Leaders from across the travel industry are meeting in Tbilisi today. In Georgia, where history is a roll call of conflicts, hello (‘Gamarjoba’) translates as ‘be victorious’. Given the Caucasian country’s familiarity with invasions, it is a fitting host for this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) theme of peace.
Run by UN Tourism, today’s event will highlight the role tourism can play as a catalyst for fostering peace and understanding between nations. Government ministers and industry leaders are set to attend Freedom Square in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. “As we mark World Tourism Day this year our planet is ravaged by war and insecurity,” says Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism and a Georgian politician.
“Around one in four of the global population now lives in areas of conflict. Many of us have first-hand experience of the suffering caused by war and the impacts are felt far outside of warzones.” Georgia’s own tourism sector has been through some seismic shifts in recent years.
Previously a popular destination for Russian tourists, President Putin’s 2019 travel embargo hit Georgian tourism prior to the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine. But its star is on the rise with a growing number of international holiday-makers attracted to the vibrant city of , the country’s diverse geography and its famed cuisine. “We must urgently stand up for peace,” says Pololikashvili, arguing that “the global tourism family” is uniq.
