One world on Tourism Day 2011

Egypt is world famous for its rich history and vibrant culture which draw millions of tourists to the country each year. It is precisely this interaction between the peoples and cultures of the world, driven by tourism, that is at the heart of the WTD 2011 theme: Tourism – Linking Cultures.

"World Tourism Day is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness around the world of this vital economic sector and its contribution to social, economic and environmental well-being worldwide and in Egypt in particular,” said the Minister of Tourism of Egypt, Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour.

The Egyptian city of Aswan will host the official 2011 World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations, which will include a High-Level Think Tank on this year’s theme, ‘Tourism – Linking Cultures’ (27 September 2011). Planned WTD activities in Aswan include a High-Level Think Tank on the 2011 theme, at which leading public and private tourism stakeholders, academia and the media will address the role of tourism in building understanding, respect and tolerance worldwide.

UNWTO has also launched the first ever WTD Twitter Competition, asking people to ‘tweet’ using the hashtag: #WTD2011about how they consider tourism to link cultures. Winning entries will appear on the official programme handed out during the celebrations in Aswan.

Relevant links:

World Tourism Day 2011 Website

Think Tank Programme

World Tourism Day 2011 Photo Competition