“Sustainability and well-being, the keys to mountain tourism” will be the slogan of the 12th edition of the World Congress on Snow, Mountain and Well-being Tourism, which will be held on March 20, 21 and 22 in Andorra.
Organized by the Government of Andorra and UN Tourism, in cooperation with the Encamp City Council, Congress It also has the support of other municipalities (municipalities) in Andorra and two main sponsors: Andorra Telecom as Technology Sponsor and Creand, Crèdit Andorrà, as Silver Sponsor.
“In another version, we are pleased that Andorra is the headquarters of the World Congress of Snow, Mountain and Health Tourism. Andorra's tourism promotion model has always influenced the importance of mountain and snow tourism. Now, in response to new traveler demand, we begin to highlight the attributes of luxury that have always accompanied the country The Pyrenees,” says Jordi Torres, Andorra’s Minister of Tourism and Trade.
For Torres, “The Andorran government recognizes that it is necessary to act with determination to achieve the difficult and indispensable balance between economic growth, citizens’ well-being and environmental protection. In short, the challenge is to work towards a more sustainable tourism, taking into account social, economic and environmental aspects, to ensure the prosperity of citizens.” And professionals in the sector, without forgetting visitor satisfaction.
“It is our duty to ensure that tourism contributes to the sustainable future of mountains and that we work to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of mountain tourism for the benefit of its people,” said UN Secretary-General for Tourism, Zurab Pololikashvili.
“This edition of the conference aims to serve as a roadmap for the sector to shape the future of mountain destinations, demonstrating examples of innovation, best practices and creative initiatives that can serve as an inspiration to grow stronger and better for the benefit of local communities,” the Secretary-General added.
On this occasion, UN Tourism will present its latest report prepared in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership: Understanding and Quantifying Mountain Tourism. Real experiences that reflect the concepts of “medical tourism” or “health tourism”.
In this edition, during the two working days, leading specialists and representatives of multiple institutions will discuss issues such as sustainability as a focus for the development of the tourism sector, tourism diversification, and especially emerging tourism products that respond to new challenges. And the requirements of future travelers, as well as the training and training necessary to face this transformation, among other things.
Real experiences of implementing the concept of “health tourism” will be revealed through interventions such as those of László Butzko, CEO of Global Health Tourism, or Joan Moro, President of the Andorra Association of Health Destinations for Health Tourism, or Emma Hefele, Marketing Director of the Chenot Group (Switzerland). , among other companies.
Another product that will be focused on is “thermal tourism” – to delve deeper into this new trend in mountainous regions, the conference will be attended by Chisela Mzosi, Secretary General of the European Spa Association, who will explain the thermal tourism experience throughout Europe. .
There will also be representation from UN Tourism's top tourist villages such as Saas-Fee, in the Swiss region of Valais (BTV in 2021), St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria (BTV 2023), and Ordino in Andorra (BTV in 2023). . .
Sustainability will also be the protagonist through interventions such as that of Javier Corso, who will present the project carried out by National Geographic in collaboration with Andorra Tourism to improve the impact of tourism on the environment and on people, entitled: “Andorra Al Natural is the environment in which ideas grow.” Javier Corso is a National Geographic Explorer, a distinguished position given to only a few people around the world who work to protect the planet.
Education and training will also have a prominent place in this edition of the conference, as Roy Zhu, President of the Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland, will discuss with Maria Abellanet, President of CETT in Barcelona, the challenges and challenges of human resource needs for mountain tourism in the near future.
Sports will be another present topic. This time with the help of David Astri, Director of Icònic Andorra, who will present the High Altitude Sports Medical Residential Center which aims to become a European and global reference for high-altitude sports training.
The successful experiences of representatives of Best of the Alps, Lech Zürs Tourism (Austria), Pyrenees Agency and Pic du Midi (France) will also be highlighted.
To address the main topics, the meeting will be divided into four sessions focusing attention on health and well-being tourism, promoting premium tourism in mountainous regions, emerging tourism products, and training and employing human resources.
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