This year’s World Tourism Day, held
on 27 September, will be focused on Sustainable Tourism – a Tool
for Development. Celebrated in line with the 2017 International Year
of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Day will be dedicated to
exploring the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
World Tourism Day has been celebrated
since 1980 on September 27, the day in which the Statutes of the
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) entered into force. Peace and
Dialogue, Energy, Accessibility, World Heritage and Water and Tourism
have been some of the topics tackled on the 37 previous editions of
World Tourism Day.
“Last year alone, 1.235 million
travellers crossed international borders in one single year. By 2030,
this 1.2 billion will become 1.8 billion. The question, as we
celebrate World Tourism Day 2017, is how we can enable this powerful
global transformative force, these 1.8 billion opportunities, to
contribute to make this world a better place and to advance
sustainable development in all its three pillars. This World Tourism
Day, whenever you travel, wherever you travel, remember to respect
nature, respect culture and respect your host,” said UNWTO
Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.
The official celebrations of World
Tourism Day 2017 will be held in Qatar, as decided by the UNWTO
General Assembly.
The event will be structured around two
sessions, focused on ‘Tourism as a driver of economic growth’,
and ‘Tourism and the Planet: committed to a greener future’. In
addition, a high-level think tank will be conducted with the aim of
opening the debate on the potential of the sector to enhance cultural
preservation and mutual understanding.
On the Agenda will also be the
presentation of the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy, which
advances sustainable approaches.
The initiative is aligned with the
Qatar National Vision 2030, which focuses on Economic, Social and
Human Development and prioritizes tourism as a catalyst to progress
towards a more diversified economy.
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