Today is the 30th anniversary of World Tourism Day created by the World Tourism Organization an agency within the United Nations which “fosters awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic values” focusing specifically in developing countries. This year’s theme is Celebrating Diversity.
This is a theme that is near and dear to my heart. I was privileged to grow up within a military family which allowed me to benefit from living not only in different regions of my own country, but also experience the cultures of other countries. This exposure to multiple cultures and ethnicities made me a much more open-minded person, one that braces diversity and revels in it.
It is one of my greatest joys to explore the diversity of this planet through travel, food, books, film and meeting people every day. In addition, I am blessed to live in the San Francisco Bay Area where millions of people of hundreds of nationalities call home. The people I have interacted with through out the years have added new hues to the palette that is my life and I am thankful for it everyday.
Part of the charter of the UNWTO is to promote sustainable, eco-conscious tourism in regions through out the world and to remind us of the “important role sustainable tourism plays in revitalizing local traditions and making them flourish as they cross other cultures.”
As someone who has traveled all over the world and often laments at the increasing homogenization of goods, foods and products, I embrace this mission whole-heartedly. The world around us should maintain its uniqueness, its spice. Allowing this will attract people to seek out those places in the world where they can still experience the local culture, local food, local art, local spirit. Communities should not have to give that up in order to thrive, they should thrive because of exactly who and what they are, the way they have for decades, centuries even.
And you don’t have to travel across the world to support this objective, you can do it in your own backyard. Start by supporting local restaurants, particularly ones that use local products. Support local artisans and farmers markets. Buy organic, natural and sustainably grown products. Every community has festivals and fairs honoring other nationalities, don’t feel you have to be Greek to attend a Greek festival, dive in, grab some ouzo and celebrate the diversity in your life.
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