Throughout history, humankind has searched for sustainable peace and harmony through the disciplines of political science, geography, economics, sociology and, far too often, the act of war itself. More recently, tourism has been touted as a strategy to contribute to world peace. Tourism does not necessarily contribute to peace but has the potential to do so in so many ways. The struggle of both academics and policymakers has been to distinguish between the myths and realities of the tourism and peace propositions, and most importantly to focus on the strategies that qualify tourism as an agent of peace.
For the first time, academics from around the world have combined efforts to develop a compilation of work that deals specifically with the tourism and peace phenomenon. Representing peace organizations, government bodies and universities, each contributor offers their own perspective. From metropolitan areas to emerging regions like the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Georgia and Cyprus, the book is a frank and open discussion that includes strategies in creating 'active peace'. Each of these contributors offers evidence, examples and hope for a new world based on the ideals of achieving peace with tourism as a powerful working strategy. The work presented in this book is thorough and diverse.
As head of an academic institute and advocate of world citizenship, I warmly welcome this academic initiative and promote it in our classrooms. As the editors of this book would say: there is more to tourism than economics and there is more to peace than the absence of arms. What I can say is that peace and tourism are intertwined and teaching this topic is timely (Klaas-Wybo).
As a media producer, I have been interested in tourism and peace for several years, and I must admit that the book is interesting and timely. The many propositions and views addressed and presented by the contributors make tourism an even stronger peace ally (Sandy).
Klaas-Wybo van der Hoek, Vice-President and Head of Academic Affairs, Stenden University
Sandy Dhuyvetter, Founder and Executive Producer, TravelTalkMEDIA
O. Moufakkir (red.), Tourism, Progress and Peace. London: CAB, 2010. Een van de essays in het boek is geschreven door NHTV-docenten R.K. Isaac and V. Platenkamp ('Volunteer Tourism in Palestine: a Normative Perspective).