On the occasion of today's World Tourism Day, Naturefriends International (NFI) emphasises its call for a sustainable transformation of tourism as part of the shift towards a culture of peace and cooperation.

"Tourism and Peace" is the motto of today's World Tourism Day, which is celebrated every year on 27 September and this time focuses on the peace-building potential of tourism. But can tourism as it is currently practised actually realise this potential? Isn’t it first necessary to transform tourism, as Naturefriends and many other NGOs have been demanding for many years? And above all, isn't peace needed to make tourism possible at all?

The role of tourism as a catalyst for promoting peace and understanding between nations and cultures and in supporting reconciliation processes is the focus of the World Tourism Day 2024 proclaimed by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). There is reference to a "peace-sensitive" tourism, which is seen as part of social change towards a culture of peace and can contribute to the democratisation of society, international relations and the world system as such. 

"For the ideal of peace-sensitive tourism, as outlined by the UNWTO, a transformation of current tourism is a prerequisite," comments Andrea Lichtenecker, Executive Director of Naturefriends International (NFI), whose department RESPECT has been dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism development for many years. "If the peace-building potential of tourism is to be utilised, tourism itself must also fulfil its social responsibility, guarantee respect for human rights and take the protection of natural resources in tourism destinations seriously." As long as the focus of tourism development is on unlimited growth and profit maximisation, it will hardly be able to use its peacebuilding potential, but will itself become the cause of regional conflicts – keyword overtourism – as recent images of desperate locals in Barcelona, Hallstatt and other tourist hotspots show us.

Conversely, peace is an indispensable requirement for tourism. The absence of tourists as a result of a worsening of the security situation due to armed conflicts exacerbates the already precarious situation of the population in many conflict regions.

Since their foundation in 1895, Naturefriends have been committed to the peaceful coexistence of all people, the exchange between different cultures and a sustainable form of travelling. Mamadou Mbodji, Senegalese Vice President of Naturefriends International, who has been organising and accompanying model trips to Senegal and the Gambia for many years, explains: "Our trips focus on the local people and an exchange at eye level between locals and guests. We listen to each other, learn from each other and develop understanding for each other. And we take care to use natural resources responsibly, support the regional economy and treat the people working in tourism with respect." These trips also gave rise to several ideas for partnership-based projects that Naturefriends Senegal and the Gambia are implementing together with the local population in selected villages, such as planting fruit trees and mangroves, educational projects for children and young people and projects to empower women.

One source of funding for these projects is the Naturefriends Climate Fund, which is financed by donations from Naturefriends from the Global North. The Climate Fund invites travellers to donate for specific climate projects and to personally experience the effectiveness of their donation in the project regions. As air travel in particular generates very high CO2 emissions, Climate Fund donations are also an opportunity to make a fair contribution to climate justice that benefits the people who suffer the most from the consequences of the climate crisis, but at the same time contribute very little to global greenhouse gas emissions themselves.