World Tourism Day 2026: Celebrating Plymouth's visitor economy

World Tourism Day (Sunday 27 September) is an opportunity to celebrate the people, places and experiences that make destinations thrive. This year's theme, "Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism", recognises how innovation can help create more accessible, inclusive and sustainable visitor experiences for the future.

While technology continues to shape how people discover and explore new places, tourism remains a people-focused industry. From welcoming visitors and sharing local knowledge to creating memorable experiences, the sector relies on a skilled workforce across tourism, hospitality and retail.

In Plymouth, the visitor economy is a vital part of the city's success, supporting around 7,500 jobs across a wide range of businesses and organisations. Opportunities can be found in hotels, restaurants, attractions, shops, events, leisure facilities and visitor services, offering rewarding careers for people with a variety of skills and interests.

Through Welcoming Plymouth, people across the city are discovering new pathways into the visitor economy. Whether starting a new career, developing their skills or progressing into employment, individuals are being supported to achieve their goals in tourism, hospitality, retail and leisure. If you're looking for inspiration, take a look at our Welcoming Plymouth case studies, which showcase local people who have benefited from the support available and progressed into employment, training and education.

This World Tourism Day, we're celebrating the opportunities that tourism creates for local people and recognising the vital role the visitor economy plays in supporting Plymouth's communities, businesses and future workforce.

To find out more about Welcoming Plymouth and the support available, click here.