The 2016 International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports conference opened in the city of Xingyi, Guizhou province on Thursday, Sept 22.

Chinese officials were on hand along with former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and former Zambian President Rupiah Banda to address the gathering, where they praised the local tourism and mineral resources.

The theme of the two-day event was exploring Guizhou’s landscape and the harmony between humans and nature. It is expected to attract more than 3,000 people, including tourism experts, athletes, and media staff.

The real purpose of the conference is to promote sustainable development of mountain tourism and encourage cooperation within the industry. It also highlights ways to alleviate poverty through tourism. It has State Council approval and has great expectations for this first “Outdoor Sports Conference”, and as China’s only state-level outdoor sports-themed conference.