World Tourism Day: Highlighting the value of data-driven travel
Every year on 27 September, the world celebrates World Tourism Day, a
global observance led by UN Tourism
[https://www.untourism.int/world-tourism-day-2026]. The day recognises
the social, cultural and economic importance of tourism and encourages
discussion about the future of the sector. In 2026, the theme is
'Digital Agenda and AI to redesign tourism', highlighting how digital
technologies can help create more inclusive, sustainable and efficient
travel expenses. 

Tourism remains a major contributor to Europe's economy and
communities. According to Eurostat's tourism statistics
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/tourism], tourism generates
valuable economic activity while supporting cultural exchange and
regional development. As destinations adapt to changing traveller
expectations, policymakers, businesses and local authorities
increasingly rely on digital tools and evidence-based decision-making
to improve visitor experiences and strengthen resilience across the
sector. 

Publicly available datasets on tourism flows, accommodation,
transport, and visitor behaviour help governments and organisations
better understand travel trends and plan for future demand. Through
the European Data Portal's tourism data resources
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/high-value-datasets-tourism-eu],
users can access information that supports research, innovation, and
the development of new services. Open data also contributes to
transparency and enables more sustainable tourism management across
Europe. 

To mark World Tourism Day, explore the tourism-related information
available on the European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/] and
discover how open data is helping shape the future of travel.  

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Publication Date/Time
2026-09-27T08:00:00+00:00
Open data helps make tourism smarter, more sustainable and accessible