Peace Though Tourism Conference Coming Up

Delegates from 40 countries to address some world problems through tourism and travel

I certainly won't be at Host Stenden University in Leeuwarden, Netherlands later this month for the International Institute for Peace through Tourism's first IIPT European Conference, October 21-24. The theme is “Bridging the North-South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development.” Delegates from more than 40 countries from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean will be there to exchange their experiences, knowledge, insights and visions as to how travel and tourism can build on, expand and leverage current sustainable tourism development, wealth creation, poverty reduction and societal betterment in developing countries.

The conference is being organized by IIPT in partnership with the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and UN Environment Program (UNEP) in support of the UN Decade of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and the UN Millennium Development Goals. IITP says that the conference will bring together Ministers of Tourism, senior executives from both the public and private tourism sectors, European Union representatives, UN agencies, foundations, donor agencies, NGOs, educators, policy analysts, leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, future leaders of the industry and senior representatives of related sectors including environment, culture, sport and sustainable economic development.

The conference program is serious and formal, with plenary sessions featuring inspiring keynote speakers and also practical sessions and workshops with case studies of “success stories” and “models of best practice.” If is a lofty and worthy goal, and I frankly don't know whether the US is one of the 40 participating nations. After all, aren't we the country whose president, after the 9/11 attacks, asked Americans to go shopping to prove the patriotism? And until the current economic meltdown in the the US, Americans comprised a huge portion of international travelers.

In my very humble opinion, encouraging international tourism, particularly to developing countries, is a worthy goal. Perhaps the conference will find ways for tourism to benefit local people and local economies rather than cruise lines, hotel chains and other travel providers based in first-world, industrialized countries. And perhaps in this violent and unstable world, it will further pave the way to peace through cross-cultural understanding.