MADRID, 27 September 2024: The World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE), an impartial body reporting directly to the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) General Assembly, welcomes the decision to designate “Tourism and Peace” as the theme for World Tourism Day 2024, which will be celebrated today 27 September.
Following deliberations, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) released a statement earlier this week saying the World Tourism Day theme is “particularly timely in light of the current global climate of conflict and division.”
Recognising tourism’s significant influence in fostering cross-cultural understanding as a foundation for peace and sustainable development, the Committee reaffirms the “vital role of tourism as a catalyst for peace, mutual understanding, and friendship among people worldwide.”
The statement supports the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, who said on the eve of World Tourism Day, “Building peace is a conscious, bold, and even radical act.”
Guided by Article 1 of the UN Tourism Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, the Secretary-General calls “for all efforts to support peace negotiations in conflict-affected destinations, adhering to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.”
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics interprets, implements, and evaluates the provisions of the UN Tourism Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, promotes its ethical principles, and monitors the private sector’s practical application.
“Tourism should always serve as a reminder of the importance of dialogue, peace, tolerance and mutually beneficial interactions between people and countries.”
Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as an international observance on 27 September. This date was chosen as, on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
See the UN Tourism Secretary General’s video to mark WTD 2024:
Here are some of the most prominent security hotspots worldwide that threaten global peace and the secure environment mandatory for international tourism to prosper and grow economies.
The Middle East: This region has been plagued by conflict for decades, with ongoing wars in Syria, Yemen, and Libya, as well as tensions between Israel and Palestine leading to the disastrous military escalation in the Gaza Strip and neighbouring Lebanon.
Africa: Many African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Somalia, are grappling with conflict.
South Asia: The region faces several challenges, including the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan and tensions in Afghanistan.
Eastern Europe: The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and tensions between Russia and Western countries have made Eastern Europe a major security hotspot.
