Happy World Tourism Day!
September 27 is World Tourism Day!
When I first heard of World Tourism Day, I was a little skeptical. Why does tourism need its own day? What are we actually celebrating? Does elevating tourism mean we ignore some of the harmful effects of travel?
That skepticism turned into fascination. It turns out, World Tourism Day was established to improve tourism—both the methodology and accessibility. World leaders recognized that tourism was both a way to strengthen economies and a way to make cross-cultural connections among societies that would lead to better understanding and more peaceful relations. Plus, by making tourism as sustainable as possible, we could work together to mitigate some of the more harmful aspects of the practice: pollution, damage, crime, etc.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day since 1980. That’s 45 years of raising awareness of the role of tourism in social, political, and economic circles around the world! The theme for 2025 is Toursim and Sustainability, and Malaysia is the host country for the conference—but people around the world can participate by sharing their own events and activities.
Learning about World Tourism Day reminded me of a chapter in our recent book, Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species with Hands-On Science Activities for Kids. “Encouraging Ecotourism” is all about how the decisions we make as travelers can affect the natural environments we visit. Author Laura Perdew writes:
“Ecotourism is responsible travel that minimizes the impact of tourists on both the environment and local culture. For tourists, ecotourism means traveling sustainably while enjoying nature and seeing wildlife. Education is also a key feature of ecotourism. Visitors learn about the environment and conservation efforts and why an area needs protection. They also engage with the local culture and gain respect for customs by eating delicious food and shopping at local businesses.”
Local culture? Delicious food? Sign me up.
Happy, sustainable travels on World Tourism Day (and every day)!
Andi Diehn
Content Marketing Manager
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