World Tourism Day : Tourism has become an important global industry, bringing in billions of dollars each year. It has become a major source of income for many countries and is also important in terms of cultural exchange and tourism has helped boost the economies of many countries. International tourism Day was established to help raise awareness about the importance of tourism and help promote the benefits of tourism to local communities.
World Tourism Day is a celebration of the tourism industry that takes place every year on September 27th. It was first celebrated in 1980 and has been celebrated ever since. It is sponsored by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The aim of this day is to raise awareness of the importance of tourism and the contribution it makes to social and economic development around the world.
WHAT IS TOURISM ABOUT?
When we travel, we meet new people and cultures and learn things about them that are different from what we know at home. Tourism helps to increase understanding among different cultures and groups and helps to break down barriers between people. It gives us an opportunity to share our different customs and traditions with other people and see things that we might not otherwise get a chance to see in our own country. It can be a very enriching experience. As well as visiting places of historical interest, we may also take a guided tour and learn about local customs and traditions.
IMPORTANCE OF WORLD TOURISM DAY
The World Tourism Day (WTD) was initiated by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, in order to highlight the importance of tourism and its benefits for the economy of every country, in particular for those developing countries where such benefits have not been as tangible or immediate. On this year’s WTD event theme “Tourism for All”, was stresses how travel opens a world of opportunities for all including people with disabilities
TOURISM AFTER COVID-19
According to the organization World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the economic impact of coronavirus has been devastating in some parts of the world – with Rwanda’s tourism sector facing losses of $85 million a month due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, according to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Claver Gatete, Rwanda’s tourism and investment promotion agency, RDB, remains optimistic that the sector will recover faster than previously anticipated as the COVID-19 outbreak is gradually coming to an end in the country.
TOURISM IN EAST AFRICA
For East Africans who want to visit Africa on a holiday, the variety of attractions on offer is a huge draw. A visit to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, for example, offers a chance to see the great wildebeest migration – a natural phenomenon that occurs every year and attracts thousands of visitors from around the world who come to marvel at the spectacle. Another popular attraction is the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact caldera in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The crater is home to a spectacular concentration of wildlife including lions, elephants, hippos, and flamingos.
Rwanda’s main tourist attraction is the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park, which hosts more than half of the world’s remaining population of these endangered primates which you could get to see on your next Rwanda safari tours. The country is also home to the golden monkeys found in the Volcanoes National Park in the south of the country and the chimpanzees found in Nyungwe Forest in the southeast.
There are many cultural places to explore, like the 21-century artisan market in downtown Kigali. There you can observe the local traditions and food. There are also beautiful lakes and waterfalls such as Karongi in Ruhengeri. Lake Kivu in Rwanda is one of the African Great Lakes and one of the deepest lakes on the continent. The lake rises almost to the surface of the plateau in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and forms the border between the two countries. Finally, there are volcanoes in the country (such as Karisimbi and Bisoke) that can be hiked on the climb to the tops and offers great views of the surrounding landscape. After climbing the volcano you can see local communities in action. You can enjoy a delicious lunch with traditional dishes and learn more about their way of life and customs.
