world tourism day

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Secretary-General's message 2024

Tourism brings people together.

On this World Tourism Day, we reflect on the profound connection between tourism and peace.

Sustainable tourism can transform communities – creating jobs, fostering inclusion and strengthening local economies.

By valuing and preserving cultural and natural heritage, it can help reduce tensions and nurture peaceful coexistence.

Tourism can also promote economic interdependence between neighbours, encouraging cooperation and peaceful development.

At the same time, tourism broadens horizons. Every traveller can be an ambassador, engaging respectfully with local populations, recognizing our diversity and shared humanity, and the values that unite us all.

As we celebrate tourism, let us travel responsibly, build bridges, and promote mutual respect among cultures and nations.

Together, we can harness the power of tourism to advance peace and prosperity for all.

António Guterres

Every traveller can be an ambassador, engaging respectfully with local populations, recognizing our diversity and shared humanity, and the values that unite us all. António Guterres

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• Message from the UN Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization

World Tourism Day

Celebrating the Power of Travel and Tourism

Importance of World Tourism Day

International tourism, world tourism day activities, happy tourism.

Celebrating the Global Impact of Tourism

This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of tourism and its impact on the global economy, cultural exchange, and environmental sustainability.

Tourism boosts economies and creates jobs worldwide. It supports infrastructure, local businesses, and cultural heritage. Tourism promotes cultural exchange and international peace.

World Tourism Day is a chance to celebrate tourism's positive impact and highlight its challenges. Tourism businesses and communities are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also given tourism a chance to become more sustainable and resilient.

World Tourism Day celebrates tourism's global impact and potential to improve lives. We encourage everyone to learn about tourism and how we can work together to make it more inclusive, sustainable, and responsible.

Celebrating Our Journey Together

International Tourism Day celebrates the power of travel to unite people from around the world. This special day promotes the social, cultural, and economic benefits of tourism and its role in sustainable development.

Tourism is one of the world's largest industries, contributing to economic growth, job creation, and cultural exchange. It promotes peace, understanding, and cooperation among nations. On International Tourism Day, we celebrate the diversity of cultures and traditions that make our world unique and the importance of preserving them for future generations.

This year's International Tourism Day theme is "Tourism for Inclusive Growth," highlighting tourism's role in economic development, social inclusion, and inequality reduction. As we celebrate this day, we must also recognize the challenges facing the tourism industry, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many tourism-dependent communities and businesses need our help to recover.

Day to Celebrate the Fun of Tourism

World Tourism Day celebrates travel's ability to improve the world. This day highlights tourism's impact on the global economy, culture, and environment. As part of the celebrations, various activities are organized worldwide to promote tourism's benefits and raise awareness.

World Tourism Day activities include everything from cultural festivals and food fairs to adventure sports and nature walks. These events highlight unique destinations, promote local businesses, and promote sustainable tourism. They also allow tourists and locals to experience the fascinating diversity of cultures and traditions in our world.

World Tourism Day activities educate and entertain. They help people understand the importance of responsible tourism and how their actions can benefit the environment and local communities. They also raise awareness of tourism industry issues like over tourism and environmental degradation and encourage action, aside this day allow travelers of all levels to explore new places, meet new people, and make lasting memories.

The Importance of Reviving Tourism

World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27th to celebrate tourism's role in fostering economic growth, social development, and cultural exchange. The theme for World Tourism Day in 2023 is "Reviving Tourism," emphasizing the need to revive the tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating effects.

The pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the tourism industry, leading to business closures, job losses, and a sharp decline in travel. As the world recovers from the pandemic, the tourism industry must be revived to support economic recovery and create jobs.

On World Tourism Day 2023, consider the tourism industry's challenges and how to fix them. It's a chance to try new sustainable tourism methods that boost the economy, culture, and environment.

Travel More, Worry Less: Celebrating Tourism

Tourism promotes economic growth, cultural exchange, and environmental sustainability, so Happy Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27th. This is a day to celebrate travel, discover new places, and make memories.

Traveling is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. It broadens our perspectives, opens our minds to new cultures and traditions, and helps us connect with people from all over the world. Happy Tourism Day celebrates the transformative power of travel and its ability to bring people together and promote peace and understanding.

Happy Tourism Day promotes sustainable tourism and tourism's benefits worldwide. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from cultural festivals and food fairs to adventure sports and nature walks, further more, this day ffalls during the tourism industry's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As we celebrate this day, it is crucial to support the tourism industry and promote environmentally friendly, community-benefiting tourism.

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World Tourism Day – September 27, 2024

Get your bulky cameras ready, unfold your maps and make sure your fanny pack still fits snugly. World Tourism Day every September 27,  raises awareness of the need for accessible tourism all over the planet.

World Tourism Day is the result of the work done by the UN’s specialized agency — the World Tourism Organization (WTO). If you’ve ever strolled through a charming, perfectly-preserved European village or town, you’ve probably seen the WTO at work. Boosting local economies and ensuring sustainable tourism are but a few of the benefits of the WTO.

More importantly, on World Tourism Day, the WTO makes sure that travel is accessible for everyone, including those with disabilities and folks with low-income. Whether you’re walking with a cane or rolling in a chair; the world is open for business to you and your friends. So, get traveling!

World Tourism Day related content

Cheap Flight Day

Hopefully, you globetrotters marked your calendars for Cheap Flight Day, well in advance.

World Tourism Day Activities

Treat a normal day like a vacation.

Today, take a step back from your normal routine and consider: If I were on vacation in my hometown, what would I do? Where would a tourist go for the day? By checking out your own turf through the eyes of a tourist, you’ll support local businesses and you may see your town from a new perspective.

Get the word out

The key to continuous improvement in global tourism is economic stability and sustainability. Educate yourself on the best ways to see a new country, city, or village in ways that create a positive impact.

Plan a trip

If you’ve been putting off that vacation, use World Tourism Day as an opportunity to make those plans. Talk to friends and family with special challenges, either physical, financial or both; who may want to travel but have never been able to plan a trip. Together, you can help and encourage each other, following the message of the WTO that tourism is for all.

Why We Love World Tourism Day

It creates jobs.

All over the world, even in its most remote corners, tourism has become a dependable source of jobs. In the U.S. alone, the travel, tourism and hospitality industry supported 7.6 million jobs in 2015. This means one out of every 18 Americans is employed in tourism. When done responsibly, tourism can create jobs in areas where unemployment has risen due to unavoidable factors like automation.

It’s a cash cow

In 2015, international tourism generated $1.5 trillion in export earnings. This can be a tremendous benefit for smaller, under-developed communities. Developing a sustainable tourism ecosystem is paramount for ensuring these earnings are distributed among the community. Thanks to the work of the WTO, these areas are seeing smart tourism strategies put in place.

It creates a better world

Sure, the site of yet another lost tourist in your hometown may induce a small groan, but the reality is that traveling and seeing new places is good for our minds and good for our society. So, start planning your next trip!

World Tourism Day dates

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• Statements and Messages

Tourism Can ‘Build Bridges, Promote Mutual Respect among Cultures, Nations’, Says Secretary-General, in Message for World Day

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Tourism Day, observed on 27 September:

Tourism brings people together. 

On this World Tourism Day, we reflect on the profound connection between tourism and peace.

Sustainable tourism can transform communities — creating jobs, fostering inclusion and strengthening local economies.

By valuing and preserving cultural and natural heritage, it can help reduce tensions and nurture peaceful coexistence.

Tourism can also promote economic interdependence between neighbours, encouraging cooperation and peaceful development.

At the same time, tourism broadens horizons.  Every traveller can be an ambassador, engaging respectfully with local populations, recognizing our diversity and shared humanity, and the values that unite us all.

As we celebrate tourism, let us travel responsibly, build bridges, and promote mutual respect among cultures and nations.

Together, we can harness the power of tourism to advance peace and prosperity for all.

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• What and When Is World Tourism Day?

World Tourism Day is an annual event observed by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) on September 27. The idea of commemorating World Tourism Day on September 27 of every year was proposed by the late Ignatius Amaduwa Atigbi of Nigeria. The purpose of establishing World Tourism Day is to make the international community aware of the role of tourism and its impact on the social, political, economic, and cultural values of people around the world. The event seeks to address the global challenges highlighted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to discuss how the tourism industry contributes towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The color of the event is blue.

History of World Tourism Day

The UNWTO General Assembly instituted World Tourism Day in September 1979 during its third session in Torremolinos, Spain. The Assembly chose to celebrate the international event on September 27 because the date coincides with a significant milestone in global tourism: the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes in 1970. The timing is also crucial to the tourism sector because it comes at the beginning of the high season in the southern hemisphere and the end of the season in the northern hemisphere.

The first World Tourism Day celebrations were held in 1980, and the theme of the event was "Tourism's contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding." Since then, the UNWTO has observed World Tourism Day annually under a different theme selected by its General Assembly. In October 1997 the Assembly resolved to appoint a country to partner with the organization and host the event each year. The first country to host the event under the new protocol was Mexico. Six years later, in 2003, the UNWTO General Assembly agreed to follow a geographical order when designating a host country for the celebrations.

Celebrating World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day is strictly a UN observance hence it is not a public holiday in any country. The UNWTO invites all the stakeholders in the tourism sector as well as other interested parties to observe the day and participate in the special celebrations organized in their respective countries. People are also encouraged to visit both local and international destinations on this day to promote global tourism. The official event is held in a designated host country, and it is chaired by the Secretary-General of the UNWTO who is responsible for issuing a special message based on the theme of the celebrations each year to commemorate the occasion.

World Tourism Day 2018

In 2017, the official World Tourism Day celebrations were held in Doha, Qatar, under the theme "Sustainable Tourism: a Tool for Development." In 2018, the occasion is set to be held in Budapest, Hungary. The theme of this year's event is "Tourism and the Digital Transformation." Currently, the world is becoming digitized, and we are in an era where technology is impacting every aspect of our lives. One of the industries that is most affected by this transformation is the tourism sector, and all stakeholders are asked to come together and find solutions that will help the industry cope with the changes.

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The pursuit of peace is a continuing endeavour, and progress through tourism is more relevant than ever. Tourism can play a vital role as a catalyst for fostering peace and understanding between nations and cultures and in supporting reconciliation processes.

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World Tourism Day

It's World Tourism Day on 27 September. Visiting new places can be great, but there's a bad side to tourism too. Read this article to find out more.

Instructions

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

Do you like travelling to other places, cities and countries? Many people do. Tourism is a huge industry – it's as large as or larger than the oil, food and car industries. It creates so many jobs that one in every ten people in the world works in tourism.

However, for many people and places, tourism is not a completely positive thing.

What problems can tourism create?

Some places receive millions of tourists a year, which creates problems for local people. When tour buses block roads, it's hard for local people to get to work or school. Often, international companies open up, and small shops and restaurants close down. Another problem is accommodation – in Barcelona and New York, for example, many flats and houses are used as tourist accommodation, so homes for local people have become expensive and hard to find.

Tourism can be bad for the environment too. Natural areas are destroyed to make space to build hotels and tourist facilities, and building them consumes a lot of energy and resources. Historic buildings are damaged, such as those in Venice by large cruise ships entering the city. These ships also harm animal and plant life. More tourism means more crowds, noise, rubbish and pollution.

What is World Tourism Day?

The United Nations World Tourism Day is a day for thinking about tourism and its effects on people and places. It is celebrated every year on 27 September. On this day, people meet to discuss tourism and try to solve the problems that tourism creates. The meetings are organised by a different country or group of countries every year.

What can we do to make tourism less harmful?

Some governments have already taken action. In Barcelona and New York, there are now limits on short-term rental accommodation. The number of cruise ships entering Venice is limited now too.

Importantly, individual tourists can help by choosing more sustainable ways of visiting places. For example, if tourists visit Venice on a cruise ship but they sleep and eat all their meals on the ship, does the local community in Venice really benefit from their visit? If not, it could be better to choose a different form of tourism, one that benefits the city and local people more.

We also need to reduce pollution and climate change. Is it necessary to fly to your destination or can you take a train instead?

If we can make tourism more sustainable, everyone can benefit, and people can continue to enjoy visiting these places in the future.

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Which places do you like to visit? Have you noticed any positive or negative effects of tourism where you live?

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World Tourism Day: Explore the history, significance and 2023 theme

It's a day when the world celebrates not only the joy of travel but also the responsibility we all share in preserving the beauty and diversity of our planet for future generations..

Take a walk through the most ancient Kremlin in Russia

The Novgorod Kremlin, which is also called ‘Detinets’, is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River. The first fortified settlement was set here during the reign of prince Vladimir Yaroslavich, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. During these times, all the state, public and religious life of Novgorod was concentrated here. It was the place where people kept chronicles and copied the texts of books. The Novgorod Kremlin, the most ancient one in Russia, was founded here in the 15th century.

St. Sophia Cathedral (11th century), The Millennium Of Russia Monument, Episcopal Chamber (15th century) and the main exhibition of The State Novgorod Museum-reservation located in a public office building of the 18th century are all situated in the Novgorod Kremlin. The exhibition will tell you about the whole Novgorod history from ancient times to the present day. There are also restoration workshops, a children’s center, a library and a philharmonic inside the Kremlin walls.

Send a letter with the State Novgorod Museum-reservation stamp

While visiting the main building of the Novgorod Kremlin museum, you’ll see a small bureau near the souvenir area. Two more bureaus like that can be found in the Fine Arts Museum and the Museum information centre. This is the Museum Post, the joint project of the State Novgorod Museum-reservation and Russian Post.

The tradition to exchange letters (at that time written on birch bark sheets) dates back to the 11th century so it’s hardly surprising that such a project appeared here. The bureaus are desks and mailboxes at the same time, so you can send your friends a postcard with a view of Novgorod right from the museum.

Find the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin among the figures of The Millennium Of Russia Monument

In 1862, 1000 years after the Varangians were called to Russia, a monument dedicated to this event was launched in Novgorod. To tell the story of Russia’s one thousand years, the sculptor used 129 bronze figures: from state and military leaders to artists and poets.

One of figures portrays Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin, a politician and reformer who was responsible for Russia’s diplomatic relations in the middle of the 17th century. He is believed to be the father of international and regular mail in Russia. He was also the person who came up with the idea of the first Russian Post official emblem — a post horn and a double-headed eagle.

Cross the Msta River over the first arch bridge in Russia

The steel bridge in Borovichi town that connects two banks of the Msta river was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The project of the bridge was created by Nikolay Belelyubsky, engineer and professor of St. Petersburg State Transport University. This is the first arch bridge in Russia.

In 1995, it was included in the national cultural heritage register. More than 100 bridges across Russia were developed by Belelyubsky, but only this one is named after him.

Cast a virtual bell

When in the Novgorod region, you’ll definitely hear bells ring and learn about the Novgorod Veche Bell. During the siege of the city, tsar Ivan III ordered to remove this bell from the bell tower and send it to Moscow. Legend says that the bell didn’t accept his fate, fell to the ground near the border of the Novgorod region and broke to pieces against the stones.

In the biggest Museum Bell Centre in Russia located in the Valday town, you can see bells from across the world and learn why Novgorod bells are unique. The museum’s collection represents bells from different countries and ages, some of them dating back to the 3rd century BC. You’ll learn about the history of casting and modern bell-making technologies and also play games on a touch table. For example, harness virtual ‘troika’ (three) horses with bells or cast a virtual bell.

Spot the pigeon on the cross of St. Sophia Cathedral

St. Sophia Cathedral was built in Novrogod between 1045 and 1050 by Kievan and Byzantine masters. It was conceived as the main cathedral of the city, and during its first years it was the only stone building in Novgorod. So where does the pigeon on the cross of the cathedral’s biggest dome come from?

Legend says that while tsar Ivan the Terrible and his Oprichniki were cruelly killing peaceful city folk in 1570, a pigeon suddenly sat down to the cross of the city’s main cathedral. It looked down, saw the massacre, and was literally petrified with horror. Since then the pigeon has been considered the defender of the city. People believe that as soon as the pigeon flies away from the cross, Novgorod will come to an end.

Visit a monastery, that was founded by Patriarch Nikon

The Valday Iver Monastery is situated on the island in the middle of the Valday lake. It is considered to be one of the most important and picturesque orthodox shrines.

The monastery was founded in 1653 by the initiative of Nikon who had just been elected Patriarch. Nikon wanted the monastery to look like the Iviron Monastery on Mount Athos, including the architectural style and monk’s clothes. Legend says that Nikon saw the spot for the monastery in a dream.

Check out Fyodor Dostoevsky’s country house

Fyodor Dostoevsky, a famous Russian writer, first visited Staraya Russa town in 1872 during a summer trip with his family. They liked it so much that the next year they rented a house near the Pererytitsa River’s embankment and spent every summer here ever since.

Dostoevsky loved this house, called it ‘his nest’ and considered it the perfect place to work and to be alone. In Staraya Russa he wrote his novels ‘The Adolescent’, ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ and ‘Demons’. Today, this place is a museum where you can explore what Dostoevsky’s house looked like and see his family’s personal belongings, photos and letters.

Visit an authentic Russian ‘izba’ (wooden house)

If you want to really enjoy the atmosphere of the old Novgorod, you should come to the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of folk wooden architecture that is located on the Myachino lake not far away from Veliky Novgorod. In this open-air museum you’ll see the best examples of Russian wooden architecture, including authentic old ‘izbas’ (wooden houses), rural chapels and churches.

During the year, the museum hosts fairs of crafts and folklore, christmastides, and even an international bell ringing festival.

Learn what Brick Gothic looks like

The Episcopal Chamber of the Novgorod Kremlin is the only non-religious German Gothic building of the 15th century preserved in Russia. You can have a good look at the facets of the gothic cross-domed vaults inside the chamber. This is why this building is also called ‘Faceted Chamber’ or ‘Chamber of Facets’.

The chamber was part of Vladychny Dvor, the place where all important city events took place: court hearings, gatherings of the Council of Lords of the Novgorod Republic, ambassador’s receptions and feasts. The seals of the city’s lords were kept here. The decree of tsar Ivan III on merging the Novgorod Republic with the Moscow State was first announced in 1478 in Episcopal Chamber. This is when the name of the new state, Russia, was first pronounced.

See the murals by Theophanes the Greek

The Byzantine Empire had a huge impact on the development of the Russian culture. Many works of art and architecture in ancient Russia were created by Byzantine artists and masters. Theophanes the Greek was one of them. He was born in Byzantine and created icons and murals in Constantinople and Caffa (modern Feodosia). After that he moved to Novgorod where he was commissioned to paint the walls of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyina Street. You can enjoy his unique and expressive style if you look at the murals inside the dome of the church and the Trinity side chapel.

The most recognizable and the only monumental work of Theophanes the Greek that is preserved today is the chest-high portrait of the Savior the Almighty in the dome of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior.

Take a photo with an ancient Novgorod citizen who is learning how to read and write

In 1951, a letter written on birch bark dating back to the 14–15th centuries was found in Veliky Novgorod. Many decades later, in 2019, a sculpture designed by Novgorod artist and sculptor Sergey Gaev appeared on this exact site.

The sculpture portrays an 8–year old boy sitting on a stool and holding a piece of birch bark. At this age children in Novgorod started to learn how to read and write. During archaeological excavations in Novgorod, scientists often found ancient handwriting practice books and children’s drawings on birch bark sheets.

Feel like an ancient viking or prince Rurik’s guest

Novgorod is one of the waypoints of the famous trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The route passed through the Volkhov river. In the 9–10th centuries there was a fortified settlement of the Viking Age here.

Some scientists believe that Novgorod is named after this area which was called ‘Stary Gorod’ (‘Old City’) at that time. Some historians and archeologists consider this place to be the residence of Prince Rurik who was asked to rule the city in 862. That’s why this ancient settlement is called ‘Rurikovo Gorodische’ (‘Ruruk’s Old City’).

Learn more about the Soviet modernist architecture

On the bank of the Volkhov river near the Novgorod Kremlin, there is an incredible building that looks like a spaceship and contrasts strongly with the ancient buildings of the city.

This is the Fyodor Dostoevsky Theater of Dramatic Art that was built in 1987. It is one of the most striking examples of the Soviet modernist architecture. The theater was built for 10 years according to the project of architect Vladimir Somov.

See what an everyday life of Old Believers looks like

The Krestsy town in the Novgorod region has always been considered to be the center of the Novgorod Old Belief community, and it still is. Before the Soviet revolution there were three Old Believers churches here.

The Lyakova village, which is located not far from the town, used to be inhabited completely by Old Believers. You can learn more about their lifestyle in the local interactive museum. You’ll be introduced to Old Believers’ traditional crafts and ceremonies, drink tea with healing herbs and learn how to chop wood and use an old spinning wheel.

Buy a traditional embroidered tablecloth

A unique embroidery style that is now famous all over the world was born in the Staroye Rakhino village in the Novgorod province. By the middle of the 19th century, it had become a folk craft. Since then, linen tablecloths, towels and clothing items decorated with unusual ornaments have been popular not only among the locals, but also travellers.

In 1929, the first cooperative partnership of embroidery masters was created in Kresttsy. Later it turned into a factory that still operates today. The factory has a museum where embroidery traditions are preserved and new ornaments and technologies are created.

Find yourself in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, Staraya Russa town could be called ‘the salt cellar of Russia’. That’s because salt making was the main trade here up to the 19th century. A few years ago, the old craft was brought back to life, and construction of salt works began. Later, an interactive museum was launched based on the results of archaeological findings.

This museum recreates a typical medieval manor of Staraya Russa of the 12th century with living rooms, a bathhouse, workshops, a livestock pen and traditional peasant household items. In this museum, you can also buy salt which is made in the same way as 1000 years ago.

See the place where Suvorov started his Italian campaign

Alexander Suvorov’s manor in the Konchanskoe village, which has now become the museum of the great commander, was originally the place of his exile. Suvovor openly disagreed with the reform of Russian’s army based on the Prussian model, and Emperor Paul the First didn’t appreciate such behaviour. He first fired Suvorov and then sent him away to his family estate.

However, the exile lasted for only two years. The great commander started the military campaign straight from his house in the Konchanskoe. During this legendary expedition, he crossed the Alps and defeated the French army.

Become a real hiker

If you dream of having a hike in the Novgorod region, but at the same time you are afraid that a tourist’s life may be too hard, you should try the Big Valday trail. This is a five-day 59-kilometer walking route. Its central part goes right through the Valday National Park’s territory.

You won’t have to cope with difficulties and inconveniences of camping life here. The route is marked with signs, and there are camping sites where you can find everything you need for an overnight stay from shelters and places for a fire to toilets. The trail finishes at the Dunayevshchina village where you can take a bus back to Valday. To take the trail, you have to fill out a special form and register on the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation website.

Russian Post has launched a limited series of products dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Novgorod region.

In autumn 2020, Russian Post announced an open contest to create the design for its limited series dedicated to Novgorod region. The project was supported by the Government of the Novgorod region, ‘Russ Novgorodskaya’ (Novgorod Russia) project, the State Novgorod Museum-reservation and Yandex.

Stamps and envelopes are traditionally used to spread information about historic dates and figures and famous landmarks. Now we can also use parcel boxes, packaging tape and postcards. The limited series products will travel around the world, introducing the most popular Russian attractions to six million Russian Post clients daily.

The participants were to create the design for the limited series featuring three iconic attractions of the Novgorod region, the Novgorod Kremlin, the Millennium Of Russia Monument and the Belelyubsky Bridge in Borovichi. Moscow designers and graduates of the Higher School of Economics’ Art and Design School Alena Akmatova and Svetlana Ilyushina won the contest. Their project was chosen via an open vote and by the expert jury.

• MARKETPLACE

A tax on tourism? To visit these destinations, it’ll cost you extra.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Tourist taxes are increasingly being deployed by authorities around the world as a way to tackle “overtourism.”

New Zealand this week announced it is nearly tripling its visitor fee, introduced in 2019 to help protect the country’s natural beauty. Iceland reinstated its tourist tax this year after a brief pandemic suspension - raising the levy and expanding it to cruise ship operators - to fund conservation efforts.

In the spring, Venice began charging admission fees for day-trippers, while Amsterdam has increased taxes on overnight stays. Both cities are concerned that tourists are crowding out residents and putting a strain on creaky infrastructure.

Tourist taxes aren’t an entirely new idea. France first introduced a tourist tax on resorts in 1910. In the United States, most places have a hotel tax, as do many cities in Europe. More than 60 destinations worldwide have some kind of tax on visitors, tourism researchers say.

Bhutan, a small, Himalayan nation wedged between China and India, charges one of the highest fees globally - about $100 a day - to help preserve its pristine peaks from the hordes that visit nearby Nepal.

These are some of the destinations that are imposing new tourist taxes or planning to in 2024.

Iceland’s natural beauty - bubbling hot springs, pristine ice caps and glaciers, and lava-spewing volcanoes - have made it a tourist hot spot. Millions visit the island nation annually, outnumbering the local population of about 400,000. This year, Iceland reinstated a tourist tax suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. The rate for hotel stays doubled to 600 Icelandic krona ($4.32) per night. For cruise ships stopping at Icelandic ports, for the first time, a charge of 1,000 krona applied.

Bali, Indonesia

A sharp decline in visitors during the pandemic led residents on the Indonesian resort island of Bali to reconsider their relationship with foreign tourists and their environmental impact. In February, authorities imposed a tourist tax of 150,000 Indonesian rupiah ($9.70) to be used to preserve cultural sites and beaches, and to fund a crackdown on bad behavior by tourists.

Venice has a love-hate relationship with tourists, who contribute about $3 billion annually to the economy but crowd its narrow laneways and famed piazzas and leave behind a trail of trash. In April, it started charging day-trippers a fee of 5 euros a day (about $5.53). Overnight visitors already pay a tourist tax between 1 and 5 euros. Italian officials are considering raising the nationwide tax to as much as 25 euros, a prospect that has alarmed tourism advocates.

New Zealand

Seeking to protect the country’s natural beauty from an influx of tourists descending each year on small towns, once-lonely beaches and snow-capped peaks, New Zealand imposed a tourist tax in 2019. The government recently announced that the levy would nearly triple to 100 New Zealand dollars ($61.82) from Oct. 1. (Australians and many Pacific Island residents are exempt.)

Amsterdam has been trying to counter overtourism in a number of ways, including banning the construction of new hotels, capping the number of overnight stays and launching a “Stay Away” campaign to deter “nuisance tourists,” attracted by the city’s relaxed drug policies and liberated party scene. In 2024, it raised the tourist tax on hotel rooms to 12.5 percent, up from 7 percent. Day-trippers on sea and river cruises pay 14 euros ($15.52).

Thousands of locals took to the streets in this Spanish city over the summer to protest overtourism. Some were armed with brightly colored water pistols that they sprayed at bewildered diners on the city’s patioed streets. In October, the city will raise the tax on tourist lodging to 4 euros ($4.43) per night. Visitors also pay a regional tourist tax, which varies depending on the star rating of the accommodation.

Britain last year introduced an electronic travel authorization (similar to the United States’ ESTA) for visitors from some countries. By the end of 2024, people who do not require a visa - including U.S. and E.U. citizens - will need to apply for an electronic travel authorization before they can visit. Although touted as a measure to improve border security, rather than a tourist tax, it will apply to tourists and cost 10 pounds ($13.12). (The European Union next year will implement a travel authorization for short stays by visitors from 60 countries.) The English county of Kent and officials in Scotland and Wales are contemplating taxes on overnight stays.

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World Heritage Site

For world heritage travellers.

The Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings are a veritable 'conservatory' of Russian architecture of the Middle Ages and later periods (11th-19th centuries).

(Veliky) Novgorod was an important center on the trade route between the Baltics and Central Asia and a former capital of the Novgorod Republic that covered northern Russia. It developed into one of the major centres of Russian culture, which exerted national influence on stone architecture and painting.

Community Perspective : Novgorod can be visited on a day trip from Sint Petersburg. Recommended is to walk around the Kremlin walls to be able to appreciate the different towers and to view the frescoes at the Church of Transfiguration.

Map of Novgorod

Community reviews.

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Michael Novins

United States - 03-Oct-18 -

In September 2018, I took an early morning train for the three-hour trip from Saint Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod, founded in 859 and traditionally considered the cradle of Russian statehood. Veliky Novgorod is now recognized for dozens of medieval monuments, including monasteries, churches and Kremlin, all added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1992. But the memory of the bear sausage I ate at lunch at  Dom Berga  will linger longer than that of Russia’s foundational religious buildings.

Japan / USA / Europe - 02-Jan-18 -

After recently visiting Chernigov in Ukraine, I’ve had an urge to write about my admiration for this related city of Veliky Novgorod in Russia. I have visited this city twice, in summer 2005 and winter 2009. I like this city more than any cities in the Golden Ring of Moscow simply because it seems to be historically more important and there seem to be more variety of attractions here.

I can’t remember how I got there from St. Petersburg, except that one of the two times I got on a bus from the main bus station in St. Petersburg, which was somewhat far from any of the train stations in St. Petersburg.

Veliky Novgorod is the oldest city in Russia. The so-called first capital of Russia was created by the Vikings (as the theory goes) in 9th century before the creation of Kievan Rus. The Millennium of Russia monument was erected in 1862 to celebrate one millennium anniversary of the Russian statehood.

It seemed that Novgorod had the greatest density of churches of all the places I have ever visited.

The most important church of them all in Novgorod is the St. Sophia Cathedral in the Kremlin, the oldest church in Russia, with the mysterious icon called “Our Lady of the Sign” as the centerpiece, often considered to be the National Icon of Russia! (although one might counter this claim by bringing up the Trinity by Andrei Rublev, stored at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.)

Another church, which is noticeably singled out in the UNESCO’s reasoning for the inscription, is the Church of Transfiguration (Photo), with the frescos painted by Theophanes the Greek, whose relation (as the mentor) to Andrei Rublev was well-documented in the Russian cinematic giant Andrei Tarkovsky’s masterpiece “Andrei Rublev” (1966).

This church was actually one of the reasons I went back to Novgorod in 2009. In 2005 I was there on a Monday when the Church was closed.

Another reason I visited Novgorod again was because I was actually heading further south from Novgorod to Staraya Russa, a village most famous for the summer house (now a museum) of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and as the main setting for his Brothers Karamazov. To think about it, this village is a great choice for a missing nomination!

3.00 Malta - 14-Sep-17 -

I visited this WHS as a day trip from St Petersburg in September 2017. The old city of Veliky Novgorod lies some 200km away from St Petersburg and is quite easily reachable by train, bus or car.

Since I wanted to visit early before the very few Russian tourists and since I found a good chauffeur service offer, I opted for the latter and arrived at around 9am. The Kremlin opens at 6am but all the buildings are accessible as of 10am, apart from the main church where a lovely Sunday mass was being celebrated. There's just a small billboard stating Novgorod's inscription on the WH list but no plaque.

After a short stroll around the buildings within the Kremlin, I headed towards the bridge which crosses the Volkhov River and which leads to Yaroslav's court and marketplace. The panoramic view from the bridge is breathtaking on a sunny day with the red Kremlin wall and the church onion-domes (photo). There are a number of pretty old churches with different Russian architectural styles opposite the Kremlin and some have very old frescoes still visible. The cathedral of St Nicholas is worthy of mention for its colourful fragments of frescoes from the 12th century.

If you're not in a hurry I recommend walking around the Kremlin walls to be able to appreciate the different towers. In the afternoon, I also visited the Yuryev (St George) monastery and the colourful interior of the Cathedral of St George.

All in all I really enjoyed my visit here and I would rank it on the same level as Sergiev Posad as a WHS.

Frederik Dawson

3.00 Netherlands - 20-Feb-12 -

Novgorod or it full official name, Veliky Novgorod which means the Great Novgorod, is an oldest city in Russia and the ancient political center of early Russian state, is well located in the middle of popular tourist route of Moscow and St. Petersburg. To reach Novgorod, I took a night train from Moscow. The train was arrived in early morning; the whole town of Novgorod was still sleeping when I reached the city center. After few directions confusing, I finally saw the large red wall complex of the ancient Novgorod Kremlin. The towers along the wall were fascinating with fairytales-like turret and in a very good condition. Inside the wall, there was a large square with big monument named 'The Millennium of Russia' the monument was full of details of important historical event of this country.

Apart from the monument, there were church and palace complexes inside the Kremlin, but all of them were closed during my visit. Nothing to do I just walked around the complex, I found a group of bells in front of one church was quite astonishing with their large size, and wondered why they were here on the ground. Then I walked around the Kremlin wall, admittedly that I really enjoyed the wall more than the Kremlin inside, the color of the wall and its proportion was just right and really photogenic. Then I went to see the riverside, there was a large monastery on the other side of the river. Before I decided to cross the river, there was a sudden really heavy snow, so I had to walk back to Kremlin to find shelter. After seeing Kremlin covered in thick snow, my friend and I decided that we should went back to the train station as the weather was bad to linger on in Novgorod. A local recommended us to use the bus instead of the train, so we went to bus station and took a next bus to St. Petersburg. It was only 3 hours I spent in Novgorod; it was a very quick visit and full of obstacles, but quite enjoyable trip.

However Novgorod Kremlin cannot be compared with Moscow Kremlin in any sense, the complex exterior was quite simple and plain with no extravaganza decoration similar to Moscow. Also Novgorod Kremlin was lack of charm or atmosphere compared with other plain Kremlin in Rostov or Pskov. The historical value of Novgorod was the reason to visit the place, but if you are not a Russian history enthusiast or World Heritage Site seeker, there are other better places to see beautiful Russia than Novgorod.

Larry Perkins

USA - 04-Dec-09 -

My wife and I went on a day trip from St. Petersburg to Novgorod. Getting there was eventful because of the stern scrutiny we got from the immigration officials on leaving the cruise ship and a lack of public restroom facilities. Our tour guide finally begged the owner of a small restaurant to let us use their outhouse. Once in Novgorod we were able to walk around the old market area and churches where the old open air market stood. Much of the area was damaged in World War II and the churches are still ruins. We walked over the Volkhov River bridge to the walled fortress/kremlin which is wonderfully restored. Ancient St Sophia cathedral was a fascinating church, one of the oldest in Russia. There is a very somber commemorative section of the kremlin park for the millions who lost their lives in World War II. We enjoyed lunch at a restuarant in one of the old fortress towers and shopped in the street market just outside the main gate. Getting rubles was tricky, since there were no foreign tourist facilities we could see. People were friendly, and we enjoyed our day there. We also drove out to Yuriev Monastery and visited the cultural historic park nearby where we saw 15 or 20 wooden buildings which have been moved to the site. People dressed in traditional costumes demonstrated traditional crafts and visited with Russian tourists, though none of them spoke English, except to say hello. The wooden church tower bells rang out as we were leaving. This was our only chance to see Russia outside large cities. We would definitely recommend a visit to Veliky (Great) Novgorod.

Christer Sundberg

Sweden - 26-May-06 -

Buying a train ticket in Russia is an adventure in itself…. have I found the right counter? Will they understand English? Will they rip me off? Will the ticket be correct? But with some assistance from the locals and a smile - which must be something added after the Soviet Union collapsed - I eventually got my ticket to Novgorod the Great, 200 km south of St.Petersburg, and hoped on the fully booked train for some three-and-a-half hour travel through the marchlands on tracks that certainly seen their best days.

Tourists do end up in Novgorod, but usually just for a short visit on a day trip between Russia’s main attractions Moscow and St.Petersburg. But there is still much to see in this historic town and Russia’s first capital. Walking outside and inside the old Kremlin is certainly not the same experience as in Moscow but with combined visits to the impressing Yurev Monastery and the Museum of Wooden Houses outside the city, and maybe a slow stroll along the river Volkov, Novgorod the Great still has a charm of it’s own and one can just imagine how life would have been here over 1000 years ago when it was founded.

Community Rating

32 Votes 3.330 Average 3.2 Score

• 5.0 : Disnsam Joaofg Alexandrcfif
• 4.5 : Dibro Tikhon Puliaev
• 4.0 : Elisabeth Fransisca Situmorang João Aender Atila Ege Filippo Ubaldi
• 3.5 : Alexander Barabanov Michael anak Kenyalang Thomas van der Walt CugelVance
• 3.0 : Frederik Dawson Ivan Rucek Martina Rúčková Szucs Tamas Wojciech Fedoruk Clyde Stanimir Yuri Samozvanov Alexander Lehmann Squiffy Ludvan Ammon Watkins Hanming
• 2.5 : Solivagant Yevhen Ivanovych Ssong.x
• 2.0 : Nan Adrian Turtschi Valentinaui

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Site history, 1992 inscribed, 1991 deferred, unesco website, official website.

Veliky Novgorod

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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World Tourism Day 2021

• All Regions

World Tourism Day 2021: Tourism for Inclusive Growth

Relevant links:

• Provisional Programme (PDF)
• General Information Note
• Attestation
• Promotional Offer Air Côte d'Ivoire

Provisional Programme

Cote d´Ivoire (26 September 2021) (GMT)

Welcome evening reception

Cote d´Ivoire (27 September 2021) (GMT)

• Musical show
• UNWTO launch of WTD Video: Tourism and Inclusive recovery

Master of Ceremony (TBC, Ivorian speaker)

Welcome remarks:

• Mr. Jean-Marc YACE, Mayor of Cocody
• H.E.Mr. Siandou FOFANA, Minister of Tourism and Leisure of Cote d´Ivoire followed by a video of Côte d’Ivoire
• H.E.Mr. Zurab POLOLIKASHVILI, UNWTO Secretary General
• H.E.Mr Patrick ACHI, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire

Group photo

Visit of the exhibition hall with country booths followed by Press Point (Coffee break)

Keynote address - Salle des Fêtes

Mr. Gustave DIASSO, Resident Representive, UEMOA (TBC)

1 Ministerial Panel Discussion on "Tourism for inclusive growth" - Salle des Fêtes

Moderator: Elcia Grandcourt, UNWTO Regional Director for Africa

• H.E.Mr. Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism and Leisure of Côte d’Ivoire
• H.E.Mr. Modero Nsimba Matondo, Minister of tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Hon. Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal , Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Ghana
• H.E.Mrs. María Reyes Maroto Illera, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain
• H.E. Mr. Ahmed Athif, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism of Maldives

Expert Panel discussion:  “How can tourism live up to the inclusive growth opportunity?” - Salle des Fêtes

Moderator: Channels TV

• Mr Donald AKA, Chief Marketing and Technology Officer, Azalai Hotel - Confirmed
• Mrs. Antonia Sodonon, Country representative, UN Women- Confirmed
• Mr. Kwakye Donkor, CEO, Africa Tourism Partners - Confirmed
• Mr. Mark Kaigwa, founder of 254- Confirmed
• Local Expert – TBC from Côte d’Ivoire

WTD Lunch (UNWTO videos playing in loop and WTD Video) – Ancienne patinoire

2 The Future of Africa Speaks – TBC - Salle des Fêtes

• Tourism and innovation towards inclusive recovery

Award Start up competition

B to B meetings for pre-registered project leaders and investors (22nd floor, Tower)

UNWTO Affiliate Membership and tourism private sector development in Africa - Salle des Fêtes

Gala dinner offered by Côte d’Ivoire – Palais des Congrès (at Sofitel)

1 Introduction video before the session (testimonies + CNN restart tourism + alula framework) 2 Introduction video before the session (testimonies + CNN restart tourism + alula framework)

Cote d´Ivoire (28 September 2021) (GMT)

Visit of the lagoon followed by an Ivorian gastronomic and cultural brunch

Culinary and artistic discovery Prize presentation for the various competitions Organization of games Live orchestra

Departure of the delegations

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Related content, world tourism day 2024: tourism and peace, world tourism day 2023: tourism and green investments, world tourism day 2022 | “rethinking tourism”, world tourism day 2020.