The 12th World Congress on Snow, Mountain and Wellness Tourism identified key challenges, among them climate change and evolving consumer trends, while recognizing the role tourism can play in the protection of the fragile mountain ecosystem, the building of resilience for mountain communities, and the preservation of the local heritage.

Five years of action  

Held in the framework of the United Nation’s Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions, the Congress focused on medical and wellness tourism, sustainability, the promotion of premium segments in mountain areas, emerging tourism products and the attraction and retention of human talent.

Also on the agenda was ensuring the importance of measuring the flow of visitors to mountains, representing the vital step towards unlocking the potential of the sector, promoting evidence based policies and ensure its sustainable management, according to a UN Tourism report, jointly developed with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership (MP) presented at the event. 

High-level panel looks into polices for mountain tourism development 

A high-level panel on policies that promote diversification, innovation and sustainability for mountain destinations gathered Jordi Torres Falcó, Minister of Tourism and Commerce of Andorra, Rosana Morillo Rodriguez, Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, and Alessandra Priante, President of the Italian National Tourism Board (ENIT). Participants stressed the importance of creating a strong framework that aligns all related stakeholders towards a common vision for the development of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive mountain tourism that benefits its communities directly.

Exploring health tourism for mountain development   

As an outcome of the 2022 edition, the 2024 Congress included a new focus on health (medical and wellness) tourism, a segment where mountains can offer important added value and have a competitive advantage. This reflects the shift to diversify mountain tourism products, create demand all year around and address the demand of today’s tourist.

Experiences in this segment were presented by speakers such as Csilla Mezősi, Secretary-General of the European Spas Association, Lászlo Puczko, CEO of Health Tourism Worldwide, Joan Muro, President of the Health Tourism Association of Andorra Health Destination and Emma Haefeli, Marketing Director of CHENOT GROUP (Switzerland).

Tourism for rural development  

Recalling how tourism can be a driver of rural development, promoting the valorisation and preservation of local culture and values of mountain communities, the Congress also counted with the participation of representatives from three Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism: Saas-Fee of the Swiss region of Valais (BTV in 2021), St. Anton am Arlberg of Austria (BTV 2023) and Ordino of Andorra (BTV in 2023). These villages presented how they stand out in addressing seasonality by diversifying tourism products in an innovative and sustainable manner.

Over 300 participants from 14 countries gathered in Andorra, with many also joining via livestreaming. Speakers included, among others, representatives from Slow Food Carinthia in Austria, National Geographic, l’Agence des Pyrénées, the Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative, Pic du Midi, the Creative Tourism Network, Mabrian (Spain), Horwath HTL, as well as leading education institutions such as CETT Barcelona and the Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education of Switzerland.