The United Nations (UN)’s World Tourism Day (WTD) is annually observed across the world on 27th September to create awareness about the importance of tourism. The day also promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership.
- 27th September 2024 marks the observance of the 44th World Tourism Day.
- The annual observance of WTD is led by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN WTO or UN Tourism).
Theme:
The theme for World Tourism Day 2024 is ‘Tourism and Peace’.
- The 2024 theme highlights the significant connection between tourism and peacebuilding.
- It also emphasises the contribution of tourism towards conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the promotion of global peace.
Host of WTD 2024:
i.The UN WTO has chosen Georgia as the host country of WTD 2024.
ii.The 2024 host was selected by 38 countries of the UN WTO Commission for Europe at their 68th meeting held in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- The UN WTO annually assigns a host country to acts as its partner for the celebrations of WTD.
Background:
i.During its 3rd session held in 1979 in Torremolinos(Spain), the UN WTO decided to institute World Tourism Day(WTD).
ii.The first-ever WTD was observed on 27th September 1980.
Why September 27?
i.This date, 27th September, was chosen to coincide with the date of adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27th September 1970.
ii.The first observance marked the 10th anniversary of the adoption of UNWTO Statutes.
History of UNWTO:
i.The International Union of Official Travel Organisations (IUOTO) was established in 1946.
ii.In 1970, the IUOTO adopted the Statutes of the World Tourism Organization, marking the establishment of the UN WTO.
Events 2024:
i.The official celebration of WTD 2024 held in Tbilisi(Georgia), witnessed the participation of 500 participants from 51 countries including 13 Ministers of Tourism.
ii.UNWTO launched the latest edition of its growing portfolio of investment guidelines – “Tourism Doing Business Investing in Georgia”.
- The Guidelines outline the key factors making Georgia and its growing tourism sector an attractive destination for international investors
- The series of Tourism Doing Business reports is a tool reference for investors that provides valuable information on countries’ investment climate and emerging investment opportunities.
WTD 2024 Celebration in India:
Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President (VP) of India, graced the World Tourism Day 2024 celebration hosted by the Ministry of Tourism at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi(Delhi).
Highlights:
i.The VP launched two initiatives – Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi piloted in 6 tourist destinations across India: Orchha (Madhya Pradesh, MP), Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh, AP), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Aizawl (Mizoram), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), and Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
- The initiatives aim to elevate the overall experience for tourists in destinations.
- Under these initiatives cab drivers, hotel staff and others will be trained to become proud Ambassadors and storytellers for their destination.
ii.Best Tourism Villages Competition 2024 recognised 36 winners across 8 categories. The 2024 competition received a total of 991 applications from 30 States and Union Territories(UTs).
- Best Tourism Villages Competition was introduced in 2023 to recognise villages which preserve and promote cultural and natural assets through community-based values and commitment to sustainability in all aspects.
iii.The event also witnessed the launch of the “Handbook for States/UTs to grant Industry Status to the Tourism & Hospitality Sector”. This aims to improve the ease of doing business and attract private sector investments in tourism.
- This will also serve as a guide to support the States/UTs in granting and implementing ‘industry status’ for the tourism and hospitality sector.
iv.The Ministry of Tourism launched the Incredible India Content Hub, a comprehensive digital repository of a rich collection of high-quality images, films, brochures, and newsletters related to tourism in India, on the revamped Incredible India digital portal.
About Incredible India Content Hub:
i.It is a tourist-centric, one-stop digital solution designed to enhance the travel experience for visitors to India.
ii.The contents of the repository are a product of a collaborative effort of several organisations including the Ministry of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India(ASI), the Ministry of Culture and others.
iii.At present the Content Hub features more than 5000 content assets
Note: The revamped portal of Incredible India includes an Artificial Intelligence(AI) powered chatbot which acts like a virtual assistant to answer queries and provide real-time information to the tourists.
v.During the event, the Central Institutes of Hotel Management (CIHMs) under the Ministry of Tourism entered dedicated Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with 8 leading national and global hospitality groups – Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, ITC Group of Hotels, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, Radisson Group of Hotels, and Lemon Tree Hotels.
- The aim of these partnerships is to enhance student engagement, faculty development, and institutional growth in the hospitality sector.
Govt to install Tourist Feedback Mechanism at Airports and Railway Stations:
i.The Ministry of Tourism has introduced a Tourist Feedback mechanism at airports and railway stations across India, for tourists to provide feedback on their visits to tourist attractions and destinations in India.
ii.This real-time and dynamic feedback will enable the Ministry to address the issues in collaboration with stakeholders.
iii.The Ministry of Civil Aviation(MoCA) and the Ministry of Railways(MoR) are collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism to set up these mechanisms at the airports and railway stations.
About United Nations World Tourism Organization(UN WTO):
The UN WTO / UN Tourism is the UN agency responsible for promoting responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Secretary-General- Zurab Pololikashvili
Headquarters– Madrid, Spain
Established– 1970
