[1] (http://www.world-tourism.org/wtd/eng/menu.html) It was at its third session (Torremolinos, Spain, September 1979), that the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) decided to institute, commencing in the year 1980,

WORLD TOURISM DAY is to be commemorated on 27 September each year by appropriate events on themes selected by the General Assembly, on recommendation of WTO's Executive Council. This date was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism: the anniversary of the adoption of the WTO Statutes on 27 September 1970.

The main purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.

The timing of World Tourism Day is indeed particularly appropriate in that it comes at the end of the high season in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of the season in the southern hemisphere, when tourism is of topical interest to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide from all walks of life and to tourists and the operational sector in particular.

The Organization invites all interested parties to take part on 27 September each year in the special celebrations taking place in their respective country or holiday destination.

The WTO Secretary-General issues a message each year to mark the occasion.