Tourism could be an effective tool for establishment of peace as people to people contact could be the best way to prevent conflicts, opined experts at the inaugural session of a three-day international symposium on Fostering Tourism for Global Peace held at the SOA University here on Monday.
“Every tourist is a potential ambassador for peace. Though tourism may not be able to stop wars, it could certainly prevent them,” said International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) Indian Chapter president Prof Ajay Prakash. He further announced that the IIPT plans to set up a centre of excellence in Bhubaneswar in collaboration with the SOA University to churn out future leaders for the tourism industry.
The symposium is jointly organised by the faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the SOA University, the IIPT and Indian Tourism and Hospitality Congress (ITHC).
MP Prasanna Patsani said countries like Switzerland, Austria, Australia and Taiwan are economically developed because they promoted tourism. University Vice-Chancellor Prof Amit Banerjee presided over the inaugural event.