There’s a holiday for every interest, I suppose, but did you know that September 27 is World Tourism Day?

Organized by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization in 2007, World Tourism Day is intended to “raise awareness on the constructive social role of tourism.” Each year, the World Tourism Day is hosted by a particular country– this year, it’s Peru–and each year is focused on a particular theme–the 2008 theme is tourism and climate change.

While you may not be planning a trip to Peru to celebrate, you can still participate in the day’s events. The WTO is hosting a photography competition; guidelines can be found here. Consistent with this year’s theme, winning photos will “showcase climate solutions in tourism.”

Did I hear you say “prizes”?

Well, those haven’t been announced just yet, but stay tuned to the World Tourism Day website, where the prizes will be posted soon.

Feature Photo & Photo: John LeGear (creative commons)

Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator who lives in New York and Mexico City. She is the managing editor of the Matador Network.