September 27: World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day is observed on September 27.

Key facts

  • The World Tourism Day is observed every year to promote tourism and spread awareness about its importance.
  • The theme for this year is “Rethinking Tourism”.
  • It focuses on the post-pandemic initiatives and developments concerning tourism sector.
  • It aims to put people and the planet first and promote the shared vision for a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector.
  • It seeks to make people understand the joy of exploring the world.
  • Indonesia is the host country for the 2022 celebrations. The events were kicked off in Bali and across the globe.

Background

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) initiated the World Tourism Day in the year 1979. The official celebrations of this international day commenced in 1980. It commemorates the adoption of the Statutes of UNWTO. The UNWTO has decided in 1997 that events concerning the World Tourism Day would be celebrated in different host countries each year. The day comes at the end of the high season in the northern hemisphere and the start of the season in the southern hemisphere. The theme for the inaugural edition of the World Tourism Day in 1980 was “Tourism’s contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding”. India hosted the 2019 celebrations with the theme “Tourism and Jobs: A better future for all”.

About UNWTO

UNWTO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism across the world. Headquartered in Madrid, it acts as a global forum for international collaboration in the tourism sector and a source of knowledge on tourism related topics.

India’s tourism sector

The latest edition of the Economic Impact Report by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the tourism sector’s contribution to the overall growth of the Indian economy could be higher than the pre-pandemic levels, with year-on-year growth at 20.7 per cent. The report expects the sector’s contribution to reach around 215 billion USD. This is 1 per cent higher than the 2019 levels. Jobs in this sector is also expected to grow to almost 35 million, which is 8.3 per cent higher than the previous year.


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