World Tourism Day

The world celebrates World Tourism Day on September 27 every year to highlight tourism’s essential role in eradicating poverty and promoting peace.

The observance of World Tourism Day aims to foster awareness of tourism's social, cultural, political, and economic value and to maintain the contribution of tourism can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Tourism is one of the most significant economic sectors in the world. Ten percent of the world's population is employed due to tourism. Tourism accounts for more than 20% of GDP in some countries.

Tourism helps people to come closer to each other and experience each other's cultures and nature in order to highlight our common humanity.

In the message for World Tourism Day 2021, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, said, "On this World Tourism Day, the Dicastery encourages all to commit to a tourism that allows for encounters between people and in diverse places, where the admiration of beauty can foster respectful lifestyles for others and the planet."

Tourism creates many job opportunities even in remote areas of the world, especially for women, youth, migrant workers, and rural populations in developing and least developed countries (LDCs).

On the occasion of World Tourism Day (September 27)), International Labor Organizations (ILO), Senior Tourism Specialist Wolfgang Weinz and ILO Senior Gender Specialist Susan Maybud talked about how tourism can play a role in reducing poverty and promoting gender equality.

Women take part in the majority of the work in the tourism sector. Fifty percent of them were under the age of 25.
Another benefit of tourism is the protection of biodiversity and conservation of the environment. And also, the income it generates from tourism.

"Tourism has also been a driving force in protecting natural and cultural heritage, preserving them for future generations to enjoy," UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, said.

International tourism earned US $1.5 trillion in exports in 2015. Statista reported that in 2020, about 180 billion U.S. dollars were received into the GDP in Southeast Asia, and in 2021, over 143 billion U.S. dollars. It declined due to the global pandemic.

Tourism creates a better world because traveling and seeing new places is good for our minds and good for our society. It widens our knowledge and helps to refresh our creative minds.

This year, the theme of World Tourism Day is "Rethinking Tourism," with the intention of how to rethink tourism for development through education and jobs, tourism’s impact on the world, and the chances of sustainable growth.

This year, World Tourism Day will be held in Bali, Indonesia, on September 27. All UNWTO Member States and non-members are being invited to celebrate their own national day and to promote the day with its central theme.

World Tourism Day returns to focus on the future, and UNWTO will highlight the need to rethink how we do tourism. It will lead to a shared vision for a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient sector for all–government, business, and local communities.

Zurab said, "The potential of tourism is enormous, and we have a shared responsibility to make sure it is fully realized. On World Tourism Day 2022, UNWTO calls on everyone, from tourism workers to tourists themselves, as well as small businesses, large corporations, and governments, to reflect and rethink what we do and how we do it."

Although tourism is a major driver of jobs and growth, COVID-19 has pulled back since the global pandemic broke out. Tourism was stopped and many became jobless.

The double rate of international tourist arrivals at the start of 2022 than at the end of 2021 brings hope to many people around the world. The release of the COVID-19 travel restrictions will be an important factor for tourism’s recovery.

In the first five months of 2022, there were about 250 million international tourists, which led to a recovery of up to 46% of pre-pandemic 2019 records.

The results of tourism are optimistic, although the war in Ukraine could affect the loss of US $ 14 billion to the tourism business,
The official World Tourism Day celebration will be held in Bali, Indonesia, on September 27, highlighting the shift towards tourism being recognized as a crucial pillar of development.

World Tourism Organization, WTO, makes it accessible for everyone, including those with disabilities and those with low-income to travel on World Tourism Day. The world is open for business for everyone.

Due to the many benefits of tourism, the UNWTO established World Tourism Day at a meeting of the third session that took place in Spain in September 1979. The first observance of World Tourism Day was on September 27, 1980. This date coincided with the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on September 27, 1970.

Today, we can treat a normal day like a vacation. We can visit our hometown as tourists. We can visit our parish church, the grottos, or Diocesan Marian Shrines and spend some time praying as a pilgrimage. Not going to the church as a routine, but going as a pilgrimage.

On this World Tourism Day, please take the opportunity to plan a trip with family members or friends to visit the shrines and religious places as a pilgrimage.