Each year, World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27, 2021. This day aims to raise awareness of the social, cultural, political and economic contribution of tourism to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism sector has been completely affected in both developed and developing countries. The reduction in the cost of transport has led to the constant growth of tourism.
According to the United Nations (UN), one in 10 people is in the tourism sector and in some countries contributes a significant portion of their GDP. The right to vacation is one of the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that has supported development by achieving uninterrupted growth despite the challenges it faces.
The day was first commemorated in 1980 by the UNWTO General Assembly at its third session in Torremolinos, Spain, in September 1979. The timing falls at the end of the high season in the northern hemisphere and at the start of the season in the southern hemisphere.
The day is celebrated on the anniversary of the adoption of the statutes of the Organization in 1970 to create a path for the establishment of the UNWTO after five years. Since then, World Tourism Day has been celebrated every year.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is responsible for promoting responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism to all around the world. The UNWTO secures part of the sector as well as communities, minorities and young people at risk.
The focal point of this day is based on “Tourism for inclusive growth. The current theme of inclusive growth places importance on inclusive recovery and no one is left behind in this sector. It ensures the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of the travel industry.
The importance of this day after the pandemic is to raise awareness in the tourism sector as most World Heritage sites are closed, resulting in unemployment of many young people in rural areas. According to reports, millions of people are plunged into extreme poverty in 2021. Women are also affected by the global crisis which has affected their livelihoods.
Quotes and messages:
Tourists have a checklist of where they have been and where they have not been, but travelers have no idea where they are going. I wish you a happy World Tourism Day.
The world is just a book and traveling is the best way to read a book. Those who do not travel miss the pleasure of reading this beautiful book. Happy World Tourism Day to you.
When you travel you become a different person, a better person. Happy World Tourism Day to you.
The journey widens the mind and fills the void. “- Sheda Savage
“Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator.” -Robert Orben
Travel far enough, you meet. “- David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
“Wherever you go, it’s part of you in one way or another.” – Anita Desai
“All that is gold does not shine, not all who wander are lost.” – JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“The real voyage of discovery is not to seek new landscapes, but to have new eyes.” -Marcel Proust
“Travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape you.” Unknown
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