In Georgia, where history is a roll call of conflicts, hello (‘Gamarjoba’) translates as ‘be victorious’.

Given the Caucasian country’s familiarity with invasions, it is a fitting host for this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) theme of peace.

What is World Tourism Day?

Run by UN Tourism, today’s event will highlight the role tourism can play as a catalyst for fostering peace and understanding between nations. Government ministers and industry leaders are set to attend Freedom Square in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

“As we mark World Tourism Day this year our planet is ravaged by war and insecurity,” says Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism and a Georgian politician.

“Around one in four of the global population now lives in areas of conflict. Many of us have first-hand experience of the suffering caused by war and the impacts are felt far outside of warzones.”

Georgia’s own tourism sector has been through some seismic shifts in recent years. Previously a popular destination for Russian tourists, President Putin’s 2019 travel embargo hit Georgian tourism prior to the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

But its star is on the rise with a growing number of international holiday-makers attracted to the vibrant city of Tbilisi, the country’s diverse geography and its famed cuisine.

Why is peace the theme of World Tourism Day 2024 and who is speaking?

“We must urgently stand up for peace,” says Pololikashvili, arguing that “the global tourism family” is uniquely well placed to do so.

“Ours is the most human sector. Every journey leads to a connection. Tourism brings the world together and closer. Tourism builds trust and respect.”

An estimated 285 million tourists travelled internationally in the beginning of 2024, according to UN Tourism figures.

The sector also creates 10 per cent of the world’s jobs – many of them held by young people – thereby reducing poverty and inequality and helping to lay the foundations for more peaceful conditions.

Held on 27 September every year since 1980, World Tourism Day comes at the end of the high season in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of the season in the southern hemisphere.

Last year’s event, held in Riyadh, emphasised the need for better-targeted investments in the sector.

Today’s World Tourism Day takes place at Paragraph Freedom Square, a luxury hotel. Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will address delegates, alongside Pololikashvili and Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb.

Tourism ministers from Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Bahrain, Cuba, Jamaica and Malaysia will also be speaking at peace-focused panel discussions throughout the day, before the handover to Malaysia – host of World Tourism Day 2025.

“Let us work together as a sector united to make tourism a beacon of hope and ensure that when peace does return to areas of conflict, we are ready to help people rebuild and connect,” adds Pololikashvili.

Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city’s tourism.

An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbour, Ying Ying, gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record.

With the addition of the new bears, the twins, and their father, Le Le, Hong Kong now houses six pandas.

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said An An is a five-year-old male panda who is agile, intelligent and active, while Ke Ke, a five-year-old female, is good at climbing, cute and has a gentle temperament.

Hong Kong hopes pandas will boost visitor numbers

The new arrivals will undergo two months of quarantine and adapt to their new home at Ocean Park, a zoo and aquarium that has long been a favourite of residents and tourists. Lee expressed hope that the public could meet the new bears in mid-December.

In October, the government will invite residents to propose new names that showcase the pandas’ characteristics.

Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping it will boost visitor numbers in Hong Kong. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalise on the popularity of the new bears and newborn cubs to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda economy”.

China’s panda loan programme is a tool for diplomacy

Pandas are widely considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country’s giant panda loan programme with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Giant pandas are only found in China’s southwest and their population is under threat from development.

But caring for pandas in captivity is expensive. A zoo in Finland agreed with Chinese authorities to return two loaned giant pandas to China more than eight years ahead of schedule because they were too costly for the facility to maintain amid declining visitors.

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park has been hosting pandas since 1999, when the first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in the financial hub shortly after it was handed back to China.

Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, is the world’s oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity it’s 30 years, according to the Guinness World Records.

It’s close to five years since Britain left the EU but many UK travellers are still being tripped up by the passport validity rules that came into force since Brexit.

Last summer, hundreds of travellers were caught out when immigration officials told them they didn’t have enough months left on their passport. Long-awaited holidays were ruined when they were told they weren’t allowed on the plane or train.

Now, confusion over the rules is still seeing passengers denied boarding – sometimes wrongly.

Yesterday, UK newspaper The Independent reported that a British citizen heading to Spain to celebrate his retirement was turned away by British Airways when trying to check in for his flight at Gatwick Airport.

Staff said that his passport was no longer valid for the EU as there was less than three months left until the 10th anniversary of its issue date.

As his passport was valid beyond the 10 year mark, BA has since acknowledged that this was an error and the passenger will be entitled to compensation for missing his trip.

To make sure you don’t get caught out here’s everything you need to know about the new rules – and whether or not you can still use your current passport.

What are the passport rules for Brits travelling to Europe?

You might assume that your passport is valid up to the expiry date. But this isn’t always the case.

Before Brexit, Brits could travel up to and including the expiry date on their passports. But EU regulations now classify UK citizens as ‘third country nationals,’ meaning the rules have changed.

If a UK passport holder wants to visit the EU, they will need a passport:

• which is not older than 10 years on the day of outbound travel to the EU.
• is valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave the EU country you are visiting – read on for UK government advice on this.

These requirements apply to the whole Schengen area, which includes most EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland.

Though British citizens can enter the Schengen area with three months of validity on their passports plus the length of their trip, the UK government recommends that they have six months validity.

This allows a passport holder to travel for 90 days (the maximum number of visa free days a UK citizen can visit Europe in a six month period) and still exit with a valid passport.

What are the passport requirements for Brits travelling outside the EU?

Outside of the EU, passport requirements can be even stricter.

Some countries – including many in Asia and Africa – require UK citizens to have six months of validity on their passports from the date of departure. China, Singapore, and Egypt fall into this category.

In other countries, the rules are far more relaxed. In Japan, Mexico, and Australia, for example, your passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your stay.

Check the specific requirements on the UK Foreign Office website.

What are the rules on passport validity for other nationalities entering the UK?

When coming into the UK, on any passport or ID card, the rules are less strict. The UK government website states that your passport or ID card must simply be valid ‘for the whole of your stay’.

You can check which documents will allow you to enter the UK based on your nationality here.

How long does it take to get a new passport?

If your passport is edging close to the expiry date, you may want to get an application for a new one in quick.

The UK Home office says you should allow 10 weeks to get a new passport, though the waiting time is currently around three weeks on average.

In busy periods, however, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to wait much longer.

In summer 2022, which was plagued by delays following COVID, frustrated applicants took to social media to share horror stories of lengthy queues and months-long delays.

“After a long wait [and a] failed attempt to renew UK passport from Aus, son applied from UK, been waiting 14 weeks, missed his trip,” user Julie Wilson posted.

“Please prioritise this! Was told by your staff to stop telephoning as this will only delay the issue!”

Over the past year, the situation seems to have improved. Between October 2023 and May 2024, 98.5 per cent of customers either received their passport or were contacted for further information within three weeks of applying, the Home Office reported.