MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
Dear participants,
During the last edition of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism in 2022, the theme addressed was the recovery of tourism after the pandemic, under the title “A new approach to the future”. Today, after hard work by public administrations to encourage and help the sector, and after seeing how local businesses have handled this situation, not without difficulty, we can say that the tourism sector has faced this enormous crisis, showing great resilience. We must continue our efforts to strengthen the tourism sector and continue its contribution to the economies of mountain areas.
Not without effort, the Principality of Andorra, in this period of recovery, thanks to its privileged natural wealth and its wide variety of activities in a healthy environment, recorded an increase in overnight stays, exceeding for the first time 10 million nights per year.
Undoubtedly, tourism is one of the sectors that most stimulate our economies, therefore, the twelfth edition of the Congress aims to introduce new topics, favoring wellness, health and thermal tourism. Combining personal wellness in addition to relaxing on holiday or doing outdoor activities, slow tourism, immersion in local culture are other stimuli that tourists who want to break from the routine of an accelerated world, are looking for more and more.
Of course, we will address other current issues that will help us improve the tourist, mountain and snow offer. We will talk about tourism products, heritage, identity and quality of services. Education, empowerment, sustainability and responsible tourism will always be key elements of the discussions. In addition, AI has become a powerful tool, being the best ally for tourism agents and visitors.
This Congress, organized in the Country of the Pyrenees, brings together a wide range of tourism professionals, managers of mountain tourist destinations, experts and entrepreneurs from all fields.
Together, we will lead discussions between the public and invited experts, to improve travelers' experience during their stay in their chosen destination.
We hope to have you with us during these three days of events to establish partnerships that will boost tourism in mountain regions, for the benefit of tourists, professionals, residents and the destination itself.
We look forward to seeing you in Andorra from March 20 to 22, 2024!
Greetings from the Minister
Dear participants,
On 10 March 2020 we had to postpone the Snow and Mountain Tourism World Congress due to the health emergency caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. I am pleased to announce that the organisation of this Congress has been reactivated thanks to the involvement of the seven municipalities (Comuns) and the Government of Andorra, and the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). Canillo will be the host parish for this eleventh edition.
You all know that tourism has been one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic and that the consequences for our economy have had a huge impact on the commercial fabric and jobs, although it is true that the resilience of our sector has helped us to be innovative, to rethink everything we had consolidated with effort and time, and to listen to the demands of tourists and take care of them, knowing that health, protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, screening and vaccination are some of the key elements that allow us to look to the future with some optimism.
The pandemic has forced us to transform business management by applying new technologies more than ever, to reinvent ourselves, to change consumer habits, to work to regain the confidence of travellers and, ultimately, to reverse the effects caused by the pandemic as best we can.
For this reason, it is essential that, against the sharp decline in one of the most important sectors of the world economy, such as tourism, we meet again during the Congress, and that we have the opportunity to address and debate on the issues that will help us to reactivate tourism and design the post-pandemic model or models.
Andorra has learned to adapt, and since 13 March 2020 has led all efforts to find a balance between health and economy. From the outset, the health of citizens has been a priority, while protocols have been defined to ensure maximum safety for visitors. On the other hand, the Andorran authorities have approved an unprecedented set of economic measures to help the economic fabric and guarantee employment. These and other actions by society as a whole allow us to anticipate a good reactivation of tourist activity.
The economic recession poses complex challenges to the tourism sector, and it is essential to contribute and cooperate between all the actors involved for the recovery of this sector. Thus, having tourism professionals and experts at the Congress guarantees that the issues that will shape the future of mountain tourism will be discussed.
There’s no doubt that sustainability, environment, health and wellness, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and new trends in tourism are topics that interest us all and that we want to discuss during the two days of the Congress.
I want to encourage you to visit us and participate in this Congress, where experts will share their valuable experiences and give us tools to strengthen mountain tourism destinations.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Jordi Torres Falcó