2017 World Tourism Day celebrated on theme of sustainable development

This year’s World Tourism Day, held on 27 September, is  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 are  held in Qatar, as decided by the UNWTO General Assembly. The event is 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 is conducted with the aim of opening the debate on the potential of the sector to enhance cultural preservation and mutual understanding.

On the Agenda is also 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.

Together with the events conducted in Qatar, the World Tourism Day is celebrated across the globe. UNWTO calls upon the tourism community, including travellers, private sector, governments and civil society, to join the celebrations and share them at  www.wtd.unwto.org

Celebrations in Greece

"Extroversion, synergies and sustainable development constitute the platform to invest in the coming years with the aim of strengthening the social and economic impact of tourism and the further development of its qualitative indicators," Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) president Yiannis Retsos noted.

Greek tourism, he added, "needs a holistic development plan. A strategy of effectively interlinking the main pillars of our country's economic and social fabric, such as culture and agri-food. That will highlight our natural wealth."

World Tourism Day has been celebrated since 1980 on September 27, the day when the World Tourism Organization Statute (UNWTO) entered into force. .

In 2016, Greece attracted 28.1 million visitors (along with cruise passengers), achieving an increase of 7.5 pct, while visitors to Greece will exceed 28.5 million this year.

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