ZAGREB, 27 Sept (Hina) - World Tourism Day was marked on Saturday across the globe and in Croatia, with the main theme "Tourism and Sustainable Transformation", highlighting the sector’s great potential as a driver of positive change.
Achieving this, however, requires good governance, strategic planning, responsibility, innovation, and investment in education.
The main theme of World Tourism Day is set each year by the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), a specialised agency of the United Nations.
This year, UN Tourism emphasises that "tourism is more than an economic sector, it is a catalyst for social progress, delivering education, employment and creating new opportunities for all."
"To unlock these benefits, a deliberate and inclusive approach is essential, one that places sustainability, resilience and social equity at the core of tourism development and decision-making."
World Tourism Day has been celebrated since 1980, and this year it will again include a global conference, to be held in the city of Melaka, Malaysia, from 27 to 29 September.
"This World Tourism Day issues a clear and urgent call: let us commit to making tourism a platform for systemic and sustainable transformation, guided by effective governance, strategic planning, rigorous monitoring and clear collective priorities," according to the message issued on the UN Tourism website.
"Tourism has the potential not only to foster peace, but to empower, regenerate and sustainably transform our world. The time to act is now. Let’s realize tourism’s full potential to build a a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for all."
Glavina: Croatia leader on path to sustainable tourism transformation
Through legislative reforms in recent years, strategic documents, and tourism development management policies, Croatia’s tourism sector is firmly on the path of sustainable transformation.
The aim is to maintain a balance between the economic, environmental, and social impacts on destinations and local communities, while reducing mass tourism and high seasonality, and improving the quality of accommodation and overall tourism offerings.
"It’s encouraging that, even on World Tourism Day, we can speak about all that Croatia is achieving on its path toward sustainable tourism. Through the comprehensive reform we’re implementing, we’ve enabled tourism development management aligned with the principles of sustainability and proven that tourism can grow while remaining sustainable, balanced, and resilient," said Tourism Minister Tonči Glavina said in a statement to Hina.
He emphasised that all activities: from the new strategic and legislative framework to the transformation of the accommodation structure, record-level investments, and results that are no longer generated only during the two peak summer months but throughout the entire year, have been recognised internationally, with Croatia now positioned as a leader in sustainable tourism.
World Tourism Day is being marked with various activities, events, and programmes across Croatia.
In Zagreb, the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ) is offering a range of attractions for both residents and visitors.
On Saturday, highlights include the changing of the guard of the Kravat Regiment, walks featuring historical characters, free guided city tours, and more.
In Rastoke, which was declared one of the world’s most beautiful sustainable villages by UN Tourism two years ago, World Tourism Day is being marked with a conference and guided tours, organised in cooperation with the Croatian Association of Tourism Journalists and Travel Writers, a member of the global FIJET organisation.
