World Tourism Day 2024: Tourism and Peace
Sustainable Tourism and Peace: Celebrating Ecotourism and Cultural Preservation Initiatives in Asia Pacific
On this year’s World Tourism Day, we celebrate the theme of “Tourism and Peace“, recognising its profound connection to sustainable tourism.
While "Peace Tourism" historically focused on understanding past conflicts and fostering reconciliation at significant historical sites, today's travellers increasingly seek experiences honouring local traditions and encouraging responsible engagement with communities and ecosystems. This shift reflects a growing awareness of how peace, cultural understanding, and ecological health are interconnected, ultimately reshaping our approach to travel.
In this context, ecotourism initiatives are vital for promoting sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and local communities. For example, Thailand's Agritourism Project invites visitors to experience local farming, support local farmers and invest in conservation projects while fostering cultural exchange. Cultural preservation, exemplified by community festivals and cultural tourism, further nurtures understanding and appreciation among diverse cultures. These celebrations showcase local populations' rich traditions and shared values while allowing visitors to engage with and appreciate these traditions, fostering empathy and reducing stereotypes to create a more inclusive global community.
As we honour World Tourism Day, we recognise that many destinations in the Asia Pacific region have made significant efforts to develop ecotourism and we have chosen to highlight Thailand and the Maldives as they prioritise sustainable practices that protect their natural beauty and empower local communities. In the realm of cultural preservation, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam also stand out, celebrating their unique traditions through community-based tourism and vibrant festivals.
Ecotourism
Thailand, Agritourism Project
Not only famous for its splendid golden temples and long white sandy beaches, Thailand’s rich cultural heritage and diverse ecosystems offering greenery and natural experiences also make it an ideal destination to develop ecotourism products. Having identified this new direction, the Thai government has implemented long-term strategies that include identifying and improving new eco-destinations and developing projects all around the country; Agritourism Project is one of them.
The main objective of the Agritourism Project is to give the Thai agricultural industry a place in tourism by integrating tourist accommodations in the farming lands, training farmers to become tour guides of their homeland, and realising the farm-to-table concept.
Organic farming tour in Central Thailand
Source: Patom Organic Living
Nakhon Pathom, a province from the Central Area of Thailand gives visitors glimpse of Thailand's organic farming sector. They can enjoy a few slow yet fruitful days touring the Paton Organic Farm, sampling the freshly-picked fruits, and attend various workshops on agriculture.
Rice farming in the Northwest
Ban Mae Klang Luang, located in northwest Thailand, is home to the Paganyaw people who still uses traditional rice-growing techniques. Throughout the year, visitors can experience rice farming in different phases depending on the season they visit.
Maldives, Green Tax and 3D printing technology for coral reef restoration
It is no news that despite being one of the world's top tourist destinations, Maldives' stunning coral islands are especially fragile to the impacts of climate change. To ensure its residents and visitors a sustainable future, the Maldives government has introduced several unique service innovations, among them, stands out the green tax programme and 3D printing technology for coral reef restoration.
Green Tax
The green tax is intended to address the Maldives' sensitivity to climate change and to promote sustainable tourism practices. The collected amount is deposited into the Maldives Green Fund dedicated to finance climate change mitigation efforts and other environmental initiatives.
The amount varies depending on the type of accommodation:
Tourists who stay in tourist guesthouses and hotels operating in inhabited islands, with 50 or fewer registered rooms: USD 3 per day
Tourists who stay in tourist guesthouses and hotels, operating in uninhabited islands, or in tourist guesthouses and hotels that have more than 50 registered rooms: USD 6 per day
The green tax is considered a significant step towards ensuring the long-term peace in the Maldives.
3D printing technology for coral reef restoration
Bionic 3D-printed corals, such as those created by Daniel Wangpraseurt, is an effective way to duplicate the structural and functional characteristics of real coral reefs to restore the ecological balance of Maldives, including coral reef and marine biodiversity restoration This innovative method might be THE answer to Maldives’ coral reef regeneration, supporting the destination’s commitment to peace and sustainability.
Explore more: World's Largest 3-D printed Reef installed at Summer Island Maldives
Cultural Preservation
Papua New Guinea, Kutubu Kundu and Digaso Festival(KKDF)
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to more than 840 languages spoken across 600 distinct cultural groups including Chambri tribe, Huli tribe, and so on, making it the most culturally and linguistically diverse country in the world.
The government of Papua New Guinea is actively committed to preserving its unique traditions, known as the “Papua New Guinea Ways”. In line with this commitment, the PNG Tourism Authority’s tourism development plan for 2022-2026 holds the vision: "To revive and grow a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism sector in Papua New Guinea." The mission further emphasises "making the tourism sector a leading contributor to the national economy, while preserving Papua New Guinea’s history, living cultures, and natural environment for future generations."
This clearly highlights the importance of sustainability in tourism, which serves as a catalyst for peace.
Festivals and indigenous culture
Hosting traditional festivals plays a crucial role in maintaining PNG's vital cultural assets.
In PNG, more than 11 cultural events are held
annually, including Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival, Mt Hagen Cultural Show,
Goroka Show, and Kutubu Kundu and Digaso Festival (KKDF).
The brief history of KKDF
Source: Visit Papua New Guinea
KKDF was initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature to revive some of the lost cultures and to provide an opportunity for local tribes to celebrate and preserve natural and cultural heritage of the area.
It was the outcome of upscaling its local theater group to raise awareness about environmental and cultural issues through performances, aimed at promoting and preserving the region's natural and cultural heritage
What is KKDF...?
It offers a rare treat of fascinating cultural performances from all over the Southern Highlands and promotes the collaboration and sharing of traditional practices among 40 local communities from the Lake Kutubu region.
This year, it will be hosted from September 26-28, the theme “Kutubu Em i Ples Bilong Mi (Kutubu is my home)”, calling for its peace loving people of Kutubu to appreciate its unique ecosystems, environment, and nature that identifies who they are known as the last Papuans of PNG.
Ready to be immersed in this festival? 📽️ Kutubu Kundu & Digaso Festival
Vietnam, cultural tourism
Boasting 40,000 tangible and 60,000 intangible heritages, Vietnam inherited its cultural wealth from thousands of years of history. Through it all, the Vietnamese have a strong sense of pride in their traditions and way of life.
In recent years, the tourism sector, guided by Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) has further developed its cultural tourism products by leveraging the natural value of heritage sites. One significance is the restoration of various forms of intangible cultural heritage, particularly traditional performing arts, that significantly contributed to the growth of tourist numbers.
VNAT aims to develop cultural tourism as a standout model within the cultural industries, with specific product plans for each region. Some of the plans will take advantage of each feature, as shown below.
📌Midland and mountainous areas in Northern Vietnam
To promote the rich cultural heritage co-created by over 30 ethnic minority groups in the mountainous region, the government has developed community tourism models that currently involves around 300 community tourism villages and 5,000 homestays.
📌 Central Highlands
This region has focused on developing and promoting, especially gong culture which is considered a language connecting humankind and the supernatural world, and unique traditional festivals including new rice ceremony, Long Tong festival(going to the field), and so on.
Moreover, in May 2023, VNAT publicised the importance of promoting tangible and intangible cultural values and investing in cultural tourism as key tasks and solutions to accelerate the recovery and promotion of sustainable tourism.
This focus stems from the recognition that cultural tourism, built on the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, plays a crucial role in fostering peace and sustainable development through encouraging appreciation of differences, intercultural dialogue, and mutual respect.
This year’s World Tourism Day theme of "Tourism and Peace" serves as a reminder of sustainable tourism's vital role in fostering cultural understanding and environmental stewardship in the Asia Pacific region. Initiatives such as Thailand’s Agritourism Project and the Maldives’ eco-friendly practices exemplify how tourism can empower local economies while promoting peaceful coexistence. Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam’s efforts highlight the importance of cultural preservation, showcasing how the celebration of unique traditions can nurture empathy and respect among travellers.
By supporting initiatives that safeguard cultural heritage and the environment, tourism has become a force for good that create harmony and understanding across continents, cultures, and languages, helping to pave the way toward achieving a true sense of global peace.
