Leaders from the travel industry are meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia for World Tourism Day, with a focus on peace and understanding between nations. The Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Zurab Pololikashvili, highlights the importance of tourism in promoting peace and unity, especially at a time when conflicts are widespread around the world. Georgia, a country with a history of invasions, is seen as a fitting host for this year’s theme. Despite challenges such as a decline in Russian tourists due to travel embargoes and conflicts in neighboring countries, Georgia’s tourism sector is on the rise, attracting international visitors with its vibrant culture, diverse landscapes, and delicious cuisine.
The theme of World Tourism Day 2024 is centered around the idea of peace and the role that tourism can play in fostering connections and building trust between people. Pololikashvili emphasizes the important role that the tourism sector plays in creating jobs, reducing poverty, and laying the foundations for peaceful conditions. With an estimated 285 million tourists traveling internationally in the beginning of 2024, tourism is seen as a powerful force for bringing people together and promoting understanding. World Tourism Day, held on 27 September every year since 1980, serves as an opportunity to celebrate the industry and highlight its potential for positive impact.
The event in Tbilisi will include speeches by Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, UN Tourism Secretary-General Pololikashvili, and Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb, among others. Tourism ministers from countries such as Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Bahrain, Cuba, Jamaica, and Malaysia will participate in panel discussions focused on peace throughout the day. The handover to Malaysia, host of World Tourism Day 2025, will also take place during this event. The goal is to unite the tourism sector in promoting peace and ensuring that it can be a source of hope and support for people in conflict-affected areas.
The global tourism family, as Pololikashvili describes it, is uniquely positioned to advocate for peace and work towards creating a more peaceful world through tourism. The connections and relationships formed through travel can help bridge cultural gaps and promote mutual understanding. The event in Tbilisi will highlight the positive impact that tourism can have on communities, both economically and socially, and showcase examples of successful tourism initiatives that have helped promote peace and cooperation in conflict-affected areas.
Tourism plays a significant role in job creation, poverty reduction, and inequality reduction, making it a key player in promoting social and economic development. By bringing people together and fostering connections, tourism can help build trust and respect between nations. World Tourism Day serves as a reminder of the importance of the tourism sector in promoting these values and acting as a force for good in the world. The event in Tbilisi will bring together leaders from the industry to share best practices and discuss strategies for leveraging tourism to promote peace and understanding.
Overall, World Tourism Day 2024 in Tbilisi aims to showcase the transformative power of tourism in promoting peace and unity. By highlighting successful tourism initiatives and advocating for peace, leaders from the travel industry hope to inspire others to see tourism as a tool for positive change. The event will offer a platform for dialogue and collaboration among government officials, industry leaders, and tourism ministers, with a focus on building connections, fostering understanding, and promoting peace through travel. Through these efforts, the tourism sector can continue to drive positive social and economic impact around the world.
