Happy World Tourism Day 2020!

The Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute and the Department of Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management join the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on this 40th celebration of World Tourism Day. This year’s theme is Tourism and Rural Development.

“Tourism and Rural Development” celebrates the sector’s unique ability to drive economic development and provide opportunities outside of big cities, including in those communities that would otherwise be left behind. World Tourism Day 2020 also highlights the important role tourism plays in preserving and promoting culture and heritage all around the world. (UNWTO)

We asked Yu-Hua (Melody) Xu, one of our recent PhD graduates to share some thoughts on the theme:

“Tourism and rural areas have a symbiotic relationship. Rural areas possess an abundance of natural and cultural resources, which nurtured rural tourism. Rural destination naturally relates to nature, other human beings, and history. Compared with urban, rural tourism has diverse attractiveness to different types of tourists. For over half a decade, rural tourism has been vastly developed and has attracted an increasing number of tourists around the world. In the United States, more than 70% of the American population enjoy rural recreation; thirty U.S. states have issued tourism policies targeted at rural regions. 

Tourism is an optimal solution for rural revitalization. Tourism has brought considerable income and employment to a lot of rural communities where traditional agrarian industries are declining. Meanwhile, sustainable tourism helps rural communities promote and preserve their heritage and traditions. As world tourism is experiencing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19, there is massive potential for rural destinations to develop "healthy tourism" and rebrand themselves into health/therapeutic tourism resorts.” - Yu-Hua Xu

*Banner image from UNWTO