A strawberry field is a tourist attraction in Kon Plong of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The WorldTourism Organisation (UNWTO) has chosen “Tourism and Rural Development” for the2020 edition of the World Tourism Day on September 27, according to the VietnamNational Tourism Administration (VNAT).
With the theme, the UNWTO aims to highlightthe unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities in rural areasand preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.
Vietnam’s tourism sector is building athorough recovery plan in keeping with market trends. A survey on demands andconsumption trend of Vietnamese tourists is underway.
Meanwhile, the VNAT is preparing foranother tourism stimulus targeting domestic holidaymakers as the pandemic hasbeen brought under control.
UNWTO Secretary-General ZurabPololikashvili said that the World Tourism Day is a chance to recognise therole tourism outside major cities and its ability to build a better future forall.
“Allaround the world, tourism empowers rural communities, providing jobs andopportunity, most notably for women and youth. Tourism also enables ruralcommunities to hold onto their unique cultural heritage and traditions, and thesector is vital for safeguarding habitat and endangered species,” he added.
For numerous rural communities around theworld, tourism is a leading provider of employment and opportunities. In manyplaces, it is one of the few viable economic sectors, offering young people achance to earn a living without having to migrate either within their homecountries or abroad.
Communities in rural areas also strugglewith impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These communities are usually muchless-prepared to deal with the short- and longer-term impact of the crisis, andtourism offers a solution to all of these challenges.
For the first time in the 40-year historyof the World Tourism Day, the official celebration will not be hosted by asingle nation. Instead, five nations of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay andUruguay, with Chile joining with observer status, will serve as joint hosts.
This co-hosting agreement exemplifies thespirit of international solidarity that runs through tourism./.
