Agree to Differ

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TALEB RIFAI, SECRETARY-GENERAL, WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (UNWTO)

Tourism has grown over recent decades to become one of the cornerstones of globalization. More than 1 billion

tourists are now travelling to an international destination each year, and about 6 billion are estimated to travel

within their own countries. Never before have so many people travelled to so many destinations, with few places

left untouched by tourism.

Yet tourism is so much more than its numbers; tourism is about what happens behind these numbers – the daily

exchange of stories, perspectives and beliefs. Tourism is about the millions of unique interactions between visitors

and hosts, happening every day and in all corners of the world. Sparking something as simple as a conversation

creates connections, helping us broaden our minds in a way that leads us to celebrate our own diversity.

It is through the experience of the other, so different from ourselves and our backgrounds, and yet so similar

in aspirations, that we nurture the values of compassion and respect. These values are the foundations of

multicultural understanding and peace.

It is little wonder that tourism has been hailed as the first ‘global peace industry’. With more than 1 billion

tourists leaving their comfort zones to visit an international destination each year, every tourist has the potential

to be an ambassador of peace. In this respect, tourism is today a global, transformative force that breaks down

cultural barriers and builds bridges between people, between communities and nations.

On behalf of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations specialized agency for tourism,

I would like to commend our sister agency the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

for its efforts in publishing

Agree to Differ,

in celebration of the United Nations International Decade for the

Rapprochement of Cultures. I trust that this significant publication will contribute towards realizing our shared

vision of linking cultures and building peaceful societies across the world.

Taleb Rifai

Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)