Summary

• World Tourism Day is celebrated on 27 September to promote the tourism industry, especially sustainable tourism.
• Countries with an open and robust tourism economy are more likely to be peaceful.
• In 2024, the sector will account for 10% of global GDP and support one out of every ten jobs.
• If you are interested in the tourism industry, Edison College offers a diploma in hospitality and tourism management.
• The theme for World Tourism Day 2025 is “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation” so that countries can increase investments in climate action.
• Youth aged 15 to 24 account for 15.5% of the worldwide tourist workforce, which is higher than the overall economy average, while women account for 40% of the sector’s direct employment.

Significance of Sustainable Tourism

Tourism that takes care of the interests of visitors as well as the environment and the host communities is known as sustainable tourism. The idea is to grow together instead of one-sided growth at the expense of other stakeholders.

Tourism has emerged as a significant global industry and a source of foreign exchange, job creation and prosperity. It can significantly contribute to the economies of the developing countries.

There are a number of countries that are heavily dependent on maritime, coastal tourism or ocean-related tourism, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The tourism industry dominates their economies, and therefore sustainable tourism is remarkably important for them.

World Tourism Day is celebrated on 27 September to promote the tourism industry, especially sustainable tourism.

The theme for World Tourism Day 2025 is “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation” so that countries can increase investments in climate action.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has a separate platform which is called SDG.

It works with over 196 countries to shape better tourism policies, foster partnerships and improve resource allocation, increase tourism competitiveness, etc.

Positive Impact of Tourism on World Economy

The UN believes tourism can transform economies because it directly supports infrastructure and plays a critical role in overall development. However, tourism can also destroy communities and cities if it does not take care about the environment and ecosystems.

Travel and tourism contributed about US$10.9 trillion to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024, which makes up 10% of the global economy. This includes direct and indirect contributions to the world economy.

This industry is also an important sector when it comes to employment generation. The global tourism industry generated 357 million jobs, i.e., about 1 in 10 jobs.

The global tourism industry can be divided into two main categories. One is domestic tourism, and the other is international tourism.

In 2024, domestic tourists spent US$5.3 trillion, showing a growth of 5.4% compared to 2023. Whereas international visitors spent US$1.9 trillion, showing a growth of 11.4% in the same period.

Opportunities for Canada

The Canadian government is trying to increase sustainable tourism in Canada. It is trying to increase the profitability of businesses by giving them more incentives for sustainable tourism.

The country plans to attract annual revenues of $160 billion by 2030 from the current $140 billion.

About 18.4 million international tourists visited Canada in 2023, making it the 18th most visited nation in the world.

The tourism industry is one of the most significant industries interlinked with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

It directly impacts SDGs goals number 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 14 (Life Below Water).

Biosphere Regions and Sustainable Tourism believes that by supporting the sustainable tourism industry in Canada, the country can also work for SDGs goals number 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), goal 13 (Climate Action), 15 (Life on Land), and 17 (Partnerships for Goals).

Many of these UN goals are related to the environment, climate change, biodiversity, waste management, protecting life in oceans and on land, natural habitats of animals, protecting endangered species, etc.

Therefore, supporting sustainable tourism is supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Conclusion

The world tourism industry is expanding for a variety of reasons. This means the significance of sustainable development is only going to increase in the years ahead.

Countries that are aligning their industries with sustainable development goals and best practices in the tourism industry are benefiting more than others. We can expect that the government of Canada will continue to support and invest in its tourism industry.

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