TEHRAN – The United Nations World Tourism Organization has invited all member states, businesses, and individuals to celebrate the upcoming World Tourism Day in an intervention to support the virus-hit industry.

“UNWTO invites its member states, as well as non-members, sister UN agencies, businesses, and individuals to celebrate tourism’s unique ability to ensure that nobody is left behind as the world begins to open up again and look to the future,” the UN body wrote in a press release.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic impact. Both developed and developing economies have been hit. And marginalized groups and the most vulnerable have been hit hardest of all, the UNWTO said.

Authorities of the organization believe the restart of tourism would help kickstart recovery and growth. And its benefits must be enjoyed widely and fairly.

UNWTO has designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to focus on tourism for inclusive growth aimed to grasp an opportunity to look beyond tourism statistics and acknowledge, saying “behind every number, there is a person”.

World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on September 27, is the global observance day fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political, and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching sustainable development goals.

AFM