Celebrating World Tourism Day 2021
World Tourism Day has been held on 27 September each year since 1980. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the Organization in 1970, paving the way for the establishment of UNWTO five years later.
World Tourism Day 2021 Theme:
- The theme for World Tourism Day 2021 is “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic impact. Both developed and developing economies have been hit. And marginalized groups and the most vulnerable have been hit hardest of all. The restart of tourism will help kickstart recovery and growth. It is essential that the benefits this will bring are enjoyed widely and fairly.
History of Tourism Day:
Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27. This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. The theme of the day was “sustainable tourism”, in 2017. In 2018 the theme was “Tourism and the Digital Transformation”. In 2019 the theme was “Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all” and in 2020 the theme was: “Tourism and Rural Development”.
At its Twelfth Session in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 1997, the UNWTO General Assembly decided to designate a host country each year to act as the Organization’s partner in the celebration of World Tourism Day. At its Fifteenth Session in Beijing, China, in October 2003, the Assembly decided the following geographic order to be followed for World Tourism Day celebrations: 2006 in Europe; 2007 in South Asia; 2008 in the Americas; 2009 in Africa and 2011 in the Middle East.
The late Ignatius Amaduwa Atigbi, a Nigerian national, was the one who proposed the idea of marking September 27 of every year as World Tourism Day. He was finally recognized for his contribution in 2009. The colour of World Tourism Day is Blue.
Significance of Tourism Day:
World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on 27 September, is the global observance day fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.
It’s also worth noting that the anniversary occurs at the same time as the northern hemisphere’s “high season” ends and the southern hemisphere’s “season begins.”
During the high season, a country or region experiences an increase in tourism. To put it another way, the number of tourists travelling around the world reaches its peak during this time.
A number of important issues have been raised about world tourism since its inception, including tourism’s “contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and peace and mutual understanding.”
With the theme of “Leave No One Behind,” World Tourism Day pledges this year reflect the 2030 Agenda’s Second Principle, “Leave No One Behind.”
No poverty, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, as well as reducing inequalities, are all dependent on global tourism. As a result, the theme for this year’s World Tourism Day is “Recovery and Growth Bring Us All Together.”
