Representational image. News18
World Tourism Day focuses on the promotion of tourism in various parts of the world. Started by the United Nations World Trade Organisation (UNWTO), the day is commemorated every year on 27 September.
This day has been celebrated since 1980. It marks the anniversary of adoption of UNWTO Statuses on 27 September, 1970. Tourism is something that not only gives us some time to relax and enjoy, but also exposes us to different cultures.
During this day, tourism boards of various countries promote tourism across their cities and states by launching attractive options. The theme of World Tourism Day for 2022 is ‘Rethinking Tourism’.
History:
The initial commemoration of World Tourism Day focused on the promotion of tourism as a whole with a central theme. In 1997, UNWTO decided that the day would be celebrated in different host countries each year.
Significance:
World Tourism Day intends to raise awareness about the significance of tourism in affecting the social, political, economic and cultural values of the international community.
Celebration:
The official celebration of World Tourism Day is going to be held in Bali, Indonesia this year. It will highlight the shift towards tourism being recognised as an important pillar of development.
Some crucial facts about tourism in India:
Around $178 billion was contributed to the GDP of India by the travel and tourism industry in 2021.
Over 10 million foreign tourists visited India in 2017 which led to the foreign exchange earnings of nearly $27.31 billion.
Taj Mahal ranks number 1 out of the most visited monuments in India for both domestic and foreign tourists.
India’s domestic expenditure on tourism was nearly $186 billion in 2017. The collective government spending was around $2.61 billion on the tourism sector.
Kumbh Mela was the largest gathering of people in 2011 with around 75 million pilgrims. The crowd was so huge that it was visible from space.
India’s travel and tourism sector provided employment to nearly 80 million people in the financial year 2020. Overall, the sector accounted for around 15.3 percent of jobs.
In the financial year 2022, 66 percent was the estimated occupancy rate of hotels in India. It was a significant increase from over 34 percent in recent years.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.