Catalytic Effect of Tourism in Peacebuilding: Sustainability and Peace Through Tourism

Tourism: A catalyst to peace

This quote envisaged the catalytic effect of tourism as a book of reading and learning cultures through travel. Travellers experience the cultures and diversity of other regions. Cultural experience creates an intellectual, moral and spiritual understanding, the broad-mindedness to accept a human as they are and thus leading to peace through travel. Tourism not only flourishes in peaceful environments but may also contribute to the achievement of peace and transformation in the life of the individual, the community, the nation, and international relations (Lankford, Grybovych, & Lankford, 2008). International travelling promotes understanding and trust among people from different backgrounds. This line of thinking has brought up to the surface, the concept of peace through tourism (Jimenez, & te Kloeze, 2014). Tourists play an important role in the promotion of peace, many a time they being as peace messengers. Promotion of peace through tourists is more impactful than any of the tourism organisations’ meetings and forum discussions. In many developing countries, peace is promoted between local inhabitants, as tourism creates job opportunities and is a major factor of household income to them for their satisfaction (Gajdošík, Sokolová, Gajdošíková, & Pompurová, 2019). Sustainability of peace is ensured when travelling across the region and globe becomes calmer and easy with hassle-free border formalities and less of conflicts which are created due to regional crisis, lack of safety and social injustice. Right cultural understanding through travel for tourism and not for migration purposes can reduce national and international conflicts. Global tourism is not only the world’s biggest business, but the world’s biggest business for peace. It forces people to understand each other, to see another point of view other their own, to see their differences and to see their sameness (Malley, 2002). Thailand’s visa exemption to selected 64 countries and bilateral agreements between countries is a good indication of the catalytic effect of tourism; which is the primary economic contributor in Thailand’s GDP. It is noted that Bangkok ranks in the top 20 most visited cities in the world (Hedrick-Wong, & Choong, 2014). Strengthening of trust in the travel business is an important criterion to have peace and sustainable tourism worldwide. According to Yin and Zhao (2006), a lot of businesses are emerging from the fact that people know each other. With the strengthening of trust, the competitive level of Regional Tourism Alliance (RTAs) could be greatly improved.

According to Litvin (1988), tourism is undoubtedly a beneficiary of peace, but as tourism is never successful in the absence of peace, it cannot, therefore, be a generator of peace. This relationship between tourism and peace is always debated. Research on the contributions of tourism towards peacebuilding is no longer a nascent concept. Several studies by individuals and associations have been conducted since the 19th century; however, most are either hypothetically based and lack precision. There were many professional meetings, forums held worldwide under the theme of “tourism and peace”, to discuss the catalytic effects of tourism and resolve regional issues. Some of the prominent meetings, conferences with highlighting declarations are recorded below.