World Tourism Day 2016 event organised in Bangkok

BANGKOK, September 27 (TNA) - Thailand observes the World Tourism Day 2016, which falls on every September 27, by hosting a grand event in Bangkok attended by more than 500 international visitors from 157 countries. Joining in a seminar, themed "Tourism for All", organised as part of Tuesday's event in the capital, Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkura exchanged ideas and opinions with delegations from the participating economies and agreed on a "non-barrier" tourism initiative, in which all groups of people, including the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and those in other underprivileged groups, are supported for equal access to tourism. The participants from the member countries of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) worldwide also agreed on a joint move to realise the "equal tourism for all" initiative internationally. Kobkarn said the move is in line with Thailand's policy on encouraging local tourist sites to develop their places to become barrier-free accessible to all visitors in order to upgrade the quality of the Thai tourism and to distribute income to people in local villages. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, more than 15 per cent of the world population are physically-impaired and the elderly aged over 60 years old and the rate is steadily rising, expected to stand at 20 per cent of the total world population by 2050. (TNA)