Sustainability is key to the future of mountain tourism
The 12th edition of the World Congress on Snow, Mountain and Wellness Tourism will take place on March 20-22 in Andorra, a tiny European country bordered by Spain and France.
According to a press statement issued by the organisers, the conference will take place within the framework of the United Nations programme of ‘Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions’.
The statement adds that to address the main topics, the meeting will focus on health and wellness tourism, sustainability, the promotion of premium tourism in mountain areas, emerging tourism products and the training and recruitment of human talent.
The statement adds that the theme of the meet will be Mountainlikers: Sustainability and wellbeing, the keys to mountain tourism. On this occasion UN Tourism, formerly UNWTO, will present its recent report prepared together with the Mountain Partnership (MP) of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, “Understanding and Quantifying Mountain Tourism”.
The organisers say that ‘Best Tourism Villages’ by UN Tourism awardees will also be represented by Saas-Fee of the Swiss region of Valais, St Anton am Arlberg of Austria and Ordino of Andorra.
The statement adds that this year, as a new element, the Congress will focus on the theme of “wellbeing”, reflecting the demand of today’s tourists and the need to adapt offerings to new trends among travellers and to the challenges posed for mountain destinations by the need for diversification and the advance of climate change.
Organised by the Government of Andorra and UN Tourism, with the collaboration of the Comú, the municipal government of Encamp, the Congress also has the support of other municipalities in Andorra.
Another topic to be discussed will be that of “spa tourism”, with a view to further developing this segment in mountain areas with the participation in the Congress of Csilla Mezősi, Secretary-General of the European Spas Association.
