Ban Ki Moon on World Tourism Day

UN Secretary General and other notables deliver messages: community tourism emphasised

Says Ban Ki Moon: “The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day, “Tourism – linking cultures”, highlights the powerful role of tourism in building international understanding and mutual respect.”

“There is no better way to learn about a new culture than to experience it first-hand. Tourism offers a wonderful connecting thread between visitor and host community. It promotes dialogue and interaction.  Such contact between people of different backgrounds is the very foundation for tolerance.   In a world struggling for peaceful coexistence, tourism can build bridges and contribute to peace.”

“Tourism’s contributions to development also advance the cause of global solidarity.  At a time of profound global economic uncertainty, tourism’s ability to generate socio-economic opportunities and help reduce the gap between rich and poor, is more important than ever.”

“I encourage all involved in tourism to embrace the ten principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. These guidelines for sustainable and responsible tourism development, approved by the UN General Assembly in 2001, are based on the proven interaction between tourism and peace, human rights and understanding.”

“World Tourism Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of tourism to global well-being. As we travel, let us engage with other cultures and celebrate human diversity. On this observance, let us recognize tourism as a force for a more tolerant, open and united world.”

As the world celebrates World Tourism Day, experts in the field of tourism and culture have underscored the need for local community engagement in tourism development at the official celebrations in Egypt.

“The importance of this day cannot be underestimated,” said the Minister of Tourism of Egypt, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, opening the celebrations. “Tourism has become one of the most important components of nations, economically, socially and culturally, and this needs to be recognized”.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism of Greece, Pavlos Yeroulanos, warned that without local community involvement, destinations run the risk of manufactured cultural representations. This was echoed by the Founder and Head of the Centre for Peace Research and Peace Education at the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, Werner Wintersteiner, who argued that people should consciously decide how they want to present themselves to tourists, and by the Founder and Managing Director of Songa Africa, Rosette Rugamba, who spoke of making tourism “personal and relevant” not just for visitors, but also for hosts.

UNWTO has now announced the five photos and five ‘tweets’ from among the hundreds of entries submitted to the 2011 World Tourism Day (WTD) competitions that best reflect the 2011 theme, Tourism – Linking Cultures.

The winning photos, featuring Korean women celebrating India’s Holi festival and a young tourist backstage at the Chinese Opera Theater, alongside a selection of finalists, will be displayed as part of a photo exhibition in Aswan, Egypt, the host of the official WTD celebrations, while the tweets will appear on all WTD promotional materials.

“It is extraordinary how a simple photo, or just 140 characters, can highlight what makes our sector so special: its ability to link the cultures of the world,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “We are very encouraged to see the level of participation from all around the world in these competitions.

The winning entries clearly show how the millions of people travelling each day are coming into contact in ways previously unimagined”. 

The winners were announced ahead of the official celebrations on 27 September, at which tourism thinkers and sector leaders will meet in Aswan, Egypt to debate tourism’s role in linking cultures and fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, respect and peace. 

World Tourism Day 2011 website: http://wtd.unwto.org/
World Tourism Day 2011 photo competition winners: http://wtd.unwto.org/en
World Tourism Day 2011 twitter winners: @UNWTO  
World Tourism Day 2011 celebrations around the world: http://wtd.unwto.org/en/wtdcelebrations2011

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 Special Offers HERE