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The Second Global Summit on Peace through Tourism held earlier this year
in partnership with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) was a huge
success with participants from more than 50 countries including leaders from
the a broad range of industry sectors; related sectors such as culture,
sport, environment and development; U.N. agencies and NGO’s. The Summit was
in support of the U.N. Decade of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of
the World.
Feedback suggests that all those involved with the Summit can be proud in
achieving a remarkable event, creating inspiration and motivation to
continue moving forward towards the vision of “Tourism as a Global Peace
Industry” and the belief that “Every traveler is potentially an Ambassador
for Peace.”
IIPT and WTTC would like to wholeheartedly thank all who took part
for your most valuable contribution to its success and look forward to your
continued participation and involvement.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan was Royal Patron of the Summit and Sir Roger Moore, spokesperson for
UNICEF, the featured keynote speaker. H.E. Akel Biltaji, Chief Commissioner,
Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Jordan, was Master of
Ceremonies.
Other keynote speakers included Hon. Jennifer Smith, Premier of
Bermuda; Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC);
Amb. Anwarul Chowdhury, U.N. Under Secretary General for Least Developed
Countries; Hon. Jim Bacon, MHA, Premier of Tasmania; Francesco Frangialli,
Secretary General, World Tourism Organization (WTO); Rubens Ricupero,
Secretary General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD);
Richard North, CEO, Six Continents Hotels; H.E. Dr. Bassem Awadallah,
Minister of Planning, Jordan; H.E. Roni Milo, Minister of Regional
Cooperation, Israel; Setyanto Santosa, Executive Chairman, Indonesia Culture
and Tourism Board (ICTB); Anastasia Mann, Chairman, Corniche Travel Group;
Hon. Zakia Hamdani Meghji, MP, President, Africa Travel Association and
Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania; John Marks, Chairman,
Travel Industry Association of America; Peter De Jong, President, Pacific
Travel Association and Demba Ba, Manager, Private Sector Development, Africa
Region, World Bank.
Major sponsors of the Summit were Six Continents Hotels, Bermuda
Department of Tourism, Indonesia Culture and Tourism Board, Aqaba Special
Economic Zone Authority, Moevenpick Hotels, and Reed Travel Exhibitions.
Several media sponsors assisted in promoting the Summit including eTurbo
News.
Summit content and input will form the basis for the next stage of
IIPT’s development and forming strategic alliances to implement programs
that contribute to a “Culture of Peace through Tourism.” In this context, we
are particularly honored by the alliance that has been formed with RCI.
IIPT Achievement Awards
The IIPT has established a tradition of acknowledging and honoring
outstanding achievements that contribute to international understanding,
cooperation and peace.
Three such achievements were recognized at the Geneva Summit in a special
Awards Luncheon:
The first award was presented posthumously to the late Hon. David H.
Allen for his inspired launching of the “Africa Diaspora Heritage Trail” –
an idea that was conceived by Hon. David H. Allen at the First Global Summit
in Geneva, November 2000.
In his own words, “The aim of the Africa Diaspora Heritage Trail is to
identify, conserve, and promote historic sites linked with the development
and progress of people of Africa descent.” The award was received by Hon.
Jennifer M. Smith, Premier of Bermuda.
The Second Award was presented to the IUCN – UIAA Summit Team that
climbed several peaks in the Swiss Alps during the summer of 2002 in
recognition of the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region being granted world
heritage status. The mountain climbing team included mountaineers from India
and Pakistan, and a quadruple amputee. The purpose of the climb was to
promote international cooperation through sport and to encourage the
creation of trans-boundary peace zones, in particular for the Siachen
Glacier between India and Pakistan.
The third award was presented to H.E. Dr. Bassem Awadallah, Minister
of Planning, Jordan, and H.E. Roni Milo, Minister of Regional Cooperation,
Israel for their collaboration in preserving the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea has
great meaning to the three cultural and religious traditions, Christianity,
Islam and Judaism. The Dead Sea will be saved by a pipeline moving water
from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. Water from the pipeline will be
desalinated and distributed to the region. Palestine will also be a partner
in the project.
OUTCOMES PART 1
IIPT as a Convening and Information Forum
There are currently hundreds of very positive initiatives underway by
members of the industry and related sectors. By creating an information
forum, IIPT can serve as a conduit whereby organizations that are currently
working in isolation will be able to identify other organizations with
similar or complementing goals and become far more effective by
collaborating in the achievement of their objectives.
The convening power of IIPT was emphasized and IIPT encouraged to
bring together the many travel organizations and groups that have positive
initiatives underway. A global web or resources and forum for collaboration
can serve for further development of bold initiatives that contribute to a
better world for all.
The sustainable tourism projects presented at the Summit should form
part of an interactive website to which other sustainable tourism
development projects are added and made available to a wide audience. This
would enable students, academics, practioners, consultants, and policy
makers – once challenged by the concepts of “Peace through Tourism, can have
a ready resource from which to learn more.
It was also suggested that IIPT become a member of the U.N. Global Compact
established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in July 2002. The Compact
challenges business leaders to promote and apply nine principles in the
field of human rights, labor and the environment. .
Need for Partnering
Countries that are particularly successful destinations such as Bermuda and
the Maldives, have a record of government – private sector – labor – civil
society collaboration. In the Maldives, this extends to efforts towards
poverty reduction. These models of success recognize the importance of
elevating tourism as a national priority and involving all Ministers who are
members of the Cabinet to take an active interest in tourism – particularly
Ministers of Education, Foreign Affairs, Labor, Energy, Environment, Natural
Resources, Transportation, Finance, and Economic Development. A longer term
objective would be to have an expert in tourism in all departments to assist
in policy formulation and the capacity to develop the industry.
IIPT can be the instrument to bring this knowledge – and these models from
Bermuda and the Maldives – to governments.
A further suggestion was that IIPT create a “framework” whereby it could
work with its partners as one united organization to promote its ideas at a
higher political level so that those ideas can have a real impact. “IIPT has
the power to change things and simply needs to exercise that power.”
Communications
IIPT needs to gain more visibility internationally. A media strategy is
required to promote the concept and vision of “Peace through Tourism” – a
collective strategy that is consumer focused. There is an opportunity to
brand the concept of “Peace through Tourism” in advertising. “It can come
from e.g. San Francisco – from Bali – from anywhere in the world – and be
something that ties us together with a unified message, utilizing media
where we are buying space and time.”
There is also the opportunity to leverage the equity in global brands such
as ISTY, FIYTO, IYH, and AISEC to carry forward the message of “Peace
through Tourism.”
Media outreach by all delegates and IIPT members is important to achieving a
global impact. Representatives of the media suggested using wire services
and local reporters and mentioning that they are a member of IIPT – and
mention other notable success stories as well. IIPT itself should become
associated with significant projects of PR value.
IIPT should develop on-going relationships with key members of the media as
“Media Partners.” One such partner is eTurbo News that publishes
IIPT’s monthly newsletters – reaching 160,000 travel professionals in 212
countries. More than 30,000 responses have been received to the newsletters.
Channels to Travel Agents – and through them – the promotion of
IIPT’s Credo of the Peaceful Travel – are important in reaching consumers.
The IIPT Credo of the Peaceful Traveler could be a vehicle for gaining
greater visibility. It should be promoted as well among travel suppliers,
travel related media, airlines, hotels, and theme parks. Criteria need to be
established for organizations to display the Credo.
IIPT is currently represented on the Board of the American Tourism
Society and takes an active role in the Africa Travel Association and
increasingly the three largest youth travel organizations – International
Youth Hostels, Federation of International Youth Travel Organizations, and
International Student Travel Federation. It should also participate in
several other key international organizations to continue spreading the word
of Peace through Tourism as far and wide as possible.
Regional Conferences should be organized to further spread the word
in all regions of the world recognizing that many interested persons are not
able to afford costs of attending the Global Summits.
Education
Education featured prominently in many of the Summit’s sessions. It is clear
that education at all levels, utilizing a range of delivery systems
including distance learning programs, is essential in “Educating for a
Culture of Peace through Tourism” and the goal of sustainable tourism
development.
IIPT should coordinate a Forum on Education, bringing together key
stakeholders
Areas that should be considered by the Forum include:
• Educational programs that bring the tourism concept to student bodies so
that young people might see it as a career.
• Highlighting the importance of tourism to the economies of destination
through schools, training facilities, PR campaigns, etc.
• Nurture and facilitate the development of university level courses and
programs on “Peace through Tourism” such as the Masters Program currently
being developed at WICE, Netherlands.
• A “Clearing House” for educational resources for curriculum development on
“Peace through Tourism” topics in CD ROM and web accessible formats for
college and university tourism curriculum uses including sample curricular
programs, IIPT selected papers, peace education selected papers, learning
exercises and useful web links.
• Use of electronic networks and distance learning to share educational
resources and stimulate transnational cooperation.
• Data banks for internships, service learning opportunities, student and
faculty exchanges, and study abroad opportunities – particularly linking
developed with developing country universities and organizations..
• Guidelines for the conduct of study abroad experiential learning
activities across disciplines.
• Adult and continuing education in “Building a Culture of Peace though
Tourism” and sustainable tourism.
• How can travel be used to enhance learning and break pre-conceptions and
stereotypes presented in the media?
• Responsible travel and cultural information resources to prepare travelers
in advance of their trip and to prepare local business and citizens to be
culturally aware hosts.
• Incorporating ethical travel guidelines in publications of each region of
the world.
• Opportunities for members of the IIPT Educators Network to represent and
present papers regarding IIPT and Peace through Tourism at their
professional conferences.
• Fund raising to implement the priority programs identified by the Forum.
Industry Involvement
“One of the imperatives of IIPT is to engage more hotels to actually go out
and do the community capacity building that will contribute to poverty
reduction and an improved quality of life in host communities.” The
importance of practical strategies to engage hotels towards this end, and to
give them the means by which they can do it was emphasized. Hoteliers should
be encouraged to talk with the leaders of their community to determine the
three main needs and set strategies in place to help meet those needs.
An “Academy for Hoteliers” was suggested that examined communities in a
holistic way recognizing that all communities are living patterns of
relationships.
Student/Youth Participation
Delegates were inspired by the enthusiasm of students at the Summit. It was
suggested that IIPT should foster closer links between students and the
Coalition of Partners to benefit from their energy and creative ideas.
A large majority of student delegates were from developing countries.
Improved and consolidated information and facilitating information links and
resources would be tremendously helpful; a central website that students
through out the world – including the more than 30 million students and
young people traveling with IYH, ISTC and FIYO - once challenged by the
ideas and ideals of “Peace through Tourism” can refer to and learn more
about the types of experiences presented and discussed at the Geneva Summit.
An IIPT Young Professionals Network was launched in Geneva in recognition of
the creative and dynamic contribution that the growing number of young
professionals in the industry can make in contributing to a “Culture of
Peace through Tourism.” The Young Professionals Network” will also provide a
membership niche for student chapter members upon graduation and employment
in the industry.
Poverty Reduction
The alleviation of poverty received considerable attention during the
Summit. Various “Pro-Poor Tourism” initiatives are currently underway
including the STEP program of the World Tourism Organization, and Fair Trade
in Tourism. It was suggested that
IIPT should develop facilitation mechanisms with other international tourism
organizations and international donor agencies that target sustainable
community tourism in rural areas of developing countries in a manner that
addresses both poverty reduction and the environment.
“The way forward is to focus on capacity building and a business environment
conducive to investment that enables the nurturing of SME’s and
microenterprise.” Initiatives also need to be linked with existing economic
enterprise such as farming and fishing to achieve sustainable community
development.
The Internet must become much more available to developing countries so that
they can be linked to world markets. An information center or data base of
tourism SME’s and microenterprise should be linked to existing networks for
marketing purposes. Creativity will be required to differentiate among
tourism products and the encouragement of niche markets. For example, some
of the mountainous regions of the world are also the poorest regions of the
world. Ecotourism, Mountain Tourism, Trekking and Mountaineering can provide
attractive poverty reduction opportunities in these areas.
IIPT should facilitate the development of pilot projects among members of
the donor community to put these ideas into practice.
IIPT should also have an infrastructure whereby the needs of various
countries can be found by Tour Operators and others who wish to provide an
opportunity for their clients to contribute to meeting those needs as part
of their travel experience. Efforts should be made to promote such
opportunities among all Tour Operators.
Volunteer Tourism
Global Volunteers is a not for profit organizations that each year has teams
of volunteers sent all over the world at the invitation of various
international organizations and communities. A real need was expressed to
link with other like-minded organizations through IIPT. “Stated simply –
Global Volunteers has opportunities that need volunteers. Other
organizations such as Ambassadair have volunteers that need opportunities.”
IIPT can serve a real need by serving as an information forum for other
organizations interested in volunteer humanitarian projects and poverty
reduction.
“As volunteers work hand in hand with each other and with members of the
local community, they discover that we are more alike than we are different;
that they have friends where they never thought they might; and that in the
final analysis – friendship is what breeds peace in the world, and a better
life on our planet.”
Youth Travel
The Panel, “Youth Travel – Tomorrow’s Leaders Building International
Understanding and Peace” – was in effect a Summit within a Summit with the
CEO’s of the world’s three largest youth travel organizations participating.
Each year, these three youth travel organizations serve more than 30 million
young people. International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), the Federation
of Youth Travel Organizations (FIYTO), and International Student Travel
Confederation (ISTC) are each committed to collaborating with one another
and IIPT in promoting international understanding and peace through youth
Travel. The first World Youth Travel Forum will be held in October, 2003 in
Thailand with more than 1,000 youth travel experts and professionals
participating. The Conference will include a session on Youth Travel for
Peace and International Understanding.
International Youth Hostels has already launched a program on
“Hostelling for Peace and International Understanding,” and IYH – American
Youth Hostels has begun implementation of “Opening Doors – Opening Minds” a
campaign of scholarships, education and public awareness. Some 500,000 youth
will be involved annually - incoming and outgoing with partners that include
airlines and Internet providers.
Funding Support
Delegates recognized that the above initiatives require support of the
industry in terms of collaboration and funding to make possible the
appropriate staffing and infrastructure development. A combination of fund
raising initiatives are being considered. Sustaining Partners, Sponsors and
contributions are invited. Contact:
sponsor@iipt.org
OUTCOMES to be continued with Part II in July Newsletter
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