WORLD TOURISM DAY

International Days and Observances
World Tourism Day
27 SeptemberIt was at its third session (Torremolinos, Spain, September 1979), that the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNUNWTO) decided to institute, commencing in the year 1980.
WORLD TOURISM DAY is commemorated on 27 September each year by appropriate events on themes selected by the General Assembly, on recommendation of UNWTO's Executive Council. This date was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism: the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970.
The main purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.
"Tourism opens doors for women" - the theme for the United Nations World Tourism Day on 27 September highlights an issue of fundamental importance for our future. Tourism is a sector of the economy that not only employs significant numbers of women, but provides enormous opportunities for their advancement.
The development of women's role not only gives a society balance, but it strengthens economies and social structures. The challenges now revolve around issues like ensuring income parity, raising employment quality, creating reasonable workplace conditions and penetrating glass ceilings – issues which are relevant generally to Millennium Development Goal 3 and gender equality.
- Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General, UNWTO
"Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change"
The focus on climate change and the broader development agenda coincides with worldwide support of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The theme will contribute in putting forward the global campaign to implement the Davos Declaration (Climate Change and Tourism - Responding top Global Challenges), and builds on the tourism sector's strong relationship with climate as well as its role in sustainable development.
2008
World Tourism Day themes since 2000:
2000 - Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century
2001 - Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations
2002 - Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development
2003 - Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony
2004 - Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and the development of societies
2005 - Travel and transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st century
2006 - Tourism Enriches
2007 - Tourism opens doors for women
Additional Resources:
GDRC: Sustainable Tourism
GDRC: Heritage Conservation and Management
World Tourism Organization
Tourism and Gender
WTO: Suggested Activities for World Tourism Day
GDRC has been working on themes related to sustainable tourism, in its programme on Urban Environmental Management, and gender issues, in its programme on Gender and Development.
GDRC therefore reaffirms its committment to uphold the objectives of the World Tourism Day, and work towards better understanding of, and action on, highliting the criticality of tourism management for better gender equality and poverty alleviation.
International Days and Observances
NOTE: International Days closely related to GDRC's programmes and projects are explained further with additional information links.
February
21 International Mother Language Day
March
8 International Women's Day and United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace
21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
21 World Poetry Day
22 World Water Day
23 World Meteorological Day
April
7 World Health Day
18 World Heritage Day
23 World Book and Copyright Day
May
3 World Press Freedom Day
15 International Day of Families
17 World Telecommunication Day + Information Society Day
21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
22 International Day for Biological Diversity (formerly December 29, changed in 2001)
25 Africa day
25-June 1 Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories
29 International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
31 World No-Tobacco Day
June
4 International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
5 World Environment Day
8 World Oceans Day
17 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
20 World Refugee Day
23 United Nations Public Service Day
July
3 (First Saturday) International Day of Cooperatives
11 World Population Day
August
9 International Day of the World's Indigenous People
12 International Youth Day
23 International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
September
8 International Literacy Day
16 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
21 International Day of Peace
27 World Tourism Day
Last Week World Maritime Day
October
1 International Day for Older Persons
4 - 10 World Space Week
3 World Habitat Day
5 World Teacher's Day
10 International day for Disaster Reduction
9 World Post Day
10 World Mental Health Day
16 World Food Day
17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
24 United Nations Day and World Development Information Day
24-30 Disarmament Week
November
6 International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
10 World Science Day for Peace and Development (UNESCO
16 International Day of Tolerance
20 Universal Children's Day and Africa Industrialization Day
21 World Television Day
21 World Fisheries Day
25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
29 International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
December
1 World AIDS Day
2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3 International Day of Disabled Persons
5 International Volunteer Day
7 International Civil Aviation Day
10 Human Rights Day
11 International Mountain Day
18 International Migrants Day


Find other days/observances in the"Do-Your-Bit" pages
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