Let's Travel for Peace: World Tourism Day 2024

Tourism has pledged to embrace its unique role as a pillar of peace and understanding. On World Tourism Day 2024, the UN Tourism organization gathered sector leaders from every global region to unite around a shared vision and commitment to creating a "peace-sensitive sector." This recognizes the sector's potential to build bridges and foster understanding.

The official celebrations in Tbilisi, Georgia, welcomed almost 500 participants from 51 countries, including 13 Ministers of Tourism. Reflecting its firm commitment to the day and its theme of "Peace and Tourism", the host country was represented by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and seven other Ministers, showcasing tourism's cross-sectoral importance.

During his address to the delegates, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili emphasized the importance of peace in tourism. He urged everyone to contribute to the development of a tourism sector that prioritizes peace, plays a significant role in fostering peace and resolving conflicts, equips tourism stakeholders with the necessary resources to achieve this goal, promotes tourism education as a means of promoting peace, and establishes connections between tourism and other peacebuilding efforts.

Building bridges through tourism

On World Tourism Day 2024, the theme was "Tourism and Peace." The official celebrations included a Ministerial Debate that focused on how this theme can be implemented. Ministers from Georgia, Uzbekistan, Sierra Leone, and Bahrain explained how peace and security are fundamental for prosperity. They provided examples from their countries and travels to demonstrate how tourism brings people together and fosters understanding. Some key points highlighted the role of tourism in fighting misinformation and distrust, as well as the importance of ensuring that the benefits of tourism are shared fairly and equally across societies.

The day included a panel from the private sector to provide a balanced perspective. The discussion focused on how the private sector can use its strengths and capabilities to promote peace and stability through tourism. The panel also emphasized the potential for tourism to contribute to post-conflict recovery and build resilience against future challenges, particularly in the areas of entrepreneurship and digital innovation.

Summing up the dialogues, the Minister of Tourism of Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett, said: "Tourism recognizes differences; it embraces similarities. Tourism has a place for you and embraces you. That's the essence of the power of tourism to make peace."

Investing in tourism, investing in peace

Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism, emphasized the importance of tourism investments for promoting growth, peace, and opportunity. She stated, "We have witnessed how tourism can positively impact post-conflict areas by generating employment and encouraging entrepreneurial activities. The private sector must continue using its resources to support peacebuilding and create opportunities in emerging and vulnerable regions."

On World Tourism Day, UN Tourism unveiled its latest investment guidelines, "Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Georgia," highlighting the country's potential as an investment destination. With an average GDP growth rate of 5% over the past decade, Georgia has seen a surge in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, reaching USD 2.3 billion in 2022, the highest ever recorded. Despite a challenging international environment, FDI inflows reached USD 1.9 billion in 2023.

The Guidelines also outline the key factors making Georgia and its growing tourism sector an attractive destination for international investors, including:

• The rich tapestry of natural beauty and cultural heritage featuring over 12,000 historical monuments and four UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Significant growth in the hospitality and real estate sectors. In 2023, it welcomed 6.2 million international visitors, generating USD 4.1 billion in revenue. The expansion of international brand hotels and the robust real estate market has attracted over USD 500 million in FDI in recent years.
• Transparency and regulatory efficiency. Economic reforms, such as the Association Agreement and DCFTA with the EU, and recent EU Candidate Status.