Business Driving Peace

At a conference on Peace Through Commerce at George Washington University in November 2008, presenters from the public and private sectors and academia spoke of the critical value of commerce—and especially travel and tourism—to peace and economic stability in emerging markets and areas of conflict. With the US government in transition during a time of war, and the global economy going through shockwaves, the link between commerce and peace is a critical area for our attention.

Louis D'Amore of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) also attended the conference and delivered the keynote address. Lou has been heralding travel as an industry of peace, tolerance and respect since the 1970's, and recently joined high-ranking U.S. travel executives for a historic meeting in Tehran with representatives from Iran's public and private tourism sectors. Regardless of your political views on Iran, this meeting is a great example of how commerce can serve as a pathway to peace and stability—particularly in regions of conflict and post-conflict.

If one accepts the premise that travel is "good", then we should continue to find ways to bring international travel to the masses. After all, mass communications throughout the 1980's brought freedom and democracy to many parts of the world. It helped to topple the Berlin Wall and brought democracy to the former Eastern Bloc. Hence, it's conceivable that bringing travel to the masses will bring a level of cross cultural understanding to the world that will eventually lead to greater peace, tolerance and respect for and among all people.

Protectionism is a dangerous "destination", and restricting the growth of air travel—in the name of sustainable growth—by reducing flights and limiting infrastructure will lead us down that path. Airplanes contribute between 2% and 3% to the global greenhouse gas problem; a relatively small price to pay for the inherent benefits of travel. Certainly, we must address critical issues such as "pandemics" and "global warming", but not at the expense of withdrawing into a world of isolationism, intolerance, disrespect and hatred.