Third Global Summit on Peace Through Tourism to Address Key Global Issues

Travel and Tourism industry leaders from more than 50 countries will gather at the Royal Cliff Resort and Conference Center in Thailand from October 2 thru 5 to address the interdependent linkages of tourism and global issues, including international terrorism, natural disasters and poverty reduction.

The Summit theme is “One Earth One Family: Travel and Tourism – Serving a Higher Purpose.” Within the context of this theme leaders from government, industry, U.N. and development agencies, and NGOs will come together to debate several topics. Here are some of the highlights: A Strategic Tourism Industry Response to International Terrorism; Preparedness and Response to Natural Disasters; Poverty Reduction; Healing the Wounds of Conflict through Tourism, Culture and Sport; and the Role of Tourism in Advancing the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.

The Summit aim is to develop a 21st Century Agenda for Peace through Tourism that addresses these key global issues. Concurrent sessions and workshops featuring nearly a hundred speakers and resource persons will go deeper into each of these topics and others demonstrating how much can be done through sharing information and partnering.

A further goal of the Summit is to forge an Asia-Africa Bridge of Tourism, Friendship and Collaboration. Towards this end, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Africa Travel Association (ATA).

The Summit is being organized by the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT), supported by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and with the support of the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

Sponsors include Resorts Condominiums International (RCI), Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE); Africa Travel Association; Republic of Uganda and Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, Republic of Zambia.