The Diplomat
Today marks World Tourism Day 2023, when the global industry is set to come together around the theme of Green Tourism and Investment in its biggest commemoration to date.
The official central event will take place today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while UNWTO member states will mark the occasion in each region with a series of special events and programs.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that “tourism has never been more important for our economies or for our societies. Its potential is enormous. And so on this World Tourism Day, we celebrate tourism’s ability to drive growth while also highlighting the vital need for investments to ensure such growth is inclusive and sustainable.”
On World Tourism Day 2023, UNWTO will place the emphasis on Tourism and Green Investments. The day will focus on the importance of:
- Investment for People (by investing in education and skills),
- For Planet (by investing in sustainable infrastructure and accelerating green transformation)
- For Prosperity (by investing in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship).
In Riyadh, UNWTO will present its Global Tourism Investment Framework and hold a series of high-level panels focusing on the challenges and opportunities surrounding investment in tourism. The official World Tourism Day celebrations will also see the winners of the inaugural UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition for the Middle East announced.
World Tourism Day is set to be the biggest celebration so far. UNWTO will welcome representatives from more than 100 of its Member States, including more than 50 Ministers of Tourism. Joining them will be high-level representatives from tourism’s private sector, both from the Middle East region and globally.
The first World Tourism Day was held in 1980. As the Global Day of Observance for tourism, it offers a chance to celebrate the sector’s vital role in advancing peace and prosperity and UNWTO’s global regions take turns in hosting the official celebrations, always around a timely and relevant theme.
The date of 27 September marks the day the Statutes of the Organization that became UNWTO were signed.
