An international official suggests a Nobel Peace Prize for Tourism, to recognize the importance of tourism in promoting peace, since tourists and warfare don't mix.
Speaking to reporters about the recent Global Ecotourism conference in Norway recently, the head of an international development agency repeated his call for a Nobel Peace Prize to recognize the link between tourism and peace.
Noting "tourism is the only real peace dividend", Lelei LeLaulu, president of the non-profit Counterpart International called on the Nobel Peace Prize committee to seriously look at how tourism prevents conflict and maintains peace.
"Look at what happens when fighting stops – people want to stream across borders to see their former enemies and where they live," he said, adding "tourism of the sustainable variety is the only real peace dividend."
The request was made during a keynote speech to the Global Ecotourism Conference in Oslo in the presence of Queen Sonja of Norway. She has been described as the “Ecotourism Queen” for her commitment to using tourism to preserve Oslo’s natural beauty.
LeLaulu is not alone in the belief that tourism offers the world's largest voluntary transfer of money from the 'haves' to the 'have-nots'.
Tourism means jobs. Think about it -- what are the poorest countries in the world right now? The ones with no tourism. Haiti and Zimbabwe come to mind. Both have natural beauty -- Haiti's beaches and Zimbabwe's wildlife -- and lots of tourism potential. But their unstable political situations scare away tourism.
The conference was organized in part by Counterpart, an international organization that gives people a voice in their own future through smart partnerships and access to tools for sustained social, economic and environmental development. Counterpart operates on five continents, and is supported by individuals and corporations as well as host countries and several U.S. government agencies. For more information, visit www.counterpart.org.
Peace and tourism. What a concept!
