MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UN Secretary General, Tourism and Peace bring people together

“Tourism and Peace”, the theme for World Tourism Day 2024.

On September 27 World Tourism Day, Anotnio Guterres United Nations Secretary General released the following message, “Tourism brings people together. ”On this World Tourism Day, we reflect on the profound connection between tourism and peace”.

“Sustainable tourism can transform communities – creating jobs, fostering inclusion and strengthening local economies.

”By valuing and preserving cultural and natural heritage, it can help reduce tensions and nurture peaceful coexistence.

“Tourism can also promote economic interdependence between neighbors, encouraging cooperation and peaceful development.

”At the same time, tourism broadens horizons. Every traveller can be an ambassador, engaging respectfully with local populations, recognizing our diversity and shared humanity, and the values that unite us all.

“As we celebrate tourism, let us travel responsibly, build bridges, and promote mutual respect among cultures and nations. Together, we can harness the power of tourism to advance peace and prosperity for all.”

”Tourism for Peace

And a couple of days before the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE), an impartial body reporting directly to the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) General Assembly, met under interim chair and with a new composition. After deliberations, the Committee agreed to issue the following statement:

The World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) welcomes the decision of World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) to designate “Tourism and Peace” as the theme for World Tourism Day 2024. The theme is particularly timely in light of the current global climate of conflict and division.

Recognizing 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.

Acknowledging the statement of the United Nations Secretary-General “building peace is a conscious, bold and even radical act.” and guided by article 1 of the UN Tourism Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, the Committee 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 their practical application by the private sector including the right to Tourism.

Tourism should always serve as a reminder of the importance of dialogue, peace, tolerance and mutually beneficial interactions between people and countries

Sunday Festivity in the Falkland Islands

Meanwhile in the Falkland Islands which has as one of its main sources of income for the economy Tourism, the Tourist Board invited the community or a Tourist Day celebration on Sunday, at the Jetty Visitor Centre. Celebration was a success, with the weather joining the festivity.

The Tourist Board wished a Happy World Tourism Day and said that “Tourism isn't just about exploring beautiful places; it's about connecting with people and cultures. In the Falkland Islands, we're proud to share our unique way of life with visitors from around the world”.

“Join us in celebrating the power of tourism to bring people together and foster understanding.”

The Board also released a video on the Falklands and some of the places to visit which make the destination so unique.

The significance of the tourism industry for the Falklands can be clearly appreciated with some numbers, in the 2023/24 season cruise ship visitors reached 73,191, a record for a single seas, while land based leisure visitors also performed strongly with 1,806 arrivals, just a few less than the number in 2019, pre-Covid. Quite impressive it we take into account that the whole population of the Falklands is 3,600.

And prospects for this coming season, 2024/2025 are most encouraging, unless as it has been anticipated there is an outbreak of pathogenic avian influenza among the natural fauna of the Islands.