History

The first edition of the Congress was held in Escaldes-Engordany, under the name of The World Congress on Snow Tourism and Winter Sports. It brought together some 150 participants from 24 countries and served as a starting point for subsequent editions. Together the participants analysed the situation of snow destinations, and reflected on the future prospects of the sector.

In the second edition of the Congress, in 2000, the participants analysed the new trends in tourism management and the impact of technological and social development on the future of snow tourism. The event brought together more than 200 participants from 25 countries, representing private companies, professional organisations and government bodies and it was held in the parishes of Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany and Sant Julià de Lòria.

In April 2002, congress attendees of the event’s third edition sought possible solutions to various exogenous threats to the future of snow fields such as global warming, the fragility of the natural environment, the changing consumer trends of the market and the creation of new products. This edition was held in the parishes of Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra la Vella and Encamp.

In 2005, the Communes, the Government and the WTO agreed to extend the theme of the Congress to include year-round mountain activities and give each edition a particular theme, turning it into the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism as it is today. Thus, the fourth edition of the Congress in 2005, held in Canillo, focused on innovation and mountain tourism.

hosted by Encamp In 2008, the fifth edition,, focused on the impact of climate change on mountain destinations. The 240 congress attendees from all over the world had the opportunity to examine and discuss topics as diverse as the future of ski resorts, the impact of climate change on sporting events and the creation of new products adapted to the new environment.

The sixth edition of the Congress, held in Ordino in 2010, focused on ways to attract new customers to mountain destinations by creating unique experiences, using ICT to distribute information, and improve productivity and profitability. The event received 344 international delegates.

In 2012 it was the turn of La Massana. The seventh edition of the Congress, under the title Mountain Tourism 2.0 New Strategies for Success, examined the use of the latest technologies applied to tourism. It was the most popular edition in the history of the Congress, with more than 400 participants from 27 countries.

At the eighth edition of the Congress, which was held in Andorra la Vella on April 9th and 10th of 2014, we discussed the new potential of mountain tourism in summer and the tools at our disposal for de-seasonalising the possibilities of this particular tourism, such as new products adapted to the new market sectors and emerging markets, as well as mobile and geolocation applications as a tool for dissemination and promotion. We will also have a look at successful mountain resorts, the value of icons in tourism development and marketing, the large nature theme parks in Europe and the USA, and the growth of sports related to natural areas.

The 9th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism was held in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra, on 2-4 March 2016. We have had a pleasure to count about 404 participants from 25 countries.

The main objective of the Congress has been to provide a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the snow and mountain destinations and to acquire an overview of successful business models, innovation, the impact of climate change and tourism marketing.

The Tenth World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism which was held in Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, on March 21th and 23th of 2018, under the title MOUNTAINLIKERS: “Shaping the Future of Hospitality in Mountain Destinations”.

The challenges of tourist accommodation in mountain destinations were discussed, the concept of destinations quality was analysed as an important parameter of competitiveness of a destination, and current megatrends, state of the art technologies, new players in the development and management, also knowledge management and capacity building. It brought together some 347 participants from 33 countries.

In 2020, the 11th edition of the Congress was scheduled to be held at the parish of Canillo on 11, 12 and 13 March 2020. On March 10th, 2020, due to the situation caused by the SARS -CoV2 (CoVid-19) and according to the health recommendations, the Congress was postponed. 

Under the title of MOUTAINLIKERS: “Tourism, Innovation and Sustainability”, the objective was to discuss issues about innovative IT-solutions for sustainable tourism, linking “responsible consumption” and local goods and resources, inclusive tourism and the development of responsible destinations, all around sustainability. 

In 2022, under the title MOUNTAINLIKERS: «A new approach to the future» the parish of Canillo has reactivated the 11th World Congress of Snow and Mountain Tourism. This edition focused on topics such as the recovery and revitalization of tourism; artificial intelligence at the service of tourism development and new trends in tourism; the environment and the development of responsible, sustainable and inclusive destinations. For the first time, the working sessions of the Congress were followed in real time by 299 people from 67 countries and attended, in person, by 430 people at the Andorra la Vella Congress Centre.