What is World Tourism Day?

Every September 27 the tourism industry celebrates World Tourism Day. This year, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has chosen as a theme for the day “Tourism and the Digital Transformation”. As part of the Tourism and digital ecosystem, in Local Guest we believe that today is a day to celebrate all of those who are using the digital world to create a more sustainable tourism ecosystem in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Let’s talk about Sustainable Development Goals…

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call to achieve a better future and protect the planet. Some of them include: End poverty, end hunger, gender equality, clean water, clean energy, decent economy growth, reduce inequalities, responsible consumption and establish partnerships to achieve these goals. See more of the sustainability goals.

Local Guest and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In Local Guest, our mission is aligned with these SDG goals and we work daily to contribute to the creation of a new sustainable tourism ecosystem in Puerto Rico. We’re a women powered team proving that gender equality is possible and that we are actually, making a difference in order to make our future better.

Our tourism experiences are community based, meaning that, our mission consist mainly on contributing in the economic development and empowerment of these communities, non-profits organizations and/or entrepreneurs. According to the UNWTO, ‎modern tourism is closely linked to development and we keep that in mind when we are developing tourism product. We wouldn’t conceive tourism on which locals are not benefiting from it.

We know that by empowering communities, we are helping to a generate economy growth, to reduce inequalities and to promote a responsible consumption. Today, the business volume of tourism equals or even surpasses those of other industries such as oil exports, ‎food products or automobiles. Also, Tourism produces benefits in other related sectors, from agriculture to telecommunications.

Tourism is one of the major players in ‎international commerce, and represents at the same time one of the main income ‎sources for many developing countries, including Puerto Rico. This growth goes hand in hand with an ‎increasing diversification. For many years, Puerto Rico was doing tourism one sided. Through the years, we noticed that our offer needed to provide some diversity. That is one of the principles on which Local Guest is based and that is definitely one of our mottos.

Today, to celebrate World Tourism Day, and their theme of “Tourism and Digital Transformation”, we invite you to use your chance to become a tourist to make a positive impact on those destinations you are willing to visit. Take in consideration the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and travel with them in mind. Make sure that your visit is making a positive impact, that you are actually helping the local economy with your business. Definitely, technology is a great asset in order to help you make your research and discover how you can help. In Local Guest we keep on reassuring this day by day.

If you are thinking on becoming a tourist soon, what are you willing to do as a tourist to make your travel a lot more sustainable?