Imtiaz Muqbil is the Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire.
He spoke at the International Conference on Tourism, Religions, and Dialogue of Cultures in Córdoba, Spain, on 31 October 2007. The conference was organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) at a time when the organization was still important and under the highly respected leadership of secretary-general Dr. Taleb Rifai.
Imtiaz Muqbil’s presentation on the other global warming
Buenos Dias, Good Morning, Shalom, Namaskar, Sawasdee Khrap and As-Salaam O Alaikum.
Many thanks to Dr Taleb Rifai and UNWTO for inviting me here today.
I’m proud to be one of the very few Asians amongst the entire distinguished lineup of speakers. I like to think that I bring a unique confluence of cultures to this forum. I am a Muslim born in India, a country also known as Hindustan or the Land of the Hindus. I gained most of my education in a Christian missionary school and I now live in Thailand, in the midst of what is known as the Greater Mekong Subregion, where the dominant religion is Buddhism.
To have been enriched by the wisdom and enlightenment of the Prophet Muhammad SWS, Jesus Christ PBUH, the Lord Buddha, and Mahatma Gandhi is a unique privilege. The benevolent leadership of the King of Thailand, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, is also significant. He has been on the throne for 60 years and has not left the country for 40 years because he believes his people at home need him more than those abroad. It is called selflessness, a rare trait in contemporary leadership.
Having covered the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry for 28 years, it is clear that travel trends closely follow changing patterns of global lifestyles. This conference reflects that evolution. Although humanity has always been “on the move” for conquest, exploration, curiosity, spreading the faith, and many other reasons, as Dr Rifai outlined yesterday, the age of commercial tourism began as a visual exercise.
The first package tours launched by Thomas Cook in the late 19th century were mainly designed to satisfy the curiosity of people who had heard of the great monuments and icons of their time but wanted to see them for themselves. Then came the post-war era when travel became recreational with the institutionalization of the holiday break.
Then, it became physical, and we saw the advent of hotel fitness centers and gymnasiums. It is now in its mental stage, and spas and meditation centers are in vogue. The fifth and possibly final cycle, spiritual, is now gaining ground.
With this conference, a new era of tourism has begun.
There is another reason religious tourism is booming – prayer in its purest form is a search for safety and sanctuary from the unpredictable vagaries of life, such as disease, fires, floods, and financial or political crises.
As life spins out of control, people invariably seek help or protection—which is why insurance companies remain in business. Many turn to government leaders. But as many of these leaders at the global level are losing the faith, trust, and confidence entrusted in them, their people are turning as a last resort to whatever greater power or force they believe can save them from the next looming peril.
As turmoil and crises grow, so too will religious tourism, making the sustainability of religious sites even more important.
Many of our monuments and national parks are already being overrun by what one UNESCO official called “termite tourism.” This issue needs to be addressed. So, in the spirit of building bridges and introducing actionable ideas, let me venture one thought.
You heard yesterday and this morning that perhaps the most visited religious sites in the world are the Islamic holy spots in Saudi Arabia.
Over the years, Saudi Arabia has acquired unparalleled perfection in managing these sites. I believe it should now share this expertise with the rest of the world.
One religious tourism and pilgrimage area that needs such help is the Buddhist circuit, comprising Buddhist holy spots in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
The flow of visitors by Buddhists worldwide is increasing steadily, and site management is becoming a key issue.
Saudi Arabia’s sharing of its expertise in facilitation, security, transport, waste management, logistics, food and water supplies, etc., would be a tremendous gesture of goodwill. It would go a long way towards building bridges and alliances between civilizations and helping to promote harmony, regardless of caste, color, or creed.
I know the idea will encounter opposition from some quarters, not for technical or practical reasons but for religious and dogmatic reasons.
But that is precisely why our presence here is so important.
Rising above insularity in identifying, sharing, and helping each other solve common problems is becoming as important a moral imperative as starting to address global warming, no matter what role we play.
The Other Global Warming
Indeed, we are here to address the “other global warming” – the rising geopolitical temperatures between peoples, societies, communities, and countries.
This geopolitical “global warming” is essentially caused by two groups of people:
A tiny minority of unscrupulous politicians who promote divide and rule for parochial gain. And an equally small minority of fanatics who believe uncompromisingly that their way is the only way.
Both these groups exist in all countries and religions. They fall into what I call the life and let-die camp.
By contrast, we are in the live and let-live camp. I like to think that we are in the majority. Rising above divisiveness and fanaticism should be part of our calling.
As this conference is one of the first of its kind, it came as no surprise to see the question of “what do we do next” raised yesterday.
Over time, we will have plenty of research, data, and analysis. Mr Zaragoza noted yesterday that there are too many reports but not much action. However, as a new era has dawned, three key messages may help give us a sense of direction.
First, we need a good branding.
