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read on the signs as we arrive at our destinations, the unfa-

miliar music on the taxi’s radio on the way to our hotel,

the food we eat and, most importantly, the stories we hear

from the people we meet – this is what makes tourism so

different to most other economic activities.

By now we have probably heard the saying that the real

voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new places but

in seeing them with new eyes. Conversely, the beauty of

travel also lies in seeing the people you meet with new eyes.

Indeed, the fundamental experience of tourism – visit-

ing a new place and immersing one’s self among its people

and culture – is a connecting thread between visitors and

hosts and a powerful transformative force that breaks down

cultural barriers, builds bridges between people and between

communities and nations, promotes tolerance and under-

standing – the building blocks of peace – while, at the

same time, it creates jobs, generates income and contributes

to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

Furthermore, like few other economic sectors, tourism has

the ability to help communities value their place in the world,

their cultures and traditions, and their environment. This helps

build self-esteem among local communities, which is particularly

important in those that have suffered from any form of conflict.

If one thing has become clear in recent years it is that

tourism needs peace in order to flourish and, by the same

token, it is itself a harbinger of peace. First of all, because it is

impossible to feel enmity for someone you know personally,

or that you have hosted or visited, and whose concerns you

have come to understand through direct contact, although

you may not always share such concerns. Second, because

both tourism destinations and operators in a given region

are linked by a specific commonality of interests and desti-

nies around shared development projects. Why oppose one

another when peace benefits everyone and conflicts no one?

In this respect, the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who is

perhaps one of history’s greatest ambassadors of peace,

should be recalled: “I have watched the cultures of all lands

blow around my house and other winds have blown the

seeds of peace, for travel is the language of peace.”

And yet, tourism largely remains an untapped resource

whose full potential as an agent of peace is yet to be fully

realized. Its undisputable role as a mind- broadening educa-

tional experience can indeed bring a significant contribution

to building a more harmonious and peaceful world.

Every day, 5 million people will be travelling around the

world by 2030, potentially becoming global ambassadors

Image: Rabin Chakrabarti/World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The beauty of travel lies in seeing the people you meet with new eyes

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