Peace Through Tourism by Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO

TalebRifai
TalebRifai
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is in Johannesburg today at the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) Symposium.

Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is in Johannesburg today at the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) Symposium.

He said when speaking on Peace Through Tourism:

“The topic of this symposium is quite relevant. We only need to read the headlines every day to be reminded of how much we are in shortage of peace and peace building. We struggle to find ways to cope with our diversity, but people are all dreaming the same way โ€“ something that brings us together. Globalization has brought out the best of our diversity. Itโ€™s a force that can take us in any direction. This is a nation that has risen out of its pains and has created a great society. It has been done here, with dignity and respect and without blaming the world.

“Tourism was created as a way to foster peace and understanding. No place is not visited and rights to travel cannot be denied. More than 1.1 billion people traveled in the last year, and that is a revolution into the โ€œage of travel.โ€ Ten million visit S. Africa in a year, and each of us is a potential ambassador of peace and we can help break down cultural barriers. Peace is at the heart of the UNWTO. The UN is built of social progress, peace and human rights, and UNWTO was put in place in 2003 to help build peace through tourism. Peace can inspire change. A more peace sensitive tourism sector can be built, by engaging and respecting local communities.

“We need to travel to learn and not condescend, and tourism must be considered at the community level. Local populations should be associated with tourism activities and share in the benefit of tourism.

“Tourism, culture and sports represent the most viable peace building and sustainable sectors, but also the most viable economically, surpassing the economy based on production. Amazing benefits are created by sports, for example, and tourism needs to be seen as a development tool.

“Three ways tourism can do this:

“1. Tourism builds respect and mutual understanding and sparks billions of encounters that are steps towards understanding. It builds our education and it can be peace sensitive and makes travelers global citizens.

“2. Tourism improves livelihoods and creates many jobs. It can help communities value their place in the world and what they have to offer. It can help people value their music, art, gastronomy, etc.

“3. Tourism leads to reconciliation within and between societies. It can open up peoplesโ€™ minds to other visitors. A great example is how FIFA in South Africa galvanized people together. If only all the wars in the world could be settled this way โ€“ with sports! Compete and hug each other after the game.

“1.8 billion people will be traveling by 2020. This is a good world, and we shouldnโ€™t listen to the negative people that speak of such future terror. The IT revolution has also helped to bring us together โ€“ the world has never been better! We have never cared more about each other. For example, the kidnapping of the girls in Nigeria became a concern for all of us, as do tsunamis and wars wherever they are. We all care about these things, and we all wish to deliver a better world to our children than the one we started with. Tourism can help foster this.”

About the author

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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