World Tourism Day 2025: A Sustainable Transformation

World Tourism Day has been celebrated on September 27, every year since 1980. This date was chosen in 1970 when the Statues of the United Nations World Tourism Organization were adopted. These statues form a milestone in global tourism as it focuses on the promotion and development of tourism for economic development, peace, prosperity and observance of human rights.

The tourism sector employs 1 in every 10 people on earth and provides livelihoods to 100 million more. According to reports by the World Bank Group, the tourism sector alone contributed to 10% of global GDP with US$1.7 trillion global tourism receipts. Youth aged 15 to 24 also represent 15.5% of global tourism workforce with while women account for 40% of the sector’s direct employment.

While tourism plays a significant role in the economic transformation of a nation, it also acts as a catalyst for social progress, delivering education, employment, and creating new opportunities for all. 

World Tourism Day 2025 

This year, World Tourism Day 2025 focuses on the theme ‘Tourism and Sustainable Transformation’, highlighting tourism’s transformative potential as an agent of positive change for economies as well as the environment.

The theme is very timely as we draw closer to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aspiring to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Tourism as a sector can not only help in achieving these goals but also spreading its benefits across global challenges such as poverty, employment, climate change, and environmental degradation. 

Tourism for Sustainable Development

Unlocking the benefits of tourism requires a deliberate and inclusive approach, one that places sustainability, resilience, and social equity at the core of tourism development and decision-making at a national, regional, and global level.

• Responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism for all is not only imperative but also a strategic advantage for companies, government, and international organizations. This can be done through effective governance and people-centric planning where more investments are made in education and skills especially for communities at risk of exclusion, youth, and women.
• With the massive influx of technology and innovation in tourism, MSMEs and startups can significantly contribute to inclusive prosperity and sustainable economic diversification through innovation and responsible entrepreneurship. 
• While designing policies on tourism, the focus should be on long-term community benefits, resilience building, and climate action. 
• Stakeholders across the sector must work on reducing emissions, conserving biodiversity, and investing in resilient infrastructure to safeguard existing natural resources and ensure resource availability for future generations.

After emerging from the devastating impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector stands at a pivotal crossroads where it has profound challenges as well as immense opportunities. The Guiding Principles for Sustainable Investment in Tourism by the United Nations offers a strategic roadmap for policy makers, investors and stakeholders to navigate the complexities of investing in sustainable tourism ventures. It highlights 18 principles spanning across governance, economic, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions that must be followed by all stakeholders when investing in sustainable tourism.

Role of CII 

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been playing an important and catalytic role in positioning tourism as a mainstream industry in the Indian context. It actively engages with government bodies, industry stakeholders, and broader community through discussions, panel meetings, seminars, and conferences. Its initiatives with the central and state tourism boards underscores the importance of tourism in promoting development in the country.

The sector has also been recognized as a key for India to become a developed nation by 2047 with an allocation of ₹2541.06 crore in Union Budget 2025-26 for developing infrastructure, skill development, and travel facilitation. India is geared to ensure world-class facilities and connectivity for all with committed efforts to grow the sector sustainably and inclusively, focusing on green technologies, smart infrastructure and financial resilience. 

India’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0 (SD 2.0) was also recently approved to expand further to include a total of 34 projects under it. It is an integral part of the theme of this year as it promotes a sustainable and responsible tourism across different destinations in India. This scheme recognizes the need to have a robust framework that promotes sustainable and responsible tourism through enhanced local capacity, employment, skilling of youth, increased private investments, and enhancing local cultural and natural resources.

The World Tourism Day 2025 issues a clear and urgent call to commit to making tourism more systemic and sustainable, guided by effective governance, strategic planning, clear collective priorities, and rigorous monitoring.