Pack your bags, today we celebrate World Tourism Day.

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has celebrated World Tourism Day. The idea is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

This year, World Tourism Day’s host country is China, and the focus of World Tourism Day will be on tourism and biodiversity. The theme provides an opportunity to raise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity to tourism and the role of sustainable tourism in the conservation of life on Earth. 

Tourism has experienced continual growth and deeper diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Today, tourism is closely linked to development, has become a major contributor to international commerce, and represents one of the main income sources for many developing countries. Consequently, tourism has turned into a key driver for socio-economic progress. This is what the UNWTO hopes to shed light on as we celebrate World Tourism Day.

Celebrate today by becoming a tourist yourself. If you can, take a trip to some place you’ve never been. Take advantage of free, discounted or special offers to many sites of tourism interest. For more information visit the UNWTO page.

Image from www.malaysiainfocus.com.