The United Nations has set aside 27th September each year to
celebrate World Tourism Day as a way of fostering awareness among the
international community of the importance of tourism and its social,
cultural and economic values. The event seeks to address the global
challenges outlined in the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make
towards reaching these goals.
The event was created at the 3rd Session of the UNWTO General
Assembly in Torremolinos, Spain, in September 1979. 27th September is
noteworthy because it was on that day in 1970 that the statutes of the
World Tourism Organisation were espoused. At its 12th Session in
Istanbul, Turkey, in October 1997, the UNWTO passed a resolution to
designate a host member-state each year as an associate to commemorate
World Tourism Day.
2011 - The theme
for this year’s celebration is “Tourism: Linking Cultures” and it is an
opportunity to highlight tourism’s role in bringing the cultures of the
World together and promoting understanding and mutual respect through
global travel.
Dedicated Website: UN World Tourism Day
Special thanks to Ghana Tourism for the text introduction. Ghana and Celebration of the World Tourism Day