University of Sussex Students' Newspaper

World Tourism Day : The Holiday of all Holidays

Mia Stuckey

ByMia Stuckey

Oct 23, 2021

Words by Mia Stuckley, Travel & Culture Online Editor

World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on 27 September, was created by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation to magnify the importance of both the tourism industry and naturally, hand in hand, the tourists coming from far and wide to accommodate them. Honorable mentions to the sphere of tourism reach those accountable for the growth and development of the world economy and the many cultural experiences gifted to us through the ability to travel.

Fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political, and economic value, its placement at the end of the high tourist season in the northern hemisphere and the start of the tourist season in the southern, invites people to unite in celebration when tourism has a firm anchor of interests and fond belonging in the hearts of all, cross-nation. Many tourism enterprises and organisations, as well as government agencies with special attraction to tourism, celebrate the day with various dedicated events and festivities.

Several types of competitions, such as photo entries promoting tourism are accessible for all to undertake and other promotions include free entries, discounts, or exclusive offers for the public to sites of touristic interest and visitation. Those offering us tourism opportunities are nominated for award presentations in significant nuances within travel such as ecotourism and community leaders are also known to be open to deliver special tours to promote their region throughout World Tourism Day.

The theme for World Tourism Day 2021 is ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’. This year’s official celebration will be highlighting tourism’s ability to drive inclusive development and the role it plays in promoting respect for various cultures as we step foot into other people’s worlds for our weekly or fortnightly adaptations into the lives of our overseas families. Whilst generating opportunities for many millions directly or indirectly involved in the sector, the potential of the tourism industry to create income earning opportunities, boost the economy and transform communities is an amazing benefit of leaving our native motherlands for a break by the beach, a chill in the city, or rural relaxation. During the dramatic decrease of travel opportunities through the outbreak of Covid 19, it has come to light once we have reached the end of the tunnel, that common experience bridges divide and promote understanding of others to an astronomical extent.

Whilst tourism seems an exclusive and subjective experience, we support a much wider cause in our search for divergence from daily duties. Inclusivity in tourism encapsulates the passion of tourism to capture culture and spirit of people worlds apart but all under one Earthly roof. “The Travel & Tourism sector is one of the most diverse in the world, employing people from all socio-economic backgrounds regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, with almost 50 percent of whom are women and up to 30 percent youths.” Guevara of The World Travel and Tourism Council states, putting into perspective the impression left by our desire to travel. According to The WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, the Travel and Tourism industry supported 330 million jobs, made a 10.3% contribution to global GDP, and generated a quarter of all new jobs worldwide. Alongside the chance to further understanding of individual differences along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic background, life experiences, age, physical characteristics, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other perspectives and ideologies, this reasoning more than deserve a pull on a party popper and to be shared in celebration universally.

Will you put your Kodaks into good use for competition , gamble on a free get away or simply spread the news in appreciation of international travel on this holiday for our happy holidays ?

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