WTD 2015 celebrates global tourism growth

The growing number of travellers around the globe and the related social and economic opportunities will be the focus of the UNWTO’S World Tourism Day 2015, taking place Sept. 27 with festivities planned around the globe.

Under the theme ‘one billion tourists, one billion opportunities,’ this year’s event emphasizes the impact of the sector on economic growth, job creation and development.

With five consecutive years of growth, tourism has been a major contributor to the economic recovery, creating jobs and opportunities for communities in many parts of the world, the UNWTO said. With an increase of four per cent in international tourist arrivals in the first semester of 2015, the sector follows an increasing trend that is estimated to reach 1.8 billion international tourists by the year 2030.

“Every time we travel we are part of a global movement that has the power to drive inclusive development, to create jobs and to build the sustainable societies we want for our future,” said UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai in his World Tourism Day message. “This movement also contributes to build mutual understanding and to safeguard our shared natural and cultural heritage."

Currently, international tourism contributes US$1.5 trillion to global trade representing 30 per cent of the world´s service exports, a share that goes up to 45 per cent in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Tourism also plays a key role in fostering multicultural understanding and contributing to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

This linkage is particularly relevant as the international community prepares to adopt the post-2015 agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where tourism has been identified as a sector that “creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.”

World Tourism Day has been celebrated on Sept. 27 since 1980, which coincides with the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on Sept. 27, 1970.

More information can be found at www.wtd.unwto.org and the day’s events can be followed on social media using the hashtag #1billiontourists.