Tourism, a Catalyst for Peace and Development

IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore was a speaker at the UNWTO Conference: Tourism a Catalyst for Development, Peace and Reconciliation held in Sri Lanka last month. The conference was held in Passikudah, which for most of the last thirty years had been a war zone.

The Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Lands of Sri Lanka, John Amaratunga set the tone of the conference stating, “Today, Passikudah is an example of how people affected by conflict have picked up the pieces and rebuilt their lives. We would not be meeting here if it were not for peace. We will work to provide an example to the world on how to rise from the ashes of conflict to become a leading tourism destination.”