMTA encompasses 126 groups and individuals from 29 countries and regions of all five continents, including 60 overseas institutions and 57 institutions of China.
May 29, 2019
