World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day
Many people around celebrate the United Nations’ (UN) World Tourism Day, which is
on September 27 each year. The day aims to foster awareness among the international
community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and
economic values.
What do people do?

The United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) invites people worldwide to
participate in World Tourism Day on September 27 every year. The UNWTO Secretary-
General annually sends out a message to the general public to mark the occasion. Many
tourism enterprises and organizations, as well as government agencies with a special
interest in tourism, celebrate the event with various special events and festivities.
Different types of competitions, such as photo competitions promoting tourism, as well as

tourism award presentations in areas such as ecotourism, are held on World Tourism Day.
Other activities include free entries, discounts or special offers for the general public to any
site of tourism interest. Government and community leaders, as tourism business
representatives, may make public announcements or offer special tours or fares to promote
both their region and World Tourism Day on or around September 27.
Background
Tourism has experienced continued growth and deeper diversification to become one of the
fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Modern tourism is closely linked to
development and includes more new destinations for tourists. These dynamics turned
tourism into a key driver for socio-economic progress. Tourism has become one of the major
players in international commerce, and represents at the same time one of the main income
sources for many developing countries.
The UNWTO decided in late September 1979 to institute World Tourism Day, which was first
celebrated on September 27, 1980. September 27 was chosen as the date for World
Tourism Day because that date coincided with an important milestone in world tourism: the
anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on September 27, 1970.
The UNWTO believes that the date for World Tourism Day is appropriate because it comes
at the end of the high tourist season in the northern hemisphere and the start of the tourist
season in the southern hemisphere, when tourism is of topical interest to many people
worldwide, particularly travelers and those working in the tourism sector. Each year has a
different theme – for example, “Tourism – Celebrating Diversity” was designated as the
theme for 2009, with Ghana as the event’s host country for that year.
World Tourism Day Observances

Show
Select another year-range:
Weekday Date Year Name Holiday type Where it is observed
Sat Sep 27 1980 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Sun Sep 27 1981 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Mon Sep 27 1982 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Tue Sep 27 1983 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Thu Sep 27 1984 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Fri Sep 27 1985 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Wed Sep 27 1989 World Tourism Day United Nation day
Themes
Themes of World Tourism Day over the years:
• 1980: Tourism's contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace

and mutual understanding
• 1981: Tourism and the quality of life
• 1982: Pride in travel: good guests and good hosts
• 1983: Travel and holidays are a right but also a responsibility for all
• 1984: Tourism for international understanding, peace and cooperation
• 1985: Youth Tourism: cultural and historical heritage for peace and friendship
• 1986: Tourism: a vital force for world peace
• 1987: Tourism for development
• 1988: Tourism: education for all
• 1989: The free movement of tourists creates one world
• 1990: Tourism: an unrecognized industry, a service to be released ("The Hague
Declaration on Tourism")
• 1991: Communication, information and education: powerlines of tourism
development
• 1992: Tourism: a factor of growing social and economic solidarity and of
encounter between people
• 1993: Tourism development and environmental protection: towards a lasting
harmony
• 1994: Quality staff, quality tourism
• 1995: WTO: serving world tourism for twenty years
• 1996: Tourism: a factor of tolerance and peace
• 1997: Tourism: a leading activity of the twenty-first century for job creation and
environmental protection
• 1998: Public-private sector partnership: the key to tourism development and
promotion (Host: Mexico)
• 1999: Tourism: preserving world heritage for the new millennium (Host: Chile)
• 2000: Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the
twenty-first century (Host: Germany)
• 2001: Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations (Host: Iran)
• 2002: Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development (Host: Costa Rica)
• 2003: Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social
harmony (Host: Algeria)
• 2004: Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and
the development of societies (Host: Malaysia)
• 2005: Travel and transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the
21st century (Host: Qatar)
• 2006: Tourism Enriches (Host: Portugal)
• 2007: Tourism opens doors for women (Host: Sri Lanka)
• 2008: Tourism Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change and global
warming (Host: India)
• 2009: Tourism - Celebrating Diversity (Host: Africa.)
• 2010: Tourism & Biodiversity[1] (Host: China.[2])

World Tourism Day

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World Tourism Day

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World Tourism Day

What do people do?

Different types of competitions, such as photo competitions promoting tourism, as well as

World Tourism Day Observances

Themes of World Tourism Day over the years:

• 1980: Tourism's contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace

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