In celebration of World Tourism Day 2024, UN Tourism has brought sector leaders from every global region together around a common vision and commitment to building a “peace-sensitive sector”, recognising its potential to build bridges and foster understanding.
The official celebration in Tbilisi, Georgia welcomed almost 500 participants from 51 different countries, including 13 tourism ministers.
Reflecting its firm commitment to the day and its theme of Peace and Tourism, the host country was represented by prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze as well as seven other ministers, showcasing tourism’s cross-sectoral importance.
UN Tourism secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that “without peace, there is no tourism”.
He said: “I call on all of you to help build a peace-sensitive tourism sector, one that plays a key role in building peace and ending conflicts, provides tourism stakeholders with tools to realise this potential, promotes tourism education as peace education, and links tourism to other peace building initiatives”.
Ministers representing Georgia, Uzbekistan, Sierra Leone and Bahrain made clear how peace and security are the foundations for prosperity, providing examples from their own countries and personal travels of how tourism connects people and promotes understanding. Key takeaways include the important role of tourism in combatting disinformation and mistrust, and the essential need to ensure the benefits tourism delivers are enjoyed fairly and equally across societies.
To complement the public sector view, the September 28 event also featured a private-sector panel. The dialogue explored the private sector’s potential and responsibility, and to leverage its strengths and capabilities to promote peace and stability through tourism, and how it can work with the public sector to achieve these essential goals. From the field of entrepreneurship and digital innovation, panellists highlighted the potential for tourism to rebuild post-conflict and create resilience against future shocks.
Natalia Bayona, executive director of UN Tourism, set out the case for tourism investments as key to both growth and peace and opportunity. She said: “We have seen time and again how tourism can transform post-conflict regions, provide employment and foster entrepreneurial initiatives. The private sector must remain committed to using its resources to build peace and create opportunities in emerging and vulnerable regions.”
