IMTA members have elected a new leadership team at a meeting held in China earlier this week
The second General Assembly of International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), a global body created to promote best practices and sustainability in mountain tourism globally, was held virutally on December 27. At the meeting, among deliberations over other issues, the members of the alliance elected a new top leadership.
According to a press statement, a total of 138 members from five continents gathered by video conference. During the meeting, leaders of IMTA reviewed the five years of work and proposed the development goals for the next four years and the work plan for 2023. The assembly deliberated and adopted the amendment note of the Statues of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance and other related matters, adds the statement.
The assembly elected the second Council and leadership by secret ballot. In the elections, former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was re-elected as Chairman of IMTA. The other key elected members of the Council were He Yafei as Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, Pansy Ho as Vice Chairman, and Fu Yingchun as Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General.
The statement adds that the Council is a group of leaders with advanced ideas, professionalism, international vision and extensive influence in the domestic and international industries and that in the coming years, they will lead IMTA to a brilliant future.
The assembly also elected the second Council, consisting of 41 members from 22 countries and regions on three continents. Among them were former Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Fransesco Francalli, well-known Chinese tourism expert Wei Xiao’an, former Director of the Asia Pacific Department of UNWTO Xu Jing, Deputy Director of the Information Station of Phoenix TV Wu Xiaoli and Global Vice President of the Internationale Organisation Fur Volkskunt (IOV) Chen Ping.
On the occasion, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, Chimelong Group, Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (GTERC) and 32 other institutions were also elected as group councils.
The statement adds that thanks to these senior, competent and experienced individual and group councils with international influence in the tourism industry and related fields will further promote IMTA towards the goal of becoming a world famous platform for mountain tourism and an international organisation model, and build an international tourism organisation with reasonable structure, excellent ability, broader vision, courage to develop, unity and cooperation, and trusted of IMTA members.
In addition, 19 organisations have joined IMTA as new members, including the International Nordic Walking Association (INWA), the Pichincha Provincial Government of Ecuador, and the Gran Canaria Tourism Board of Spain. With these additions, So far, the membership of IMTA has increased from 126 organisations and individuals at the beginning to 194, and the number of member countries and regions has also increased from 29 to 34. The membership has been continuously expanded, and the membership structure and layout have been further optimised.
