Chongqing – On May 29^th, the International Seminar on Mountain and Hot Spring Wellness Tourism was held in Nanchuan District of Chongqing. The event was hosted by the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), the Chongqing Culture and Tourism Development Committee, the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Foreign Affairs Office, Chongqing Sports Bureau, Chongqing Nanchuan District Committee, Chongqing Nanchuan People’s Government, as well as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), International Organization of Folk Art (IOV) and the China Association of Scenic Areas.

The event was attended by domestic and foreign experts and included roundtable discussions on the integration of hot spring health, climate health, forest health, and mountain tourism.

During the meeting, which focused on the topic of Mountain Hot Springs, the Secretary-General of the Hot Spring Tourism Branch of the China Tourism Association, Zhang Yue, said that most of China’s hot spring resources are located in mountainous, and semi-mountainous environments. We must study the extreme characteristics of mountain hot springs. It is of great significance for the development of hot spring tourism, and the introduction of hot springs and mountain health climate products, and the enrichment of China’s hot spring product structures.

Zhang Yue went on to suggest that to develop mountain hot springs, we need the support of good plans and good designs. To design the hot springs to blend in with the mountainous landscape, to highlight the characteristics of the mountain hot springs. Design and construction should pay attention to protecting ecological resources, preserve forests and vegetations. Hot springs roads and pipelines should be constructed scientifically and be integrated with the landscape.

Liu Lijun, Chairman of the Foreign Recuperation Branch of the Chinese Society of Forestry, believes that a combination of forest therapy and hot springs therapy can boost the body’s immune system. Mountain health, Hot Spring health, and Forest Health are all different forms of natural therapy, each with its own emphasis. Our goal is to harness the natural resources and their health benefits together.

Chief Researcher of the Japan Health & Research Institute, Yasuaki Goto, shared his experiences of the development of mountain hot springs in Japan. He said that what the Japanese consider mountain tourism, generally falls into two categories. One is to spend time on mountain plateau resorts and the other is to climb mountains. Climbing mountains and hot springs can often be combined, finding a hot spring at the top to enjoy halfway-rest or at the bottom at the end, to rest your tired body. Therefore in Japan, many tourist agencies are promoting many trips to climb mountains, and almost all of them have an element of hot spring tourism in there as well.

Jinfo Mountain has unique ecological advantages, with a forest coverage rate of more than 95%, said Wang Changjiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chongqing Hot Spring Association. The forest coverage rate provides a good development foundation for the health care industry, and the mountain has an abundance of geothermal water resources. There are a lot of opportunities to create health-related products on Jinfo Mountain.