World tourism day 2023
Today, tourism shows itself as a significant industry, a source of income and a versatile employer. Travel and tourism have been estimated to correspond to up to 10 percent of the global gross domestic product, in certain countries the share of tourism in GDP is up to 80-90%. Tourism enables new experiences, but there are also many mild phenomena and challenges associated with tourism. Many popular tourist destinations are badly affected by mass tourism and pollution. Areas that are valuable as world heritage are also in danger of being destroyed. (Finnish UN Association 2023.)
UNWTO has identified investments as one of the key priorities for tourism’s recovery and future growth and development. For World Tourism Day 2023, UNWTO highlights the need for more and better-targeted investments for people, for planet and for prosperity. Now is the time for new and innovative solutions, not just traditional investments that promote and underpin economic growth and productivity.
World Tourism Day 2023 will be a call to action to the international community, governments, multilateral financial institutions, development partners and private sector investors to unite around a new tourism investment strategy.
World Tourism Day has been held on 27 September each year since 1980. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the Organization in 1970, paving the way for the establishment of UNWTO five years later.
New publication of the Global Geoparks Network
