World Tourism Day is a holiday for tourism workers and tourists determined by the World Tourism Organization. On September 27, 1970, the International Federation of Official Tourism (the predecessor of the World Tourism Organization) adopted the charter for the establishment of the World Tourism Organization at a special congress held in Mexico City. In September 1979, the Third Congress of the World Tourism Organization officially designated September 27 as World Tourism Day. This day was selected as World Tourism Day, firstly because the predecessor of the World Tourism Organization, the "International Official Tourism Alliance", adopted the Charter of the World Tourism Organization at a special congress in Mexico City on this day in 1970. In addition, this day happens to be the handover time when the peak tourist season in the northern hemisphere has just passed and the tourist season in the southern hemisphere has just arrived.

With the development of the world economy and the improvement of people's living standards, tourism has become one of the main choices for people's leisure vacation. The development of tourism not only provides many countries with a large number of employment opportunities, but also brings them substantial foreign exchange earnings. Therefore, governments of various countries are paying more and more attention to the development of tourism. In recent years, although the global tourism industry has been affected to a certain extent by factors such as terrorist attacks, regional conflicts and the world economic downturn, it achieved a strong recovery in 2004. According to data released by the World Tourism Organization, the number of international tourist arrivals in 2004 reached 760 million, and overseas tourism revenue reached US$622 billion, both reaching record highs. According to the World Tourism Organization's prediction, by 2010, more than 1 billion people will travel abroad every year around the world.

China officially became a member of the World Tourism Organization in 1983. Since 1985, one province, autonomous region or municipality has been designated as the main venue for World Tourism Day celebrations every year.

In order to clarify the role and significance of tourism, deepen people’s awareness and understanding of tourism around the world, and promote the development of tourism, the World Tourism Organization has determined a theme for World Tourism Day every year since 1980. The tourism organization organizes a series of celebrations based on themes and requirements.

The theme slogan of World Tourism Day over the years——

1980: Tourism's contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding

1981: Tourism and the quality of life

1982: Pride in travel: good guests and good hosts

1983: Travel and holidays are a right but also a responsibility for all

< p>1984: Tourism for international understanding, peace and cooperation

1985: Youth tourism: cultural and historical heritage for peace and friendship

1986: Tourism: a vital force for world peace

1987: Tourism for development

1988: Tourism: education for all

1989: The free movement of tourists creates one world

1990: Tourism: an unrecognized industry, a service to be released ("the hague declaration on tourism")

1991: Communications, information and education ：Communication, information and education: powerlines of tourism development

1992: Tourism promotes social and economic integration and is a way for people of all countries to understand each other (Tourism: a factor of growing social and economic solidarityand of encounter between people)

1993: Strive for the harmony between tourism development and environmental protection (Tourism development and environmental protection: towards alasting harmony)

1994: High-quality services, Quality staff, quality tourism (Quality staff, quality tourism)

1995: Benefiting from taking responsibility (WTO: serving world tourism for twenty years)

1996 Year: Tourism: a factor of tolerance and peace

1997: Tourism: a leading activity of the 21st century that creates jobs and promotes environmental protection twenty-first century for job creation and environmental protection)

1998: Public-privatesector partnership: the key to tourism development and promotion (Public-privatesector partnership: the key to tourism development and promotion)

1999: Tourism: preserving worldheritage for the new millennium

2000: Technology and nature: the twin challenges of tourism in the 21st century :two challenges for tourism at the start of the 21st century)

2001: Tourism: instrument at the service of peace and dialogue between civilizations .

2002: Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development.

2003: Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony (Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony)

2005 : Travel and transportation – from Jules Verne’s fantasy to 21st century reality. Its purpose is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of French science fiction novelist Jules Verne. Verne's works have captured the imagination of readers and travelers around the world. In Verne's day, cross-country travel was still an adventure, and today most of the fantasies in his works have become reality.