ANDY EHI 
On September 27, global attention would be focused on the tourism sector as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) takes the lead in the celebration of this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD), with focus on Tourism and Green Investments as the theme for the celebration.
Progressively over the years, UNWTO has taken interest in spotlighting the economic prospects of tourism in different fields of human endeavours and this year is not an exception, given that the environment and climate change are big factors in tourism. Therefore, the focus on green investment this year is understand.
Last year theme was, Rethinking Tourism.
This is as UNWTO has identified investment as one of the key priorities for tourism’s recovery and future growth and development. Hence it wants to highlight the need for more and better-targeted investments for people, for planet and for prosperity. As it noted that, ‘‘Now is the time for new and innovative solutions, not just tradiments that promote and underpin economic growth and productivity.’’
Therefore, this year’s celebration is, ‘‘a call to action to the international community, governments, multilateral financial institutions, development partners and private sector investors to unite around a new tourism investment strategy.’’ UNWTO further noted that, ‘‘The international observance day for tourism will highlight the vital need to deliver investinvesting in education and skills), Planet (by investing in sustainable infrastructure and accelerating green transformation) and Prosperity (by investing in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship).
World Tourism Day has a rich and enduring history as it has been celebrated annually since 1980 when it was first instituted to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the statutes of the organisation in 1970, paving the way for the establishment of UNWTO, five years later. Historically, it was at its third session (Torremolinos, Spain, September 1979), that the UNWTO General Assembly decided to institute World Tourism Day, commencing in the year 1980.
It was the brain work of late Nigerian Ignatius Adamduwa Atigbi, a former executive secretary of Nigeria Tourism Authority (NTA), now Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) that gave birth to the WTD.
Saudi Arabia to host global celebration
A three day event to mark the global event will be held by the UNWTO in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between September 26 and 28, with UNWTO officials and Member States of UNWTO expected to attend the event that will be hosted by the Saudi Arabia tourism minister.
