World Tourism Day 2018 is being celebrated today i.e. 27th September 2018 across the globe. The main aim of observing this day is to raise awareness about the role of tourism within the international community. Tourism not only allows people from different geographies and communities to mingle with each other but also affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. The theme for World Tourism Day 2018 hovers around Digital Transformation and Innovation that Advanced Technologies can bring to the tourism sector to make it a crucial contributor for all-round sustainable development of the world.
Global Tourism impacts infrastructure development, job creation, sanitation, cultural exchange, local community empowerment, transportation as well as the ecological burden on planet Earth. In this digital era innovations like Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Platforms can play a remarkable role in ensuring sustainable growth by making tourism a more responsible sector and connecting tourism at the global level. Today we book flights and hotels via digital platforms, travellers like to read reviews online while selecting local eateries or before booking a b&b, Social Media has contributed largely in making the world a Global Village, user-generated content plays a big role in Digital Marketing today, Smartphones and the Internet has made decision-making quicker, and so on.
To sum up, the world is hyper-connected today! And with large databases and technology at our disposal, it is time how we innovate and disrupt the tourism sector further to ensure a more economical, inclusive and environment-friendly touristy. On World Tourism Day 2018, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will announce the Semi-Finalists of its first-ever UNWTO Tourism Startup Competition 2018 that aims to render a futuristic approach to startups across the world who can bring in innovative ideas that can transform how the world travels.
