Days Until World Tourism Day

About World Tourism Day

September 27 marks the anniversary of the 1970 adoption of the statutes of the UN World Tourism Organization, and has been observed since 1980 to foster awareness of tourism's social, cultural, political, and economic value.

Each year's observance is hosted by a different country and centers on a specific tourism-related theme, from sustainable travel to rural development.

The UN World Tourism Organization estimates international tourism supports roughly one in ten jobs worldwide, a statistic frequently used to justify the sector-specific attention the day receives.

The observance's host country rotates annually, with the choice often used to spotlight destinations recovering from economic hardship or seeking to build up their international tourism sector.

The UNWTO's host-country rotation has increasingly spotlighted destinations working to rebuild tourism sectors after crises, including economic downturns and, in more recent years, pandemic-related travel disruptions.