Published: 21.4.2018
For nine years already, under the initiation of the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque we celebrate the World Circus Day every third Saturday of April. Circus art – as a traditional branch of performing arts – is an integral part of our culture and economies, providing quality entertainment and livelihood for millions of people.
As 2018 year marks the 250th anniversary of modern circus arts, supporters and representatives of the circus industry have the unique opportunity to reassess the future of circus art and harness the new potentials. Circus is deeply intertwined with tourism with the two sectors complementing each other in a mutually beneficial manner. This link – which could be likened to that of two aerialists – shall be reinforced with better strategic planning in the future. We need to expand existing common platforms while special partnerships must be established in order to exploit the rapid worldwide development of the tourism industry – a true brotherly alliance between circus and tourism. Facilitating this endeavour, today I call upon tourism organisations to help protecting the values of the circus industry also in the following 250 years.
Istvan Ujhelyi
Chair of Tourism Task Force, Member of the European Parliament
Circus Ambassador 2018 of the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque
21.04.2018