An event programmed to challenge, promote, and educate leading tourism industry associations, World Responsible Tourism Day is observed on November 11 each year.

An initiative of the World Travel Market in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the day is vital for business, saving our planet, and changing lives. It is also an opportunity for the travel industry to exhibit their practical contributions and show how it has made a difference in protecting environments, respecting local cultures, conserving natural resources, and minimizing pollution.

Tourism means trade, jobs, development, cultural sustainability, peace, and fulfillment of human aspirations. The global tourism industry has celebrated outstanding development in recent years and has become well positioned as one of the major engines of economic, social, and environmental development in many countries. It has become a diverse and complex industry while enjoying a strong influence and significance on many issues. Like most industries, it has challenges and solutions to address key issues such as responsibilities.

These responsibilities call on travelers, employees in the industry, and other markets involved to alter existing practices and policies. History shows that the biggest challenges provide the biggest opportunities, and in this aspect, tourism has to respond to an idea that has become increasingly a popular concept among travelers today.

Responsible tourism is about creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit. The basic premise is that travelers whether they are on a week-long holiday or taking a longer vacation should do all they can to minimize the negative economic, environmental, and social impacts of tourism.

Responsible tourism is all about travelers taking responsibility for their actions and behavior to ensure that their visit to an area is mutually beneficial both for travelers and local people. A visitor to a country must consider that a guest should respect social and religious activities, get to know the people and their cultures, support the initiative to buy local arts and crafts, minimize power and water use, not buy products from coral or endangered plants and animals, and take into account the needs of the local communities.

Tourism today requires that it be sustainable and be responsible. The Golden Rule for world tourism has become more recognized as the first rule of travel and adventure – to treat others the way they wish others to behave towards them.