World Tourism Day is commemorated each year on 27 September in order to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. This year, tourism has been among the hardest hit of all sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the theme of the 2020 edition of international day is "Tourism and Rural Development." Undoubtedly, the tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. One out of every 10 jobs in the whole world is in the tourism industry and 30 percent of the world revenue comes from tourism. The livelihoods of a very large number of people are linked to the tourism industry. In this context, Cultural Survival’s Radio Program Producer Dev Kumar Sunuwar produced this radio program focusing on ways tourism has impacted Indigenous Peoples and on what benefits the tourism industry has brought to the world's Indigenous Peoples.
Interview: Ben Sherman, Chairman of World Indigenous Tourism Alliance
Producer: Dev Kumar Sunuwar
Song: Tsugumi Matsudaira a young Ainu Indigenous woman, used with permission.