Every year, 27 September marks World Tourism Day, and 2017 is marked as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism.
The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. Tourism, if governed properly, can contribute to all the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is an event that has been celebrated since 1980. The main colour of World Tourism Day is Blue.
International tourist arrivals worldwide have grown from 25 million in 1950 to nearly 1.2 billion in 2015. Similarly, international tourism revenues earned by destinations around the world have grown from 2 billion US dollars in 1950 to 1.3 trillion in 2015. The sector represents an estimated 10% of the world’s GDP and 1 in 10 jobs globally.
Marking the International Year of Sustainable Tourism, Zagreb Tourist Board is organizing free guided tours of the city for the citizens of Zagreb. They recommend the Green Zagreb tour – this tour enables everyone to discover and enjoy the beautiful oasis of the Green Horseshoe of the City, but there are also a few others.