World Tourism Day: What do we celebrate?

September 27 is World Tourism Day. But what exactly is celebrated every year and why on this date? What is the purpose of World Tourism Day? What is the motto of the 2021 edition? Keep reading!

September 27: World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day was born 41 years ago, in 1980. The date of September 27 was chosen because it coincided with a global tourism milestone: the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Since then, every year on this date, the different countries of the world dedicate September 27 to Tourism. It’s a celebration that aims to promote awareness of the social, cultural, economic and political value of tourism. Moreover, according to the UNWTO website, it’s a good way to remember the contribution that tourism can make in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Tourism for inclusive growth

Every year, World Tourism Day is dedicated to a cause. In this edition, the chosen motto has been, precisely, “Tourism for inclusive growth”.

After the effects that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on this industry and the consequences for people who directly or indirectly make a living from it, the 2021 edition wants to celebrate the capacity of tourism to guarantee that anyone will be left behind with the reactivation of the sector in the post-pandemic stage.

In fact, the second principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals is “leave no one behind”.

For this reason, and as established by the UNWTO, World Tourism Day 2021 is a unique occasion to recognize the role that tourism has in its respective fields, from fair trade or climate action to gender equality, rights indigenous peoples and youth opportunities.

And not only that, the September 27 is also a good moment for different tourism agents to explore how to move towards inclusive growth.

Official message of World Tourism Day 2021

Like all celebrations, World Tourism Day also has each year an official message, or several, as in this case.

One of them is headed by the Secretary-General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili. In the official message for World Tourism Day 2021, Pololikashvili affirms that “by celebrating this day, we state our commitment that, as tourism grows, the benefits that come will be felt at every level of our broad and diverse sector, from the biggest airline to the smallest family business.”

Check this and the other official messages, here.