World Tourism Day
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The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been observing 27th September every year as World Tourism Day since 1980. The reason for choosing this day was that on 27th September 1970 the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to show how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.
The word ‘tourism’ was used by 1811 and ‘tourist’ by 1840.
England was the first country to promote leisure travel. The first official travel company Cox & Kings was established in England in 1758 to help the people in their travel plans. With the progress of the Industrial Revolution and economy in England and other parts of Europe and development mechanized forms of transport, tourism gradually became a popular pastime especially among the rich and gradually the middle class too began to spend some part of their earnings and time in visiting different places of interest in their own countries and even abroad.
People having different kinds of interests choose the destinations according to their interests and needs. Thus, there are people who undertake religious tourism such as to Holy Land, Mecca and Medina in the Middle East, Vatican in Rome, Varanasi and other religious places in India. The other forms of tourism include: cultural tourism, heritage or historical tourism, eco tourism, medical tourism, war tourism, wildlife tourism and even the futuristic space tourism.
The developments in technology and transport infrastructure, such as jumbo jets, low-cost airlines and more accessible airports have made many types of tourism more affordable. According to an estimate up to 500,000 people are on planes at any time. It is believed that retired people sustain tourism industry year round.
Excerpted from an article by Eugene Moodubelle for Bellevision Media Network
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