27 September: World Tourism Day

The World Tourism Day (WTD) is being observed every year on 27th September to raise awareness about importance of tourism. Observance of day aims to foster awareness among international community of importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.
The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day is ‘sustainable tourism – a tool for development’. It is dedicated for exploring contribution of tourism to Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable tourism takes full account of tourism sector’s current and future economic, social and environmental impacts along with addressing needs of visitors, industry, environment and host communities. It aims to make optimal use of environmental resources, respect host communities and ensure viable, long-term economic operations so that benefits are equitably distributed among all stakeholders.

In India, to mark this day, President Ram Nath Kovind gave away National Tourism Awards and also launched Incredible India 2.0 Campaign in New Delhi.

Background

The World Tourism Day marks adaptation of Statutes of UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) on September 27, 1970. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on role of tourism within international community. It also seeks to demonstrate the impact of tourism sector on social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2017