“Tourism and Green Investment”: Theme of World Tourism Day 2023

World Tourism Day 2023 is held under the theme "Tourism and Green Investment" to call for increased investment in tourism to meet the requirements of sustainable development in the new situation.

Held on September 27 every year, World Tourism Day is a global event aimed at raising international awareness of the role, position and importance of tourism in cultural, economic, social and political life.

This year, World Tourism Day will be celebrated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with over 100 member countries attending. In Riyadh, UNWTO will host a series of high-level seminars focusing on the challenges and opportunities surrounding tourism investment.

World Tourism Day 2023. (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

At the invitation of the Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, a delegation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will attend the celebration in this country. Here, Vietnam will affirm to the international community its goals and commitments to develop tourism in a green and sustainable direction as stated in the national tourism development projects and strategies.

Over the past two years, the Vietnamese tourism industry has chosen the Green tourism theme for the National Tourism Year. In particular, the National Tourism Year 2022 has the theme "Quang Nam - Green Tourism Destination" and the National Tourism Year 2023 has the theme "Binh Thuan - Green Convergence".

"Binh Thuan - Green Convergence" is the theme of National Tourism Year 2023. (Photo: Binh Thuan Provincial Tourism Information Center)

This is a message that affirms the consistent policy and direction of unified action, connecting all localities, destinations, businesses and stakeholders in the industry to develop tourism in a green and sustainable direction in the new era.

According to the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili, tourism has the potential to contribute to solving some of the world's biggest challenges today such as climate change, contributing to the transformation to a more sustainable development model.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism industry is striving to accelerate recovery. With the theme “Tourism and Green Investment”, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili affirmed that tourism has great power. That power does not come naturally. On the contrary, tourism needs to be supported, first of all, it needs to be invested.

In order to call for increased investment in tourism to meet the requirements of sustainable development, he suggested: "We need to rethink the way we invest in tourism, creating more favorable conditions to attract investment in tourism projects with great potential to make a difference."

Describing the theme of World Tourism Day 2023 as very relevant in the current situation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted the need for green investment to build a tourism industry that benefits people and the planet.

“Today, climate change is threatening many tourism destinations and the very survival of communities and economies that depend on tourism. Many developing countries that are already severely affected by climate change are also facing reduced investment and rising costs of living,” the UN Secretary-General said.

Against this backdrop, Mr. António Guterres called on governments and businesses to increase investment in sustainable tourism. Accordingly, the private sector needs to follow a path of net zero emissions, reduce energy consumption and take advantage of renewable energy forms. Communities need to join hands to protect biodiversity and ecological balance in all destinations.

“Investing in sustainable tourism is investing in a better future for everyone,” stressed Mr. António Guterres.

Mai Anh