Speaking in Baku, Azerbaijan to more than 60 Tourism Ministers from Islamic countries, Francesco Frangialli, UNWTO Secretary General called on world leaders to use the power of tourism to build new global bridges of…
Speaking in Baku, Azerbaijan to more than 60 Tourism Ministers from Islamic countries, Francesco Frangialli, UNWTO Secretary General called on world leaders to use the power of tourism to build new global bridges of understanding between states.
He emphasised that people to people contacts, which only tourism can provide, would do much to counter the vague generalizations and confused perceptions that too often convey distorted images of countries, cultures, traditions and religions.
Frangialli said Islam, which encourages travel for pilgrimage, has many characteristics in common with tourism such as tolerance, openness and hospitality. This is the reason why so many Muslim countries have long established themselves as successful destinations on the world tourism map. And in so doing, help to diversify their economies, create jobs for young people and, at the same time, revitalize their cultural heritage and awareness.
UNWTO supports such initiatives and through its Global Code of Ethics, promotes the kind of tourism which advances sustainable development, cultural diversity and heritage preservation. The Code also calls on visitors and host communities to show mutual respect and understanding for each others beliefs and lifestyles..
The Secretary General also noted that in the past 3 years, despite the continuous challenge of man made and natural disasters, tourism has remained remarkably resilient. The need to travel for leisure, business, health or even for religious purposes is now deeply ingrained in our modern society; this tends to solidify tourism demand and gives the industry the capability to overcome all the obstacles it encounters on the path of growth. The World Tourism Organization estimates that the number of international tourist arrivals in 2005 topped 800 million, a 5.5 per cent increase following the 10 per cent surge registered the preceding year.
The Secretary General added that it is the duty of the World Tourism Organization to accompany this expansion with support and solidarity with those of its members whose economies and societies are from time to time suffering from crises situations
This is why – in the same way that our General Assembly met in China in 2003 in the wake of the SARS epidemic, and our Executive Council met in emergency session in Phuket, Thailand, one month after the tsunami – we will do our best to hold our Regional Commission for the Middle East before the end of the year in Beirut, Lebanon – a country bruised by the conflict that has taken place on its soil. In this way, we wish to send a strong message of determination and confidence to the tourism industry of Lebanon and the world in general that we believe in the peaceful redevelopment of this country the neighbouring countries and of the region as a whole.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
