The official World Tourism Day celebration will be held in Bali, Indonesia, on September 27th, highlighting the shift towards tourism being recognized as a crucial pillar of development.
With the theme of “Rethinking Tourism”, the International Day of Observance will focus on re-imagining the sector’s growth in terms of size and relevance. The Republic of Indonesia will host the official day (September 27th), though all UNWTO Member States, as well as non-members and stakeholders from across the private sector, are being invited to host their own celebrations so as to promote the day and its central theme.
The theme aims to inspire the debate around rethinking tourism for development, through education and jobs, as well as tourism’s impact on the planet and new opportunities to be more sustainable.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The potential of tourism is enormous, and we have a shared responsibility to ensure it is fully realized. On World Tourism Day 2022, UNWTO calls on everyone, from tourism workers to tourists themselves, as well as small businesses, large corporations and governments to reflect and rethink what we do and how we do it”.
Tourism’s International Observance Day will put people at the centre of critical discussions. Where is tourism going? Where do we want it to go? And how do we get there? The one-day celebration will bring together stakeholders from tourism’s uniquely broad value chain, from political and private sector leaders to community representatives, and youth and indigenous ambassadors.