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Achievements

Global Ambassadors of Peace

Four Decades of Peace through Tourism

Since its founding in 1986, the UN International Year of Peace, IIPT has worked to make travel and tourism the world’s first global peace industry. Along the way, it has helped redefine the purpose of tourism: from an economic activity alone to a force for understanding, sustainability, poverty reduction and reconciliation.

The journey began with the First Global Conference, “Tourism – A Vital Force for Peace,” in Vancouver in 1988, which brought together 800 delegates from 68 countries. The conference introduced sustainable tourism four years before the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and launched the Peace through Tourism movement. Its ideas spread quickly: after attending, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) went on to support ecotourism and carry out its first major study of it in Central America. Today, the “Higher Purpose of Tourism” that IIPT set out in Vancouver is recognized at the highest levels of government and industry.

Since then, IIPT has organized seventeen international conferences and summits, drawing more than 6,000 participants from some 140 countries and showcasing over 1,200 case studies of best practice. Each has left a lasting legacy, from the Amman Declaration, adopted as an official United Nations document, to International Peace Parks, heritage trails, youth programs and awards. Its gatherings have welcomed heads of state, royalty, UN leaders, Nobel laureates, more than 60 Ministers of Tourism and over 40 industry CEOs.

  • 17International conferences and global summits
  • 6,000+Participants
  • 140Countries represented
  • 1,200+Case studies of best practice
  • 60+Ministers of Tourism at IIPT events
  • 350Peace Parks dedicated across Canada in one day
1986 to today

Milestones

  • 1986
    IIPT founded in the UN International Year of Peace.
  • 1988
    First Global Conference, Vancouver: 800 delegates from 68 countries. Sustainable tourism introduced and the Columbia Charter set out principles of responsible tourism.
  • 1992
    Peace Parks Across Canada: 350 cities and towns dedicate a park to peace for Canada’s 125th birthday.
  • 1993
    Commissioned by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct the first international study of best practice in tourism, environment and sustainable development.
  • 1994
    Second Global Conference, Montreal, “Building a Sustainable World through Tourism”, the first showcase of sustainable tourism success stories and best practice.
  • 1999
    Featured events at World Travel Market begin, held every year since.
  • 2000
    First Global Summit, Amman, Jordan: the Amman Declaration on Peace through Tourism, later an official UN document, and a Peace Park at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
  • 2001
    Thessaloniki Declaration. After 9/11, the World Travel Market Opening Ceremony takes the theme “Peace through Tourism” in tribute to IIPT.
  • 2002
    21st Century African Agenda for Peace and Poverty Reduction through Tourism, Nelspruit, South Africa.
  • 2003
    Tanzania Action Plan, Dar es Salaam.
  • 2011
    Fifth African Conference, Lusaka, Zambia: the Lusaka Declaration and an IIPT Peace Park at Victoria Falls.
  • 2013
    Victoria Falls Peace Park rededicated as the opening-day event of the UNWTO 20th General Assembly.
  • 2018
    International Peace through Tourism Awards launched in Amman. IIPT International Year of Community Tourism. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, becomes the model IIPT Peace Parks project.
Outcomes

Conference Declarations

  • Columbia CharterVancouver, Canada, 1988
  • Amman Declaration on Peace through TourismAmman, Jordan, 2000 · an official UN document
  • Thessaloniki DeclarationThessaloniki, Greece, 2001
  • 21st Century African Agenda for Peace and Poverty Reduction through TourismNelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa, 2002
  • Tanzania Action PlanDar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2003
  • Lusaka Declaration on Sustainable Tourism Development, Climate Change and Peace PDFLusaka, Zambia, 2011 · adopted by UNWTO
Conferences & Summits
Leading the way

Pioneering Firsts

Sustainable Tourism, 1988

IIPT introduced the concept of sustainable tourism at its Vancouver conference, four years before the 1992 Rio Earth Summit laid the foundations for sustainable development.

First Code of Ethics for Sustainable Tourism

After the Rio Earth Summit, IIPT developed the world’s first Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism, mandated by Canada’s travel and tourism industry and an early model for other nations. It also developed guidelines for PATA’s Green Leaf Program.

First International Study on Tourism and Sustainable Development

In 1993, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) commissioned IIPT to conduct the first international study of best practice in tourism, environment and sustainable development.

First Showcase of Sustainable Tourism Best Practice

IIPT’s Second Global Conference, Montreal 1994, “Building a Sustainable World through Tourism”, was the first to showcase case studies of sustainable tourism success stories and models of best practice.

First Tourism Law for the UN Millennium Development Goals

Uganda became the first nation in the world to introduce tourism legislation in support of the UN Millennium Development Goals, one of the legacies of IIPT’s conferences.

A Higher Purpose for Tourism

At a time of mass tourism, IIPT set out a new role for tourism in promoting international understanding, collaboration among nations, protecting the environment and biodiversity, valuing heritage, sustainable development, poverty reduction and healing the wounds of conflict.

Honouring leadership

Awards & Recognition

International Peace through Tourism Awards

Launched at the Resilience through Tourism Summit in Amman, Jordan, in June 2018, the awards celebrate tourism’s contribution to peace and prosperity. From 28 nominations, the first winners were:

  • Peace through Community Livelihood Enhancement: Petra National Trust and Jordan River Foundation (joint winners)
  • Peace through Cultural Diversity: Jordan Trail Association
  • Peace through Respect of Sustainable Development and Ecological Balance: EcoHotels, Feynan Ecolodge

“Celebrating Her” Awards

An annual awards ceremony at ITB Berlin, organized by IIPT India in partnership with ITB, honoring outstanding women in tourism who lead by example and empower other women in the industry.

Meet the Celebrating Her Award winners →

Diplomats for Peace

An initiative of IIPT India, with the participation of UNWTO, recognizing the role of diplomats in nurturing peace and harmony around the world. The inaugural event, presented by VFS Global and TravelBiz Monitor, brought together ambassadors and diplomats representing 95 nations.

Conference Awards and “Men of Peace”

IIPT conferences and summits present awards to individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to international understanding, cooperation, sustainable development and peace. IIPT has also honored King Hussein of Jordan, Dag Hammarskjöld, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. as “Men of Peace.”

IIPT 37 Award

The full record

Read the full list of IIPT’s achievements, conferences and legacies since 1986.

Legacy on the ground

Peace Parks: A Living Legacy

Peace Parks Across Canada, 1992

To mark Canada’s 125th birthday, 350 cities and towns from St. John’s to Victoria dedicated a park to peace at noon on October 8, 1992, as the National Peacekeeping Monument was unveiled in Ottawa. Each park has a Peace Grove of 12 trees for Canada’s 10 provinces and 2 territories. Of more than 25,000 anniversary projects, it was said to be the most significant.

Bethany Beyond the Jordan, 2000

Dedicated at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 2000, at the site of Christ’s baptism, as a legacy of the IIPT First Global Summit in Amman.

Victoria Falls, 2011 and 2013

A legacy of IIPT’s Fifth African Conference in Lusaka (2011), rededicated on September 24, 2013 as the opening-day event of the UNWTO 20th General Assembly, co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe, with UNWTO Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai and Zambia’s first President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. Six olive trees from Bethany Beyond the Jordan were planted at the ceremony, linking two World Heritage Sites.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 2018

The city’s 2-mile Riverside Promenade was dedicated as an IIPT Peace Park, the model for the IIPT Global Peace Parks Project, with a special event each month leading up to November 11, 2018.

Working together

Legacies and Partnerships

  • Credo of the Peaceful Traveler, distributed to travelers around the world
  • IIPT Travel for Peace Campaign, inviting travel agents, tour operators, hotels and airlines to encourage every traveler to be an Ambassador for Peace
  • Africa Diaspora Heritage Trail, conceived by Bermuda Minister David H. Allen at the IIPT First Global Summit in Amman
  • Uganda Martyrs’ Trail, launched as a conference legacy
  • National Peace through Tourism Week, proclaimed for three of IIPT’s African conferences
  • Pattaya, Thailand, declared a “City of Peace” as a legacy of the IIPT Third Global Summit
  • PATA and Africa Travel Association MOU, facilitated by IIPT to build an “Asia–Africa Bridge of Tourism, Friendship and Collaboration”
  • MOU with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • “Hosteling for Peace and International Understanding”, a flagship program of International Youth Hostels in partnership with IIPT
  • IIPT International Year of Community Tourism, 2018, honoring IIPT Caribbean President Diana McIntyre-Pike’s 40 years of pioneering community tourism
  • Featured events at World Travel Market every year since 1999, and at ITB Berlin

Education and Youth

  • Educator Forums and Student and Youth Leadership Forums at every IIPT conference and summit
  • Scholarships for students in each region of the world, linked to each conference theme
  • “Peace through Tourism” now part of college and university programs and a growing field of scholarly research
  • The 1988 VIA Rail “Peace Train”, carrying students from Canada and the U.S. from Montreal to the Vancouver conference, with seminars along the way
Voices for peace

Global Ambassadors of Peace

Leaders associated with IIPT conferences and summits include:

Pope and Heads of State

Pope John Paul II; U.S. President Ronald Reagan; President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland, the world’s first elected woman Head of State; President Nelson Mandela of South Africa; Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, first President of Zambia; President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Chairperson of the African Union; President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa of Zambia; President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda; and Premier Dr. Ewart F. Brown of Bermuda

Royalty

HM King Abdullah II, HM Queen Noor and HM Queen Rania of Jordan; HSH Prince Albert of Monaco

United Nations

Secretary-General Kofi Annan; Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; UNWTO Secretaries-General Dr. Willibald Pahr, Francesco Frangialli and Dr. Taleb Rifai

Nobel Laureates

Shimon Peres, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Wangari Maathai and David Trimble

Industry Leaders

J.W. Marriott Jr., Marriott International; Harvey Golub, American Express and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); Claude Taylor, Air Canada; Geoffrey Lipman and Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC; more than 40 other industry CEOs and more than 60 Ministers of Tourism