Everything You Need To Know About World Tourism Day

When we talk about tourism and travelling, we generally discuss how it helps us to explore new places, cultures and people, right? But we don’t generally don’t talk about tourism being a major source of income for most countries. With several positive social, cultural, and economic effects, tourism has always been a major pillar of society. Since tourism is the sector that brings countries, cultures, and people together, it is obvious to celebrate World Tourism Day every year without a miss!

Let’s start with some fun facts! The first World Tourism Day was in 1980. Since then, the day is celebrated annually by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, or in short UNWTO, on 27th September. If you are wondering why this date was chosen, on the same date in 1970, world tourism achieved a great milestone. The statues of the UNWTO Organisation were adopted in Mexico City.

Before we get into more details, here are some amazing hotels and flight deals in honour of this great day!

Why is World Tourism Day Celebrated?

We think you know it already! The primary purpose for observance of this day is to spread and foster the awareness of travel and tourism. Also, to shed light on the important role that it plays in our society, as well as for our personal well-being (after all, travelling is the best detox!).

This day is celebrated with great interest by many organisations, tourism enterprises, non-profit organisations, and government agencies. Yes, you can become a part of the celebration as well! Here’s how! Take part in any of the several competitions organised on this day, including travel photography, presentations and live sessions. If you can’t do that, book a flight, book a hotel, and travel!

Who hosts the day and what’s the theme?

Now, answering the question, which country hosts World Tourism Day! Well, it is hosted by a different country each year. To be more exact, the General Assembly of UNWTO selects a host country each year.

To date, every year, World Travel Day is hosted by a certain country that follows a specific theme. Earlier, the day has been hosted by China and the United States of America including others. The tourism ministry of the host country holds exclusive meetings and talks on travel and tourism and discusses crucial topics like safety norms while travelling, cleanliness and whatnot!

Now to the theme! The idea of a Tourism Day theme revolves around the unique role that the tourism industry plays to protect, preserve and provide opportunities so that people can experience the natural heritage that lies all around the globe. In the year 2019, the focus was 'Tourism and jobs: A better future for all’. The year 2020 focused on the theme, 'Tourism and Rural Development’. Wondering the theme for this year? Well, we will talk about that too!

World Tourism Day - how can you become a part of this great initiative?

Each year, the Tourism Day celebration is organised in multiple ways and shades. Every country celebrates World Tourism Day in its own unique way. Have a look at some of the most popular ways of celebrating World Tourism Day.

Welcoming Tourists

During this special day, the tourists are presented with a warm welcome. With flowers, folk performances, and cultural events, visitors are welcomed in traditional ways to promote tourism. So, you can travel to a new place and enjoy what its tourism has to offer!

Discounts and Offers

To mark the importance of this day (the primary purpose of this day) and promote travelling, government bodies and several travel agencies provide great deals on flights and hotels. Don’t you think it is an excellent time to grab a holiday deal? Well, it indeed is!

Cultural Events

Travel photographer, artist, or performer, everyone has a place during the lively cultural events held during World Tourism Day. Isn’t that a great way to infuse tourists with the local culture and people!

Educational Trips

Several organisations, workplaces, and school institutions organise educational trips, drawing competitions, and special exhibitions during this time of the year. After all, everyone should be familiar with the importance of tourism and travelling! Join any of these events or you can help in organising one in your college or even in your office!

All about World Tourism Day 2021

The year 2021 marks a crucial year in the history of International Tourism Day. Like last year, this year is a challenging one too. With the pandemic, the countries were in a lockdown mode, due to which all the travel came to a halt, whether for recreational purposes or business-related. Wasn’t that a bummer? Anyways, due to this halt, several countries attended World Tourism Day virtually last year, which may be the case this year too.

With the global outbreak of the COVID 19 virus, it is of no surprise that tourism has become one of the most affected sectors. Each country has witnessed a hard hit on its tourism sector. So, for the year 2021, the World Tourism Day theme is ’Tourism for inclusive growth’. The theme is to encourage the creation of job opportunities in the sector and a growth path for the travel industry. Basically, it is an attempt to restore the strength of worldwide tourism and make it even stronger than before.

And before we forget, the official Tourism Day celebration will be held in Cote d'Ivoire in South Africa. With travel restrictions slowly being lifted, the citizens of South Africa (which has been selected as the host country this year) are extremely excited to travel and explore their country. With all the health and safety protocols in line, the government of South Africa has put forward a robust plan to revive its tourism sector and promote nation-building. For which we are super excited!

There’s no wonder why World Tourism Day is a great initiative. It informs and educates us about the need and effects of tourism. So, let’s play our part by coming together (virtually if needed), promote the tourism industry and make the upcoming 27th September a memorable and happy Tourism Day. And we hope, all of us can again travel to our heart’s content soon!

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