A journey to peace

Humans are natural wanderers, always seeking the new and unexplored. World Tourism Day, observed on September 27, reminds us of this inherent trait, urging us to go farther and deeper. When we think of tourism, we typically associate it with pleasure travelling, refreshing vacations, or opportunities to share breathtaking pictures with family and friends. But being a tourist often sparks something deeper within us. Impressions are formed, myths are dispelled, and biases unravel. This brings us to this year’s theme: tourism and peace. It highlights how tourism can not only satisfy our wanderlust but also serve as an instrument for peace.

Today’s world is deeply fragmented, fraught with uncertainty and mistrust. The number of active conflicts is the highest since the Second World War, with more than 90 countries involved in conflicts outside their borders. The pursuit of peace is more crucial than ever. How does tourism fit into peacebuilding? People and communities have been found willing to change when the right message or messenger is presented to them. Enter tourism, the change agent.

The tangible benefits of tourism are clearly visible. It creates jobs, boosts local economies, and hastens infrastructure development. In the process, it helps to conserve and celebrate cultural assets and traditions. Rarely though do we perceive tourism from the prism of its oft overlooked and intangible contribution as a social force and lever for peace. According to the United Nations, tourism can play a vital role as a catalyst
for fostering peace and understanding between nations and cultures and in supporting reconciliation processes.

Tourism can be a soothing balm to nations that are rebuilding after a challenging time. This co-writer recently travelled across the beautiful country of Colombia in South America. With its incredible biodiversity and geographic location bordering the Pacific and Caribbean Coasts, Colombia is a tourist paradise. Following the peace deal between the government and the guerrillas in 2016, tourism is slowly growing. The perception of Colombia in the travel world is changing, rapidly bringing tourists to this country from near and far. Likewise, tourism can help rebuild economies that have gone through challenging periods. Our beautiful neighbour Sri Lanka is once again being sought after as a highly attractive tourist
destination after the end of the long ethnic strife and upheaval it went through.

Travelling and interacting with individuals dissimilar to ourselves in non-adversarial settings ignites cultural exposure and enhances tolerance. It builds a healthy acknowledgement and respect of the rights and identities of others. Tourism and travel dispel preconceived notions by fostering familiarity with unknown people and places. The impact and importance of tourism in promoting acceptance and embracing differences cannot be underemphasised in a country like India. The same is true of the subcontinent and the neighbourhood with its sheer wealth of diversity—cultural, linguistic, religious, and the natural wonders. A pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, a hike in the Himalayan trails of Nepal, decompressing in the tranquil Buddhist temples of Sri Lanka, or basking in the sun-soaked beaches of the Maldives is guaranteed to be a memorable experience, all while fostering better people-to-people contact and neighbourly relations.

On the other hand, overtourism can result in a different kind of backlash. In Greece, where tourism accounts for 20% of the country’s GDP, increasing waves of tourists started to impact the very cultural ethos of some of the Greek islands. Five-star hotels and resorts proliferated, affecting the housing affordability of the locals. New swimming pools created widespread water shortages. Right here in India, in the summer of 2018, outraged residents of Shimla urged tourists to stop coming to avoid exacerbating the water crisis.

Done right, tourism, travel, and the resulting socio-cultural exchange can contribute to conflict resolution, reconciliation, and advancing peace, both domestically and globally. Tourism is an industry whose very foundation hinges on connecting people irrespective of region, ethnicity, or nationality. Younger people are now increasingly wooed into travelling and exploring, thanks also in part to the glitzy pictures on social media. But they can turn out to be goodwill ambassadors both from their place of origin and at their destinations.

We need not look farther to see the value of tourism as a peacekeeping force. From the temples that are considered nectar in stone to splendid churches, colourful durgahs, gumbazes, and welcoming gurudwaras, the beautiful state of Karnataka can provide a masterclass in harmony and cohesion to locals and visitors alike. On this World Tourism Day, let us pledge to be open-minded travellers, embracing the variety and diversity the world offers.

(Venkatesh Raghavendra is a ‘wandering’ social entrepreneur. Sruthakeerthy Sriram is a lawyer by profession and a traveller by heart)