World Tourism Day 2020 | UPSC
HEADLINES:
World Tourism Day 2020
WHY IN NEWS:
Global community unites to celebrate “tourism and rural development”
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Tourism
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS go through the theme and its significance .
For MAINS take a look at the SDG and its relevance in post pandemic world .
ISSUE:
WORLD TOURISM DAY 2020
AIM
- The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day will be about preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.
- It is celebrated on 27 September every year.
THEME
CELEBRATED BY
- UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a United Nations specialized agency.
- This year it is hosted by MERCOSUR.
SIGNIFICANCE
- This year’s international day of observation comes at a critical moment, as countries around the world look to tourism to drive recovery.
- The 2020 edition also comes as governments look to the sector to drive recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
- The state parties look this event as enhanced recognition of tourism at the highest United Nations level.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
- All around the world, tourism empowers rural communities, providing jobs and opportunity, most notably for women and youth.
- For the first time in the 40-year history of World Tourism Day, the official celebration will not be hosted by a single Member State.
- This co-hosting agreement exemplifies the spirit of international solidarity that runs through tourism .
- All around the world, tourism empowers rural communities, providing jobs and opportunity, most notably for women and youth.
- This World Tourism Day is a chance to recognize the role tourism plays outside of major cities and its ability to build a better future for all.
RURAL AREAS HIT HARD BY COVID-19
- For countless rural communities around the world, tourism is a leading provider of employment and opportunities.
- In many places, it is one of the few viable economic sectors.
- Moreover, development through tourism can also keep rural communities alive.
- Tourism is a lifeline, offering young people a chance to earn a living without having to migrate either within their home countries or abroad.
WHY TOURISM?
- Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and deepening diversification.
- It has become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world.
- Modern tourism is closely linked to development and encompasses a growing number of new destinations.
- Today, the business volume of tourism equals or even surpasses that of oil exports, food products or automobiles.
- Tourism has become one of the major players in international commerce.
- It represents at the same time one of the main income sources for many developing countries.
GROWTH OF TOURISM
- This growth goes hand in hand with an increasing diversification and competition among destinations.
- Compared to the same period last year, below the 6% average growth of the past two years.
- This global spread of tourism in industrialised and developed states has produced economic and employment benefits in many related sectors.
- The contribution of tourism to economic well-being depends on the quality and the revenues of the tourism offer.
- UNWTO assists destinations in their sustainable positioning in ever more complex national and international markets.
TOURISM 4 SDGS
- The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a United Nations specialized agency, is the leading international organization in the field of tourism.
- UNWTO is geared towards the achievement of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
BACKGROUND
- UNWTO offers leadership and support to the tourism sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
- The ultimate tourism goal is inclusive development and environmental sustainability.
TOURISM IS A SOLUTION
- World Tourism Day 2020 will once again be celebrated by UNWTO’s Member States in all global regions.
- These communities are usually much less-prepared to deal with the short and longer-term impacts of the crisis.
- This is due to a number of factors, including their aging populations, lower income levels and the continuing ‘digital divide’.
- Tourism offers a solution to all of these challenges.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- With a current membership of 156 countries, UNWTO encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics in Tourism.
- Tourism helps rural communities hold onto their unique natural and cultural heritage.
- It supports conservation projects, including those safeguarding endangered species, lost traditions or flavours.
For rural communities, indigenous peoples and many other historically marginalized populations, tourism has been a vehicle for integration, empowerment and generating income.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | World Tourism Day 2020 | UPSC
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