World Tourism Day on Sept 27: Significance and history

World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on September 27 to promote the tourism all over the world. It was established by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to celebrate the power of the tourism sector to help bridge cultures.

In 1979, the UNWTO announced the World Tourism Day. But, officially it was started celebrated from 1980. 

On this day, countries and various organisations promote tourism so that people rediscover and explore history, luxury, heritage, cultures, places and adventure.

According to the UNWTO, the theme for the World Tourism Day 2023 --‘Tourism and green investment’—highlights the need for more and better-targeted investments for the sustainable development goals, the UN roadmap for a better world by 2030.

“The overall disruption in the tourism sector brought about by COVID-19, provides an opportunity to redefine and recalibrate the direction and narratives of tourism investments for a more sustainable future for the People, the Planet, and prosperity,” according to the UNWTO website.

This year, as Saudi Arabia is the chair of the UNWTO Executive Council, over 500 government officials and industry leaders from 120 countries would gather in Riyadh from September 27 to 28.

The tourism fosters mutual understanding, builds bridges, and safeguards cultural heritage and environmental conservation. It contributes to a more harmonious world. It also promotes digitalization and innovation.

“….the global tourism workforce will require millions of hospitality graduates annually between now and 2030 and a further 800,000 jobs a year will require specific vocational training. For these reasons, we need to invest in people, as they are the foundation of tourism so that all those who wish to be part of the sector have the same opportunities to access quality tourism training, anywhere in the world,” according to the UNWTO website.

The World Tourism Day 2023 is an important platform for the world to celebrate the sector’s successes after COVID-19.