27 September 2015 - This year's theme for World Tourism Day is "One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities," which affirms tourism as a truly global movement that galvanizes development, enhances jobs and helps build better societies.
But, the journeys of one billion tourists across our planet, also provide one billion opportunities for us all to confront the crimes that devastate environments, and rob communities of their livelihoods: crimes such as human trafficking, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, the theft and trafficking in cultural artefacts, corruption, terrorism, counterfeit goods, and wildlife crime.
These crimes steal from the vulnerable and the fragile and can hinder international efforts to deliver on the promise of the new development agenda.
That is why the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) works with its UN partners, Member States and civil society to encourage awareness among tourists of the illicit services and goods they might encounter on their journeys.
On World Tourism Day, I invite tourists, and everyone associated with the tourism industry, to recognize the situations where individuals may be exploited, or goods trafficked, and to act.
We have one billion opportunities to make the world a safer and fairer place; let us make each opportunity count.
For further information, please contact:
David Dadge
Spokesperson, UNODC
Telephone: (+43- 1) 26060-5629
Mobile: (+43) 699-1459-5629
Email: david.dadge[at]unvienna.org
