At G Adventures, we just love celebrations. We celebrate people, traditions, cultures, and food. So when we get a chance to celebrate tourism, you know we’ll jump at the chance to take part.
United Nations World Tourism Day has been celebrated every September 27 since 1980, with an aim to raising awareness of the role that tourism plays in the international community — and its social, cultural, political, and economic value around the globe. This year, we’re helping to spread the word about the importance and enormous benefits universal accessibility in tourism can bring to our society.
1.2 billion people travel the world today — and more and more of them are seeking out sustainable, socially conscious options that benefit local people and their communities. We think this is incredible. But for all those travellers, there’s a significant number of people who can’t join them. Families with small children, aging seniors, and people with even a temporary disability face challenges accessing meaningful travel.
More and more travellers are seeking out sustainable, socially conscious options.
There’s more to travel than seeing new things
As enthusiastic supporters and providers of travel, we believe there are countless benefits to visiting new places and experiencing everything this wonderful world has to offer. But travel isn’t just about seeing new landscapes. So much more than that, it’s about experiencing different cultures, meeting new people, tasting extraordinary food, and exploring the music, language, and traditions of others.
On World Tourism Day, we encourage you to get connected to tourism — and you don’t need to book an around-the-world ticket to do it. We are fortunate to live in a time when our largest cities — and even a growing number of our smaller towns — welcome people from all corners of the globe. Diversity in our communities means many different cultures share a common space; so today, why not travel in your own backyard? Visit a restaurant whose cuisine is from a country that’s new to you. Seek out a different community or neighbourhood that might be around the corner from where you live and experience its culture. Take a road trip to a new city or town that offers sights, sounds, and a way of life that’s different from your own.
Let the adventure start in your own backyard.
All are welcome
Sooner or later, at some point in our lives, we all benefit from universal accessibility in tourism, whether our thirst for travel is still potent at 90 years old, we want to explore the globe with babies in tow, or an injury or disability affects our mobility. Accessible tourism for all is about creating environments that can support the needs of all of us, at any time. Travelling the world needs to be safe and seamless for travellers of every age and ability. We need to remember that all are welcome and we need to work to make our local community accessible.
To help us spread the word and embrace tourism for all, make a plan to visit somewhere new this World Tourism Day. Meet your neighbours, learn something new, and explore the beauty and diversity of our planet, whether it’s around the corner, a stone’s throw away, or on a weekend adventure.
Travel allows for a healthy change in perspective.
After all, the value of travel isn’t measured in the distance you go, it’s about the discoveries, connections, and perspectives you experience that enrich your life and the lives of others.
Getting There
G Adventures runs a number of departures encompassing a wide range of departure dates and activities to cater to different tastes. We’re thrilled at the prospect of showing you this big blue planet of ours — check out our small group trips here.
