Once a friend asked me, “Why do you love to travel so much?”. I smiled back and said, “Because every time I step into a new place, I always meet a new version of myself.”
That’s the beauty of tourism. It’s not just about taking photographs or being in fancy hotels. It’s about the experience and the little surprises along the way. On September 27th, World Tourism Day, we celebrate exactly that.
Think about it. When you sit in a tiny cafe in Paris and hear laughter in five different languages, or when a fisherman in Sri Lanka offers you a fresh coconut with a grin, you realize the world is much smaller and warmer than it seems on a map. Tourism turns strangers into friends and destinations into second homes.
This year’s theme reminds us travel isn’t just for us, it’s for the planet too. One traveler might ask, “Does my choice really matter?” And the answer is, “Yes, it does!” Choosing to refill your bottle instead of buying plastic, staying in a family-run guesthouse instead of a huge chain, or simply respecting local traditions. These small choices add up. Tourism, when done right, can lift communities, preserve culture, and keep nature thriving.
Travel is also about those little joys. The late night train rides with strangers who end up becoming storytellers, the taste of food you can’t even pronounce, and the sunsets that make you whisper, “Wow” without even realizing it. These are the moments we carry long after the trip ends.
On this World Tourism Day, let’s not just dream about the places we’ll go. Let’s promise to travel with open hearts and gentle footprints because the best souvenir we can take home is not a fridge magnet, but the feeling that we’ve been part of something bigger.
Written By: –
Rtr. Chathuri Imasha Senarath
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
Design By: –
Rtr. Nethmini Pathirana
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
