The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution from Jamaica to declare 17 February 2023 as Global Tourism Resilience Day for the first time in an effort to future-proof the sustainability of tourism. The move to mark the day annually was supported by over 90 countries. UNGA invites everyone to celebrate 17 February as a day to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism in accordance with local, regional and national priorities and through education, activities and events.
Global Tourism Resilience Day (17 February), proclaimed by the General Assembly in resolution A/RES/77/269, aims to emphasize the need to promote resilient tourism development to deal with shocks, taking into account the tourism sector’s vulnerability of the tourism sector to emergencies.
What is Global Tourism Resilience Day?
It offers an alternative to sustainable development as a way to improve sustainability following an ecological or environmental disaster and possible recovery from tourism-induced stress. For many developing countries, including least developed countries, small island developing states, countries in Africa, and middle-income countries, tourism is a major source of income, foreign exchange earnings, tax revenue, and employment. Because tourism connects people to nature, sustainable tourism has the unique potential to promote environmental responsibility and conservation.
