Vatican stresses importance of tourism for world peace

31-05-24

The Vatican, through the Dicastery for Evangelization, has highlighted the relevance of tourism for the “cultural exchange of peoples” and for achieving concrete commitments to peace. This message is part of the 45th World Tourism Day, proclaimed by the UN, which will be celebrated on September 27.

According to Vatican News, the message of the dicastery also underlines the importance of religious tourism, highlighting the great opportunity represented by the Jubilee of 2025. For the Holy See, the disposition of the UN “in a period as convulsive as ours” offers “to those who travel, a moment of reflection and personal commitment.”

The communiqué, signed on May 28 by Bishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, indicates that this Vatican body, responsible for religious tourism, feels called to act so that the message of peace reaches those who work in the tourism sector, promoting a chain of authentic peacemakers.

“The interest that moves millions of tourists can easily be linked to a commitment to fraternity, creating a network of messengers of peace who address the whole world to invoke the end of all war and the reopening of territories full of history, culture and faith,” the communiqué highlights. This statement underscores tourism's ability to generate a positive impact on a global level, fostering understanding and mutual respect between different cultures and communities.

The communiqué also addresses the role of tourism in the conservation of cultural and natural heritage. “The path of beauty that characterizes these destinations cannot and must not be obscured by the ugliness of destruction and rubble that come to replace what the ingenuity of previous generations had built as an emblem of peace and sharing,” adds Msgr. Fisichella. This reflection invites tourists to value and protect the sites they visit, recognizing their historical and cultural importance.

Fisichella added that the beauty of tourist destinations “triggers true life and the desire to exist”. Tourism, he said, can decisively promote the recovery of interpersonal relationships for which we all feel a deep nostalgia. “Tourism can and must be a vehicle for peace and reconciliation in an increasingly divided world,” he noted.

The 2025 Jubilee stands as a significant opportunity to promote religious tourism, an aspect that the Vatican considers fundamental. This event will attract millions of pilgrims to Rome and other sacred destinations, offering a unique occasion for encounter and dialogue between people of diverse cultures and beliefs.

Finally, the communiqué stresses the importance of prayer in achieving true peace, noting that the consequences of war affect not only specific places, but also other nations. Peace, the message expresses, is achieved only when charity and respect for the other is embraced. “Being peacemakers is not only possible, it is a requirement for those who undertake the journey,” reads the communiqué. “Tourism characterized by this hope can become a concrete and tangible sign also for the building of peace,” concludes Msgr. Fisichella.

“Tourism and peace, united with hope, thus become the obligatory message, on this World Tourism Day 2024, for tourism workers and for those who travel with a desire for serenity and concord.” This message emphasizes the transformative power of tourism, not only as an economic activity, but also as a means to foster peace, understanding and solidarity worldwide.