Most of us view travel and tourism as simply a nice way to spend a week or two each summer, but a former US president has a far higher opinion of it than that. (Featured image by Klearchos Kapoutsis)
Bill Clinton has said that tourism can be a force for good in the world, and has the power to bring peace and change things for the better.
Speaking at the World Travel and Tourism Council summit in Abu Dhabi, Clinton said that the tourism industry has both the power and responsibility to change the world.
“I spent a lot of time when I was president, trying to end wars, prevent killing, and promote understanding,” he told the 13th annual Global Summit.
“What I have seen is that peace works better than conflict, and one of the best manifestations of it is in travel and tourism,” he added.
Clinton pointed to a number of examples where tourism has helped a nation recover from conflict and develop its own identity.
He highlighted the resurgence of Croatia after the Balkans conflict in the 1990s, which saw a 50% increase following the Bosnian peace agreement and a 300% rise in the following ten years.
Clinton also cited a project in Colombia organised by the Clinton Foundation, which helped a group of local women growing spices.
“The Foundation reorganised their marketing and got hotels to use their products and market them, and we quadrupled their income,” he said.
“If you do that, it embeds the industry in the local community and builds support that is more human than political.”
He used his speech to call on those in the travel industry to utilise this power for good and drive change around the world.
“What you do for a living is good for the earth, the children and the future,” he told the Global Summit.
