0pening At the dawn of a new millennium Welcoming addresses Essential areas of equilibrium in the context of sustainable development in tourism Mrs Michèle Demessine, Secretary of State for Tourism, Paris (France) Chamonix : a contribution to a world problem M. Michel Charlet, Mayor of Chamonix, President of the Association Les Sommets du Tourisme Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Chamonix (France) Message of M. Ernest Nycollin, President of the Haute-Savoie General Council, Annecy (France)   Message of M. Eric Fournier, Deputy-President of the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, Lyon (France)   The concept of "Tourism 2020" and the environment M. Francesco Frangialli, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), Madrid (Spain) M. Saliou Akadiri, International Organisation of French-speaking Nations, Paris (France) The sacred and magical nature of mountains Speakers Mirror of the infinite : man, nature and the sense of travel Pierre Lainé, Writer, La Motte-Servolex (France)