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Forty Years On: Why Tourism Still Matters for Peace

A group of friends with arms around each other looking out over the sea

On 10 September 2026, members, partners and friends of IIPT gathered online from around the world to mark the Institute’s 40th anniversary. The mood was celebratory, but the conversation was serious. In a world shaken by conflict, does tourism still matter for peace? The answer from the summit was a clear yes.

Why the anniversary went online

The celebration had originally been planned as an in-person event at the United Nations. Given the political and economic climate and significant global conflicts, the IIPT Board chose to hold it as an exclusively virtual global event, so that anyone, anywhere, could take part. The in-person summit will follow in 2027 at UN Headquarters in New York.

What the evidence says

Michael Collins of the Institute for Economics and Peace brought data to the discussion. The Global Peace Index shows that peacefulness has been declining around the world, yet international tourism ranks among the factors most closely linked with improvements in peace. When people move freely, meet one another and do business across borders, trust has a chance to grow.

That finding echoes what IIPT has argued since Vancouver in 1988: tourism is not only an economic activity. Done well, it promotes international understanding, protects the environment, honours heritage, reduces poverty and helps heal the wounds of conflict.

Peace starts within

Peace activist Ela Gandhi reminded the summit that peace has three elements: peace within ourselves, peace with the environment, and peace with one another. It is a thought that runs through IIPT’s Seven Dimensions of Peace, from inner peace to environmental and spiritual peace, and through the Credo of the Peaceful Traveler, which was read aloud to close the summit.

“Tourism alone cannot stop wars. But it can help ameliorate the conditions that allow division and misunderstanding to grow.” — Ajay Prakash, IIPT Global President

Four priorities for the next 40 years

IIPT Global President Ajay Prakash set out where the Institute will focus as it enters its fifth decade:

  • Partnerships, including work with the Institute for Economics and Peace towards a Global Tourism and Peace Index.
  • Youth, by reviving IIPT’s coalition of partners and consortium of universities and reaching young people in new ways.
  • Peace Parks and chapters, revitalising the global network of IIPT Peace Parks and opening new chapters.
  • Recognition, with the Celebrating Her Awards returning to ITB Berlin and a new “Heroes for the Planet” category.

A network of people, not just places

Executive Director Andreas Larentzakis closed the formal programme with a tour of IIPT’s chapters, from the Caribbean, IIPT’s first chapter, to Australia, Serbia, the Indian Ocean, South Africa and India. Their stories, from Peace Parks to community tourism to youth festivals, show that the movement’s strength lies in volunteers who carry the idea into their own communities.

How you can take part

The anniversary continues. Meet us in Belgrade in December 2026, online from Ukraine in early 2027, and at the United Nations in New York later in 2027. See Future Events for details, or watch the full anniversary summit.