Has the Internet made mountain tourism a world phenomenon? Mountain tourism companies are more obliged than ever to manage their business on the Internet and to 'accompany' visitors on their real/virtual journey. In 'Mountain Tourism 2.0: success strategies', world experts are gathering in Andorra on 11 and 12 April 2012 in the 7th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism to explain the success strategies around the world.

Professional registrations are open at www.congresdeneu.ad

The Andorra la Vella Congress Centre (Andorra) will be stage to the congress organised by the Government of Andorra, the la Massana Commune and the World Tourism Organisation. Aimed exclusively at professionals, the congress is a benchmark forum for exchanging experiences and knowledge in snow and mountain tourism and is organised every two years.

In addition to focusing snow and mountain tourism as a world phenomenon on the Internet, the congress will provide the future keys of management to the sector's professionals. In a world phenomenon with millions of messages and offers, specific strategies are needed to find different products all year round with a distinct place on the net. The world congress will show some of the success stories applied in different countries of the world.

An approach will be made to the need to create attractive products and to present them in the 2.0 environment so that mountain tourist companies might be capable of catching their visitors' attention.

Today, customers decide what information they want to receive on the Internet and instantly discard any that is no longer of interest. The management of such assets is key to mountain companies' competitiveness.

Positioning and loyalty 2.0

Amongst other things, the congress will deal with the following
           the importance of recreating a dream world through real experiences;
          the new products that can be created throughout the year, and their strategic positioning on the Internet;
          the messages customers wish to receive and how to present a snow and mountain resort to make it a benchmark on the net.

The social networks take on full importance in tourist companies' Internet strategies. These mix the virtual experiences with the real to make the destination something unique that connects with customers in order to enhance their recall and loyalty beyond being a simple WRC.

INSTITUTIONAL DECLARATIONS

M.I. Mr. Francesc Camp Torres
Minister of Tourism and the Environment of the Government of Andorra
"The Andorran Government entered the UNWTO in 1996, and since 1998 Andorra has been the centre for this congress. The effort put in by the UNWTO, the Government of Andorra and the seven communes has enabled us to present this 7th edition, which will be held in la Massana".

"The Congress's new format will allow replies to be given to today's questions, such as the tools for adapting to tourist marketing technologies, knowing successful experiences in tourist strategy applications in other countries and examples that will show steps on the path to be followed to maintain mountain tourist activity all year round".

"Each edition of the congress has enriched us and allowed us to adapt the experts' knowledge and we therefore open our doors to it once more this year. I want to stress the quality of the talks that will be organised, and hope that you have a highly satisfactory stay in Andorra".

Rt. Hon. Mr. Josep Maria Camp
Senior Consul of la Massana (Andorra)
"La Massana invites you to take part in the 7th edition of the Snow and Mountain Tourism World Congress, the forum that brings together great experts in management and tourist marketing. Each congress's positive balance reveals the professionals' need to gather, share and learn from their experiences".

"We have all of the ingredients that focus the discussion because la Massana is a high mountain parish that in recent years has worked intensely to innovate and remove tourism's seasonal dependence and to put the Vallnord resort on the map".

We are honoured to receive this world event organised by Andorra's seven communes and the UNWTO. These will be two intensive days in which we will have to demonstrate that we are capable of moving forward. We look forward to seeing you in Andorra and in la Massana".

Mr. Taleb Rifai
Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation
"The Snow and Mountain Tourism World Congress is a great opportunity for tourist experts and professionals, and especially those related to this important market, to meet, to analyse the evolution and to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the future".
"The Congress is a platform for the representatives of traditional and emerging mountain resorts of the whole world to exchange best practices in product development, promotion and human resources".

"The 2012 edition of the Snow and Mountain Tourism World Congress in la Massana (Andorra) will particularly stress how the new technologies are changing the sector and providing a long range tool in promoting and developing destinations. The subjects, including how tourists book and consider their stays, and the importance of on-line promotion, will undoubtedly be important in an ever more competitive market".

"Organised between the UNWTO, the Government of Andorra and the seven Communes, there is no doubt that the 7th edition will confirm the Snow and Mountain Tourism World Congress as the main forum for dealing with the principal challenges facing mountain tourism in all forms and all seasons".

FIVE STRATEGIES 2.0

Unique experiences in new habits of consumption

Consumption habits have changed. Tourists have come into the game of the offer and demand on the Internet, and the great competitiveness between tourist companies forces operators to offer attractive destinations at reasonable prices to catch the visitors' attention. The snow and mountain resorts must be positioned in this technological game, but with unique experiences that create alliances with visitors and by reinventing the mountain tourist offer throughout the year.

Loyalty-building through the social networks

The social networks have become an instrument to gain loyalty and also an element of personalisation to know visitors' concerns. There is a need to create virtual communities to accompany visitors before, during and after their trip and thus to enhance the snow and mountain destinations. Empathy and connection must be achieved with the visitors using the social networks to identify their tastes, to reinvent the offer and to maintain two-way communication aimed at gaining their loyalty. The new mobile devices come into play.

Internet positioning

The number of different messages and the excessive amount of information on the Internet are a danger to tourist operators. A destination's Internet positioning is more important than ever to avoid it going unnoticed. An attractive product in a dreamy destination to which different emotions can be bound, all managed with good marketing strategies including video marketing amongst other things, is essential for good positioning on the net and for gaining visitors' loyalty.

Reinventing oneself all year round

One of the aspects that will be discussed in the Congress is the reinvention of snow and mountain tourism to offer an attractive programme of activities over the four seasons. Although in winter skiing and its derivatives take the priority, in the summer an attractive product can also be offered to turn it into a unique destination 365 days a year.

Applying success strategies on the Internet

The Internet is a communicational alternative. However, excessive information can prevent the message from reaching the receiver. Mountain tourism must obviously be in these surroundings, but it is also necessary to know the success strategies in order to not to fall into ostracism and the dangers of the virtual world. Knowing in advance how to present oneself and what to offer on the net to form part of the 2.0 environment is one of the keys to success.

LA MASSANA (ANDORRA), CONGRESS ORGANISER

La Massana is one of the Andorran parishes of the Valls del Nord (northern valleys). Its territory includes the Vallnord ski and mountain resort run along with the Ordino commune, and also the Comapedrosa Nature Park with the highest mountain in the country (Comapedrosa, 2,942 metres). La Massana is a unique natural enclave with very beautiful villages, Romanesque art, delicious mountain cuisine and one of the most attractive leisure offers in the country.

Vallnord in recent years has become an international snow and mountain benchmark. La Massana commune has focused its efforts on putting the resort on the map and reinventing its offer to eliminate the effect of the seasons. It is divided into three sectors (Arcalís, Arinsal and Pal) and is characterised by its perfect integration in nature, the variety of its activities and the quality of its snow in the winter. This has allowed the creation of a diversified, different tourist product aimed at a broad audience in winter and summer.

La Massana parish also stands out for the Comapedrosa Nature Park, one of Andorra's most beautiful natural enclaves. Here we find the highest point in the Principality (Comapedrosa, 2,942 metres). Excursions are organised in the area to discover the country's local flora and fauna, but also to see the high mountain scenery, its lakes, waterfalls and springs.

Another point of interest of la Massana is the Romanesque village of Pal, with its Andorra Romanesque Interpretation Centre. The characteristics of this Romanesque art are unique in the adaptation of the churches to the surroundings and the particular style of its creators. To discover the recent history of its inhabitants, we recommend a visit to the Casa Rull in Sispony, a museum house that reproduces the lifestyle of a 19th century family in la Massana.

Another of la Massana's jewels is the Farga Rosell, a completely restored ancient forge, turned into an excellent museum that reproduces the Principality's metalworking past and gives a demonstration of how iron was made. As for cuisine, we recommend dining in one of the 'bordas' or typical Pyrenean houses turned into restaurants to discover delicious seasonal flavours such as the "trinxat", the game, the wild mushrooms, the trout and curds with honey, amongst many other dishes.

Andorra, the country of the Pyrenees

Andorra is one of the reference snow and mountain destinations of the Pyrenees thanks to the quality and proximity of its offer of leisure, cuisine, sport and culture. In 2010 it received 8,551,264 visitors, including 1,808,001 tourists and 6,713,263 people on excursions. By origin, 4,951,063 were Spanish, 3,378,767 French and 212,434 of other nationalities. It is one of the safest countries in the world and has a population of over 84,000. It is the largest of Europe's small states with an area of 468 km2 and is the only one in the world with a political system based on co-princes, that is, two heads of state. Its constitution dates back to 1993 and the patron saint is Nuestra Sra. De Meritxell.

There is an outstanding offer of spa leisure with centres such as Caldea, the largest centre in southern Europe, a quality hotel offer and the shopping, one of the activities that has become a great attraction thanks to the more competitive prices, the quality and variety of the products and the flexible timetable the country offers.

THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), a specialised body of the United Nations, is the principal international organisation in the field of tourism.

By promoting responsible, sustainable tourism accessible to all, the UNWTO strives to maximise the contribution of tourism to socio-economic growth, the creation of employment, development, preservation of the environment, cultural enrichment, peace and international understanding.

The UNWTO promotes the fulfilment of the World Code of Ethics for Tourism approved by its General Assembly in 1999 and ratified by the UNO General Assembly in 2001, in order to guarantee that the member countries, the destinations and the companies should maximise the economic, social and cultural effects of tourism while reducing their possible negative impacts.

The UNWTO is committed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and makes tourism a tool for sustainable development and the reduction of poverty.

Its members include 155 countries, 7 territories and more than 400 affiliate members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourist associations and local tourist authorities.

World Tourism Organisation

tel.: (+34) 91 567 81 60 │fax: (+34) 91 567 82 19│comm@UNWTO.org │www.UNWTO.org

PROGRAMME

Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Thursday, 12 April 2012

PRESS ROOM AND CREDENTIALS

The organisation will provide the media with the information, images and credentials of the 7th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism through its press service. It will also be present at the website www.congresdeneu.ad in the "Press Room" section.

Information

The dossier and press fliers of the Congress notes will be available in the website Press Room in four languages: Catalan, Spanish, French and English. The certified press will receive the fliers and images by electronic mail. The Congress will have specialised press services in Spain and France.

Images

The Congress will also have photographs and videos free of rights, which will be able to be downloaded before, during and after the Congress.

Credentials

Personal and non-transferable credentials are essential. Enter the "Credentials" section in the website "Press Room" to process these. Applications may also be sent by electronic mail or fax for the attention of Mónica Bordas, the congress press manager, with all of the details of the medium and the journalist representing it to:

7th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism

FAO. Mònica Bordas
e-mail: monicabordas@comumassana.ad
Tel. (+ 376) 736 944
Fax. (+ 376) 736 936
Address: Av. Sant Antoni, 29. AD400 La Massana. Principality of Andorra

Andorra la Vella Congress Centre

The Andorra la Vella Congress Centre will be the Congress scenario. This is a 4,200 m2 multimedia area that will host the different discussions and talks on world snow and mountain tourism. The Congress will have a fully equipped Press Room with access restricted to professionals, speakers and authorities.

Andorra la Vella Congress Centre
Plaça del Poble s/n. AD 500 Andorra la Vella. Principality of Andorra
Tel. (+376) 874 500