ETHICAL

Tourism & Peace Hand in Hand

Is tourism contributing to
peace? How can a post-war
country start developing its
tourism potential? Who is a
peaceful traveler? Discover the
connection between peace and
tourism!

Does Tourism Promote
Peaceful Coexistence?
Tourism professionals and tourism scholars
have long grabbled with the question if tour-
ism promotes peace. Certainly this is a con-
cept that tourism industry professionals want
to believe. Yet, the answer to this intellectual
query is not cut and dry.
The basic assumption of those who see
tourism as a peace generator is that tourism
May, 2011
ETHICAL
allows people to know each other, to work
with each other, and to learn to appreciate
each other’s cultures and by so doing come to
appreciate each other. Tourism then is a giant
“communication generator” that allow mutual
understanding and therefore appreciation of
the other. Thus, in 1988 Louis d’Amour called
tourism “the world’s peace industry”. Others,
— 29 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
including academics agree. Thus, Levy and
Hawkins in 2008 wrote in an article entitled:
“Peace Through Tourism: Commerce Based
Principles and Practices” and stated that: “a
positive framework of peace can include influ-
ences such as transparency, material well
being, culture and education”. Is this assump-
tion true, or do we need to question these con-
cepts a bit further?
Can we argue that the idea that tourism pro-
motes peace should not be taken as axiomatic,
but rather as a hypothesis that needs to be
studied? Mistakes can be costly, and can pro-
duce multiple negative results. For example,
many criminologists believe that poverty pro-
duces crime, yet the data seem to contradict
this belief and policies based on this hypoth-
esis have failed. In the same way is the jury still
out as to whether tourism does or does not
promote peace?
To make this assumption even more difficult
there is no one standard definition of tourism.
Many people mean different things when they
say tourism, and there are multiple forms of
tourism ranging from family vacations to busi-
ness trips, from sun and surf vacations to visits
to poverty and disaster sites. In a like manner
there is no one definition of “peace.” When
we use the word peace, do we define it: as the
absence of war, or the absence of violence, or
do we define peace as mutual understanding
and a sense of appreciation of the other? Is
peace through tourism defined as a lack of hos-
tilities between nations or do we define tour-
ism peace as the ability to live or visit a place
without undue probabilities that the resident
or visitor will be physically harmed?
 ETHICAL Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd

These are major questions. If we mean to

state that nations that engage in tourism inter-
changes never enter into war, then it is not
hard to find multiple counter examples to this
hypothesis. In fact, most nations that have gone
to war have had tourism interchanges before
entering into hostilities. In a like manner, there
are a number of nations around the world
which are technically “at peace” but within
whose borders there is a great deal of hostility
and violence. Can we relate physical criminal
acts with the lack of peace? Lastly there is the
issue of civil wars. Clearly there are many situa-
tions in which the citizens of the same country
know each other, have shared a great deal of
commonality and most likely have had internal
tourism, but for other reasons have chosen to
go to war. Do we need to ask in these situa-
tions, why did tourism not prevent war?
Just as there is no one definition of peace,
so the tourism literature is not absolutely one
sided when it comes to the question of tour-
ism promoting peace. For example in a March
2006 paper entitled “Tourism and Peace: The
Traveller” by Sashana Askjellerud the author Furthermore, most tourism profession- eastern Asian nations have had to deal with
notes that: als know that there is a great deal of tourism the issue of sex tourism or even worse child
• an increase in such (tourism) contacts may that is not an in-depth experience, but from a sex tourism. In those cases, we may expect
intensify and perpetuate misconceptions cultural or personal interchange perspective that the “cultural interchange” was anything
about foreigners; superficial. To complicate the issue still further but positive. Much to the contrary, it may be
• the presentation of tourism as a 'peace indus- there is also the class difference between many possible to hypothesize that the greater the
try' is a ploy to disguise its true impact; tourists and the tourist providers. This class numbers of tourists who come to these under-
• the proposition that travel improves under- differentiation between the tourism consumer developed lands, the higher the resentment
standing is a Western, rather than universal and the tourism provider is especially true in factor and the less likely that feelings of com-
perception; and cases of tourism from the developed world to radery develop. Finally, it is highly imaginable
• attitude change at the individual level has underdeveloped world. that in places where customer service is lack-
little impact on policy development at the Not all tourism is “good tourism”. Thus, many ing, where visitors may be subject to becoming
national level. of the Caribbean islands and some South- crime victims, and where visitors may prey on

May, 2011 — 30 —
 ETHICAL Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd

locals, that the interchange between cultures

may be far from positive.
The data then seem to be far from conclusive.
We can find many examples where tourists and
locals have shared very positive experiences,
but we can also find counter examples where
exposure to another culture, especially when
it goes against the tourist’s cultural or moral
principles produces negative intercultural feel-
ings rather than positive ones. An example of
the latter is bullfighting. A visit to a bullfight
may produce a better understanding of Span-
ish culture or it may simply reinforce negative
feelings toward Spanish culture.
Here are some ideas to help use your tour-
ism product as a peacemaker rather than as a
hostility/resentment producer:
• Make sure that your community is as safe and those people who will most benefit from
secure as possible. While no one can guaran- what your locale has to offer.
tee 100% security, the safer your community, • Focus on the individual. You are not respon-
the higher the probability that the visitor will sible for national policy, for international ter-
not have a negative experience. rorism or economic disagreements. Instead
• Be true to yourself and be the best that you build relationships on a one-by-one basis.
can be. Know that you are different from your • It is not clear if tourism actually generates
visitors. If you were the same they would peace or not, but what is clear is that provid-
most likely not come, so promote who you ing a safe, clean and caring locale makes life
are and be proud of your own culture. Never a whole lot nicer not only for visitors but also
try to be what you are not. for the local residents.
• Stress customer service. Some things are uni-
versal, for example showing that people care,
By Dr. Peter E. Tarlow
smiling and a sense of compassion are uni-
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow is the president of Tourism &More
versal concepts that can win lots of friends. Inc, located in College Station, Texas, USA. He can be
• Know your community’s own strengths and reached at his email address ptarlow@tourismand-
weaknesses. Not every tourism site will more.com or by telephone at +1-979-764-8402.
appeal to every visitor. Niche market, go after http://www.tourismandmore.com

May, 2011 — 31 —
 ETHICAL Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd

Africa: Development of Tourism

Contributing to Peace
Peace is a fragile commodity – it breaks easily
and must be protected and defended against
its many enemies. It is of vital importance that
we make our peace as strong as possible – that
we build our peace on rock, and not on sand  –
to use a biblical expression. The intermittent
outbreaks of violence, conflicts and terrorist
attacks in different parts of the world, and the
increases in crime and violence, remind us that
we live in an uncertain and dangerous world.
The challenges the world is facing today are
immense and varied.
There are crises in the Middle East, the Korean
Peninsula and Africa; threads of terrorism and
religious radicalism continue; there are clear
and irrefutable signals that our present life-
styles and consumption patterns are causing
dangerous harm to the fragile ecosystems that
support life on Earth. The consequences are to
be seen in global warming and the struggle for
sustainability. And then, overriding it all, the
vast and worsening divide between haves and
have-nots with the explosive potential that
unfulfilled needs and expectations are creat-
ing.
Poverty, with all its problems of malnutrition,
disease, crime, social collapse and the breeding
ground for violence and terrorism – constitute
a real threat to long term peace, stability and
freedom. Addressing this problem has moved

May, 2011 — 32 —

to the top of the world agenda, It was against
this background that the 189 members of the
UN General Assembly unanimously agreed to
the Millennium Declaration in 2000 – as a dec-
laration of intent and a commitment to work
for a better world in the 21st Century.
Regarding peace the declaration say: “We
are determined to establish a just and lasting
peace all over the world in accordance with
the purposes and principles of the Charter”
The Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
was drawn from the Millennium Declaration.
These Goals constituted an unprecedented
promise by world leaders to address, as a
single package, peace, security, development,
human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The key to unlock the implementation of the
Millennium Declaration is Peace and security.
Without a climate of peace we will not succeed
in meeting the Development Goals – they will
stay outside our reach.
One may ask – how does tourism fit into this
picture. Well, as a truly global business and a
core sector of the world economy tourism has
become a major international role player. Over
more than half a century tourism has been
the fastest growing economic activity. In 1950
International tourist arrivals (the way in which
tourism growth is measured) were 25 mil-
lion arrivals. In 2005 (55 years later) it broke
through the barrier of 800 million and reached
843 million in 2006. And, the long term trends
for the tourism industry are incredibly positive.
The tourism industry is expected to double in
size over the next 12-14 years – faster in some
regions than in others – simply because bound-
May, 2011
ETHICAL
aries are going down and disposable incomes
are going up.
According to the figures of the IMF (Interna-
tional Monetary Fund) tourism has become
the biggest export industry – bigger than the
chemical or motor industries. Tourism is highly
labour intensive and one of the biggest employ-
ers in the world – particularly for women and
young people. Tourism consists of more small,
micro and medium sized businesses, provid-
ing more products and services to the tourism
industry, than any other economic sector. It
has a strong impact on local farming, fishing,
handicrafts, services and even on the construc-
tion industry.
Tourism is also a frontline industry when
it comes to poverty-reduction. International
tourism receipts for Developing countries
amounts to about US$ 250 billion. In the 49
LDC’s (Least Developed Countries) – of which
the vast majority are in Africa – 46 (that is 46
— 33 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
out of 49) have tourism as one of their three
leading sources of foreign exchange. For many
poor countries tourism remains one of the
few  – if not the only – opportunity for devel-
opment.
The contribution of tourism to conserva-
tion and sustainable development is critical  –
the natural environment is the most impor-
tant product on which the tourism industry
depends – whether it is in the form of beaches,
mountains, ski-slopes, or game parks, to name
but a few. Tourism has shown its capacity to
serve as a tool that can be used to achieve the
right balance between social, economic and
environmental goals.
Tourism has the ability to build bridges of
understanding and tolerance between peoples
and nations – it promotes world peace. Think
about it for a moment: Every peace agree-
ment includes tourism exchanges as one of
its first components. It is people-to-people
contacts that establish the first bridges to cul-
tural understanding and tolerance. That is why
UNWTO has quietly been driving tourism proj-
ects to help build post-conflicts development
in East Timor, Sri Lanka, Rwanda and even in
DPR Korea.
And when it comes to development, Tour-
ism is one of the best – and often the only
option  – for many of the world’s poor coun-
tries to create new jobs, provide opportuni-
ties – particularly for women – and to help lift
people out of poverty. That is why UNWTO is
helping countries to place tourism at the core
of their Development and Poverty Reduction
Strategies

When it comes to the MDG – tourism is –
directly or indirectly – related to all the goals.
Peace and Tourism belong together – they are
inter-related. Without peace there can be no
tourism, but tourism can also contribute to the
peace process.
Peace is a journey that demands continued
effort. It requires that we vigorously protect
and advance those rights and values that form
the foundation of real peace. In such a climate
tourism will flourish, as will other economic
activities.
Africa is well positioned to derive more value
from tourism. Its tourism strength however,
is above all to be found in its originality and
authenticity. It has a lot to offer that can no
longer be found elsewhere. Africa still has a
legacy of romanticism as the continent of the
explorers and as a place for adventures.
May, 2011
ETHICAL
Africa is an exciting continent but its prog-
ress and development are hampered, amongst
other, by the impediments created by poor or
non-existent infrastructure and fragile devel-
oping economies. However, most African coun-
tries have one, common, unique selling prop-
erty, namely an abundance of Africa’s diverse
and fascinating fauna and flora. If this great
natural wealth can be correctly conserved and
managed, their sustainable utilization should
contribute significantly to the long-term devel-
opment of the continent.
One of the most successful and powerful ini-
tiatives to utilize the immense value of Africa’s
natural potential comes from the concept of
Peace Parks and Transfrontier Conservation
Areas. The principle is to integrate large tracks
of land crossing national boundaries into Peace
Parks. The goal is to advance sustainable eco-
— 34 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
nomic development, the conservation of bio-
diversity and regional peace and stability.
The concept of Peace Parks has the potential
to open many new doors for Africa’s develop-
ment. Peace Parks can be created across the
continent and linked together to create unique
animal kingdoms and make Africa the world’s
leader in the protection of fauna and flora. The
economic benefits would be enormous – mind-
boggling. The world has lost more than 30% of
its plant, fish and animal species over the past
30 years. It has lost more than 30% of its forests.
Suffice to say that with Peace Parks across Africa
we would create “lungs” for the world – lungs
that can become the backbone of Africa’s eco-
nomic growth over the next three decades.
Tourism is already making a major contri-
bution towards achieving the MDG – it could
be used more effectively in many developing
countries. It is crucial for our generation to ful-
fill the dream and make the MDGs a reality.
The opportunity is ours to make the Millen-
nium Development Goals a reality. We must
not wait for others – we have to do it our-
selves – not by blaming others – but by using
our opportunities to make Africa a continent
of peace and progress. To achieve that goal the
strength of tourism should be more effectively
used as a tool for sustainable development
and poverty alleviation. This challenge is our
opportunity.
(Address presented at the Fourth African Conference,
Uganda 2007)
By Dr. Dawid DeVilliers (former Deputy Secretary Gen-
eral UNWTO)
http://www.iipt.org
 ETHICAL Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd

Tourism and Peace, There are many ways to look at the relation
between tourism and peace. From a perspec-
tive that seems to be purely economic only

Peace and Tourism –

at first sight, it is clear that tourism is intrinsi-
cally linked to affluence, to affluent societies,
to leisure time: tourism means travel for fun,
for relaxation, out of pure personal will–in con-
An Inseparable Union trast to other forms of travel that are linked
to work or even survival, like migration, the
search for a better life elsewhere.
Only someone who does not have to worry
about her or his immediate economic future
can afford to spend money on short-time fun
travel, which is the essence of tourism, no mat-
ter how fun is defined personally. The poor do
not travel for fun, they usually cannot afford
the luxurious experience to be carefree tour-
ists from time to time. Of course, this state-
ment only holds true if we exclude more recent
and complex western phenomena like cheap
tourism offers to mass resorts for the “working
poor” of the industrialized nations.

Perception of “peaceful
conditions”
Societies whose citizens are generally well-
off in economic turns (not only a tiny “upper
crust” of the society) can only become so
under peaceful conditions. Therefore, tourists
usually are citizens of peaceful, economically
more or less stable states – and they usually
wish or even expect to visit likewise states or
regions.
Peaceful conditions in their travel destina-
tions are expected by tourists – but what
exactly are these peaceful conditions? Peace-

May, 2011 — 35 —

ful for whom? Foremost, of course, for the
tourists themselves – they expect peaceful sur-
roundings, surroundings that are not danger-
ous for their own well-being.
How far these peaceful surroundings are
expected to go, is a highly subjective matter.
More sensitive types of travellers will proba-
bly expect the whole country or wider region
they visit to offer peaceful conditions not only
for themselves during their stay or journey,
but also for the permanent inhabitants. Oth-
ers seem to be more immune to the human
environment they encounter. Otherwise, con-
stant news in the wake of long-term conflicts
May, 2011
ETHICAL
which say that “visiting tourists or other out-
siders have never been harmed” cannot be
explained.
An important question arises: Is peace just
the absence of physical violence? Can a country
stricken by well-known political strife, undem-
ocratic conditions and bad governance, and,
along with this, the obvious poverty of most
of its citizens be perceived as peaceful? Obvi-
ously so – otherwise raving accounts by tour-
ists about their visits to, for example, “Golden”
Burma would be unthinkable.
Not many interesting places left
to go, if …
But what of tourism from the perspective
of countries experiencing ongoing violent
conflict? Iraq is not on the list of top tourist
attractions, but these days some more adven-
turesome tourists are once again taking in the
archaeological sites of Ur, the Arch of Ctesi-
phon and the holy cities of Najaf and Kerbala.
What a welcome sight they must be to the local
hotel staff and even the people on the street. A
long awaited sign of some return to normality.
Despite the fighting in the North of Sri Lanka,
the sunset on the beaches of Kalutara and the
ancient Sigiriya frescoes are no less spectacu-
lar or worthy of a visit. There are wonderfully
rewarding experiences and sights to be had in
these regions on the less beaten track. And if
countries with violent conflicts are somewhat
more risky, Sri Lanka (for example) is for the
most part probably more dangerous in terms of
its roads and local driving environment, than in
terms of the direct violence which exists in the
— 36 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
The Credo of the Peaceful
Traveler
Grateful for the opportunity to travel and expe-
rience the world and because peace begins with
the individual, I affirm my personal responsibil-
ity and commitment to:
Journey with an open mind and gentle heart
Accept with grace and gratitude the diversity I
encounter
Revere and protect the natural environment
which sustains all life
Appreciate all cultures I discover
Respect and thank my hosts for their welcome
Offer my hand in friendship to everyone I meet
Support travel services that share these views
and act upon them and
By my spirit, words and actions, encourage oth-
ers to travel the world in peace
International Institute for Peace Through
Tourism, IIPT.org
country. So if you go, do yourself a favour and
get a professional driver to take you around.
Being aware of the
surroundings
At the end of the day, if we avoid every con-
flict-affected country, it is a sad fact that there
are not many interesting places left to go to.
Goodbye India and Sri Lanka, Mexico and Bra-
zil, Morocco and Algeria, Israel and Palestine,
Thailand and the Philippines, and many more
of the world’s most fascinating places. Wel-
come to Club Med. It is up to the traveller to

decide what kind of experience they want to
have.
For some, the Club Med experience is exactly
what they are looking for in a vacation. For the
rest of us, it is important to keep in mind that
risk is manageable in most situations. Just as
there are some neighbourhoods to be avoided
in and around Paris, there are areas which
should be avoided in countries in conflict. One
must be aware of one’s surroundings. The
payoff can be an unforgettable and wonderful
experience in a new and captivating culture.
Impact of tourism
The more interesting questions may be ethi-
cal in nature. What is the relationship between
the tourist and the local country and society?
What is the impact on the conflict itself, on the
local society? What is the impact if tourists
stop going to such places? What is, in the end,
better for the people who have to live year-
round in these countries? The short answer is,
“it depends”.
Countries in conflict tend to have serious eco-
nomic problems, with high levels of inequality
and poverty. When tourists stop coming, there
is little that can replace the lost income. Suffer-
ing increases. And this must be the measure of
ethical tourism – not only in areas of conflict,
but everywhere.
Ethical tourism in a conflict area reduces suf-
fering. It increases the wellbeing of the local
population. Beyond the economic dimensions,
it increases the visibility of their plight, expos-
ing the internal situation to the outside world.
It brings in new perspectives from the outside.
May, 2011
ETHICAL
It is therefore rare that a complete boycott of a
country may contribute to an improvement in
the conditions of the host society.
The strongest candidate for this kind of boy-
cott could be Apartheid-era South Africa. But
such boycotts based on an ethical or moral
objection to a political system only work when
those most affected are those who have the
power, as was the case in South Africa. More
often, those affected are from among the
poorer segments of society, who already face
hardships imposed by an unjust political, eco-
nomic or social system.
The result is the same when there is a drop
in tourism due to internal conflicts. Many are
dependent on tourists for earning their liv-
ing. Without this income, many are faced with
greater poverty and misery. Tourists cannot
bring peace to a country. But we can bring
resources in terms of economic stimulation,
as witnesses to the conditions and realities on
the ground, and in terms of sharing our own
knowledge and experience with our hosts.
The presence of tourists, which is often vital
for governments’ budgets, also tends to have
a moderating impact on internal repression.
It is easier to do dirty work with no witnesses
around.
Good guests contribute to peace
Most of all, we should remember that when
we travel to another country, we are guests of
that host society. And guests have the respon-
sibility of behaving well. Our presence will have
a positive effect on a larger scale, as long as
we make sure to be good guests. We are good
— 37 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
guests when we limit our impact on the local
environment, when we do not take advantage
of poverty to engage in sex tourism, when we
treat the local population with dignity and
respect.
When our interaction is that of one human
being with another human being, recognizing
our common humanity and celebrating our
diversity, we make that small personal contri-
bution to peace. And most of all, we may find
that on our return home, we continue on this
path, making our own society just that much
more peaceful.
(Originally published in Integra 'Tourism and Peace /
Tourism and conflict'.)
By Karin Chladek and Augustin Nicolescou
Augustin Nicolescou has worked with the IICP (The
Institute for Integrative Conflict Transformation and
Peacebuilding) since it was founded. He coordinates the
IICP’s dialogue project in Sri Lanka, conducts research,
trainings, and manages the office IT and website.
Karin Chladek is editor-in-chief of Integra and respon-
sible for press and public relations of respect – Institute
for Integrative Tourism and Development. Her academic
background is science journalism and communication.
http://www.respect.at

Peace Building through Tourism?
Mediators Needed
What are the factors that tourism and peace
have in common? Are there examples that and
how tourism has facilitated peace or cooled
down conflicts? Both questions are extremely
interesting and need a lot more consideration
than they have received so far.
Patterns of conflicts are very different from
each other and each needs its own approach
of peace-keeping measures and conflict disen-
gagement. The one thing that might certainly
have a common positive effect on calming
down sentiments after a conflict is tourism.
Here are some reasons that will, without
doubt, help stabilize a fragile post-conflict
environment:
- Tourism employs people
- Tourism will create necessary funds to
improve the destroyed infrastructures
- By talking to tourists, locals will be able speak
about their conflict experiences
- Museums can be created and help confront
both tourists and locals with the taboos of
conflict and atrocities
- New beautiful environments will be created
for tourists, something that locals can also
benefit from
- Tourists will help give local people a better
understanding of the western society
- Locals will educate tourists about the conflict
and build awareness
May, 2011
ETHICAL Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
- With tourism there is a need for education of
local people and that in return will positively
influence someone's chances on the labor
market.
- There are always influential people among
tourists and some might come back and
invest or help set up other community proj-
ects (education, environment, health, etc)
Nevertheless, there is need for outside medi-
ation. It will be very difficult to bring together
abused people with their experiences, and
tourists. The approach must be soft without
shocking both sides. Local people might be
shocked by the richness and holiday-behaviour
that tourists bring along. Tourists, of course,
will also be torn by the dramas they get to hear
from local people.
It is very possible to unite those extremes
but, mediators will have to help. Once com-
mon understanding has been achieved, the
roads are clear for bigger projects. So, how
could the whole process kick off?
It can only be a well-planned step-by-step
implementation of tourism projects. A lot, of
course, depends on the size and kind of con-
flict that has just finished. And the financial
power of local people and governments does
play an important role as well.
Post-war environments might not be seen fit
and secure enough to encourage travelers to
— 38 —

visit such a country or region, therefore: Local
authorities must be encouraged to guarantee
the safety and security that is needed for a
touristic environment. Without the willingness
and the sources to provide security, the whole
project will end in disaster if only a single tour-
ist is killed. All former conflict parties that are
present in such a region will have to participate
in negotiations and must be convinced that
tourism will benefit both sides. Otherwise we
have a potential for renewed conflict.
Peacekeeping forces or other security forces
in a former conflict zone will often say that
tourism hinders their operations or that an
area is not fit for tourism. I, personally, have
not seen a single local civilian in a former con-
flict zone who is not keen and happy to wel-
come tourists! That, of course, does not mean
that certain preconditions are to be ignored...
May, 2011
ETHICAL
The first businesses that will open in a post-
conflict area are likely markets, restaurants,
stalls at beautiful locations. Mediators could,
together with tour operators, encourage this
kind of soft tourism first by directing day-trips
into such a region. It is important that local
people get the chance to participate in the busi-
ness. Otherwise the entrepreneurs will all be
outsiders who have the money to create busi-
ness (another potential for renewed conflict).
Next might be information centers – tourists
want to know about the conflict – but without
being overrun by extreme views. Sensitive, yet
open, ways of information are needed. Hotels
and resorts will follow last. An investment into
such a project needs long-term stability and
sustained peace.
Getting local governments on board of plan-
ning and realizing tourism projects in their
— 39 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
respective conflict zone also bears some
problems. Information on conflicts should
not be propaganda with the potential to stir
up renewed trouble. Again, international
mediators might be helpful to avoid exactly
that.
There are a few success stories where tour-
ism has encouraged the peace building pro-
cess: Sarajevo after the war, Cambodia (despite
other problems that tourism has brought
along). There is also high potential for the
success of tourism and peace in many other
regions of the world: Palestine, South Leba-
non, Iraq, many African countries, Timor... the
list is endless.
By Armin Hermann
http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org

Peace and Tourism – Key
Organizations
There are quite a few people who believe
that one of the key aspects to promoting
increased peace and understanding in the
world is through facilitating positive interac-
tion between individuals and communities
from diverse backgrounds. The assumption is
by learning about each other's cultures, lan-
guages, lives, that people can discover what
they have in common, as well as explore
their differences and possibly build long-term
friendships that can have a positive impact on
the world.
In recent years, there has been increasing
discussion about the role of peace tourism, as
well as voluntourism (where individuals visit
other countries and engage in community ser-
vice projects in addition to seeing the sights),
and eco-tourism (trying to minimize the impact
on the environment).
As with any activity, travel has both poten-
tially negative and positive impacts. The nega-
tive impacts include significant environmental
impacts through plane and other high-carbon
forms of travel, destruction of local environ-
ments, sometimes contributing to exploitation
of locals who are not treated fairly in the ser-
vice economy, lack of respect for local tradi-
tions and cultures and more.
On the other hand tourism conducted in part-
nership, that seeks to develop a sustainable
May, 2011
ETHICAL Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
form of economic development, minimizes
negative environmental impacts and facilitates
true learning and exchange between cultures
can have a life-long impact.
There are a number of organizations and ini-
tiatives that are working on the issues of peace
and tourism, ranging from policy focused insti-
tutions, organizations focused on the environ-
ment and others on connecting travelers around
the world. Here are a few key organizations.
COUCHSURFING is an international non-
profit network that connects travelers with
locals in over 230 countries and territories
around the world. Since 2004, members have
been using the system to come together for
cultural exchange, friendship, and learning
experiences. Today, over a million people who
might otherwise never meet are able to share
hospitality and cultural understanding. The
mission of the organization is to create inspir-
ing experiences: cross-cultural encounters
that are fun, engaging, and illuminating. These
experiences take many forms. CouchSurf-
ing's initial focus was on hosting and 'surfing'
(staying with a local as a guest in their home).
Alongside these core experiences, the organi-
zation now also facilitates a growing array of
activities and events.
Their vision is of a world where everyone can
explore and create meaningful connections
— 40 —

with the people and places they encounter.
Each CouchSurfing experience shared by the
members brings us closer to that vision.
SERVAS is an international, non-governmen-
tal, multicultural peace association run by
volunteers in over 100 countries. Founded in
1949 as a peace movement, Servas Interna-
tional works to build understanding, tolerance
and world peace. They operate through a net-
work of Servas hosts around the world who are
interested in opening their doors to travellers
, and of Servas travellers who want to get to
know the heart of the countries they visit.
THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PEACE
THROUGH TOURISM (IIPT) is a not for profit
organization dedicated to fostering and facili-
tating tourism initiatives which contribute to
international understanding and cooperation,
an improved quality of environment, the pres-
May, 2011
ETHICAL
ervation of heritage, and through these initia-
tives, helping to bring about a peaceful and
sustainable world. It is based on a vision of
the world's largest industry, travel and tour-
ism – becoming the world's first global peace
industry; and the belief that every traveler is
potentially an “Ambassador for Peace”. A pri-
mary goal of IIPT is to mobilize the travel and
tourism industry as a leading force for poverty
reduction.
VOLUNTEERS FOR PEACE–Their goal is to
work toward a more peaceful world through
the promotion of International Voluntary Ser-
vice (IVS) projects, historically known as Inter-
national Workcamps, and the exchange of vol-
unteers. Through their international alliances,
they work together to help communities meet
local needs and some of the goals of the
United Nation's Millennium Declaration. The
— 41 —
Tour i s m & P e a c e H a nd i n H a nd
organization’s projects provide intercultural
education through community service. They
offer placement in over 3000 IVS projects in
more than 100 countries each year, including
over 40 in the USA. At each project, volunteers
from diverse backgrounds, typically from four
or more countries, work and live together like
a family. The sharing of everyday life, both with
the local community and among the interna-
tional volunteers, is an integral part of the
learning and serving experience. Most projects
are open to volunteers with any type of back-
ground and do not require any specific profes-
sional or language skills.
GLOBAL EXCHANGE–REALITY TOURS–They
envision a people centered globalization that
values the rights of workers and the health of
the planet; that prioritizes international collab-
oration as central to ensuring peace; and that
aims to create a local, green economy designed
to embrace the diversity of our communities.
The idea that travel can be educational, fun,
and positively influence international affairs
motivated the first Global Exchange Reality
Tours. The tours provide individuals the oppor-
tunity to understand issues beyond what is
communicated by the mass media and gain
a new vantage point from which to view and
affect US foreign policy. Travelers are linked
with activists and organizations from around
the globe who are working toward positive
change. They also hope to prompt participants
to examine related issues in their own commu-
nities.
By Craig Zelizer
http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org