World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27. The date was established by the World Tourism Organization in 1979, and it was first celebrated in 1980. It was on September 27, 1970, that the Constitution of the World Tourism Organization was adopted, which served as the basis for choosing this date.
In Ukraine, Tourism Day is celebrated annually on September 27 in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 1047/98 of September 21, 1998. Tourism is viewed not only as a form of recreation but also as a component of economic development, cultural exchange, heritage preservation, and the shaping of the country’s international image.
Traveling offers the opportunity to discover not only new places but also the history and culture of the people who have lived and continue to live there. That is why cultural, natural, historical, and memorial routes are an important part of modern tourism.
The Donetsk region has its own unique tourist identity, shaped by a combination of natural, historical, and cultural sites. Among the region’s tourist attractions were once the “Holy Mountains” National Nature Park, the chalk cliffs of Bilokuzminivka, the “Kam’yani Mohyly” Nature Reserve, the salt mines of Soledar, and the “ARTWINERY” sparkling wine factory. These sites demonstrate just how diverse the region’s natural and cultural landscape is.
Today, opportunities for traditional tourism in Donetsk Oblast are significantly limited by the war. Some of the well-known sites are located in temporarily occupied territories or in the combat zone, while others have been damaged or destroyed. At the same time, the need to preserve knowledge about them has not disappeared.
For Ukraine, once the war ends, the development of domestic tourism will take on added significance: traveling within the country will help people get to know its regions better, support the recovery of communities, and draw attention to places that have suffered from the war.
World Tourism Day reminds us that travel is a way to see a place, but tourism in a broader sense helps us understand it. It is important for Ukraine to preserve what we have today so that tomorrow we will have something to show, explore, and rediscover.