Le Méridien boasts Maltese Culture for World Tourism Day

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has been celebrating World Tourism Day every year, on September 27. It is on that specific date, in 1970, that the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. The purpose of World Tourism Day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

This year, World Tourism Day was celebrated under the theme Tourism - Linking Cultures, an opportunity to highlight tourism's role in bringing the cultures of the world together and promoting global understanding through travel.  In 2010, 940 million tourists travelled to a different country, coming into direct contact with tangible - art, monuments - and intangible - music, food, traditions - culture. World Tourism Day 2011 strived to be a celebration of this unique interaction and aimed at furthering understanding of the values of cultural diversity.  Its aim was also to draw attention to the importance of preserving and promoting the cultures of the world in all their forms. Culture, which compels millions of tourists to travel and spend, is of immense value in itself, but is also a vital tool for the development of a sustainable tourism sector.

On the 27^th of September, and for the occasion, Le Méridien St Julians Hotel & Spa decided to - once again - take an active part in the initiative, by organizing activities related to the theme for their hotel guests. With this in mind, the hotel's management invited their guests to join for a half-day program of discovery around the island, showcasing highlights of the Maltese culture. On Tuesday morning, 9am sharp, it is twenty-four enthusiastic travelers and four Le Méridien associates who hit the road to our beautiful ancient capital of Mdina for a leisurely walk around the Silent City with a professional guide. The tour then took its participants to the Craft Village of Ta'Qali, where they could witness artisanal workers blowing glass at Mdina Glass Blowers. The little group finished off their interesting encounter with the Maltese culture by a stop in Valletta, where they were invited to the interactive show of Malta Experience.

"The experience was very enriching" states Ana Nogueira, Rooms Division Executive. "It was great to get such a privileged connection with our hotel guests and at the same time it was very instructive. It was a pleasure to highlight some of the cultural wonders that Malta has to offer and this tour has  also triggered interesting conversational topics within the group about the varied cultures of different countries, since we had tourists from various destination participating. A success overall!"

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