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The World Tourism Day was designated by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNUNWTO) at its its third session (Torremolinos, Spain, September 1979).
WORLD TOURISM DAY is commemorated on 27 September each year by appropriate events on themes selected by the General Assembly, on recommendation of UNWTO's Executive Council. This date was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism: the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970.
The main purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.
2022
This year, the World Tourism Day focuses on
"Rethinking Tourism"
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Promoting and developing tourism with a view to contributing to economic development, international understanding, peace, prosperity, and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is at the heart of UNWTO's mandate. Every people and every place possess a unique culture. Experiencing different ways of life, discovering new food and customs and visiting cultural sites have become leading motivations for travel, and as a result, a crucial source of revenue and job creation, particularly for developing countries. Income from tourism is often redirected towards the safeguarding of these sites and even the revitalization of cultures.
Ultimately, tourism is an economic sector based on human interaction, exchange and dialogue. WTD 2011 is a call to all those involved in tourism to act in a way that is conscious and respectful of culture, which promotes intercultural dialogue and ensures that local communities fully participate in, and benefit from, the development opportunities of tourism.
- Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, UNWTO
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World Tourism Day themes since 2000:
- 2000 - Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century
- 2001 - Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations
- 2002 - Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development
- 2003 - Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony
- 2004 - Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and the development of societies
- 2005 - Travel and transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st century
- 2006 - Tourism Enriches
- 2007 - Tourism opens doors for women
- 2008 - Tourism: Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change
- 2009 - Tourism - Celebrating Diversity
- 2010 - Tourism and Biodiversity
Additional Resources:
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GDRC has been working on themes related to sustainable tourism, in its programme on Urban Environmental Management.
GDRC therefore reaffirms its committment to uphold the objectives of the World Tourism Day, and work towards better understanding of, and action on, highliting the criticality of tourism management to contribute to long-term sustainability and poverty alleviation. |
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