There is potent power in tourism to avert some of the causes
for terrorism. That indeed is a strong statement and my attempt in this column I wrote
in the first week of October, 2010 for the ‘Daily Financial Times, Sri Lanka’
was to explore the relationship between these two phenomena. For us in Sri
Lanka there are many lessons to learn and there is the definite need to ensure
that we wipe out all the causes that cause terrorism to raise its ugly head.
Just this week, the US and UK governments issued warnings for its
citizens not to travel within Europe. Last month the Eiffel tower was closed
for visitors for there was a threat of a terrorist attack. Many a time air
planes come circling back after take-off, for a mystery caller had said there
is a bomb on board. Panic sets in, crisis management plans are put to action, airports
are closed, security is tightened, shoes are removed, belts taken off and body
searches are made.
All studies point to the fact that terrorism is the single most negative
phenomenon to impact on tourism ever. Be it in Egypt, Bali, Colombia, Jordon,
Thailand, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Mumbai, New York, Paris or London,
terrorism is a sure dampener on the movement of travel. It prevents nations and
people from realising the many socio-economic opportunities travel and tourism offers.
Up until 9/11 and its impact on the world, only some nations were singled
out as terrorist hotspots and it was more or less an issue of travel warnings
to those destinations that prevailed. With 9/11 and the realisation that
terrorism had deeper roots than issues touching on a few racial groups or
‘freedom fighters’, the face of the whole equation changed.
There were consistent efforts by organisations such as the UNWTO, WTTC, ESCAP
and PATA within earlier decades to work towards having visa restrictions eased
to facilitate better movement of travellers around the world. Huge progress was
seen in this area at the time, except in some countries where internal
terrorist threats were at a peak. The
incident of 9/11 changed all of that too and today we are witnessing a reversal
of that trend and even a selective process of the application of visa and other
travel movement restrictions, together with more and more frequent calls for
action on curbing terrorism.
Nothing in this is new to us Sri Lankans. For nearly thirty years we
suffered this same fate. We had our airport attacked and airplanes destroyed on
the tarmac, explosions close to hotels, lives lost, visas being imposed for our
travel by almost every country in the world. We had an overall down on visitor arrivals
with tourism fighting a constant battle with terrorism.
Today, thankfully we have overcome those threats within this nation and
are gearing to seek ways to establish a lasting peace to reap the fruits of a growing
tourism.
We have as a nation, upon that beating now realised that establishing that
elusive lasting peace and keeping possible terrorist threats from raising its
ugly head again, is indeed about generating understanding between people,
respecting each other, appreciating our different and diverse ways, providing
social and economic opportunities, while treating each other with dignity and
honour.
That then takes me to the question I raised on my column title. What’s
common about tourism and terrorism? Indeed they are both similar sounding terms,
yet having meaning as diverse as anything we know to be, can be. Tourism is a
movement of people across seas and lands, their cultures and heritage, about
creating bondages and friendships to generate better human understanding. It is
about education and learning to be tolerant of each other. It is a movement
that facilitates the appreciation of differences in each other’s way of doing
things, faiths and beliefs and contributing to the greater good of people.
Terrorism, on the other hand is about using destructive methods to
achieve an end. An end desired by a group of people who believe, that using
weapons of terror is the only way to gaining recognition and focus on an issue.
It is about generating chaos and mayhem and causes disunity and disintegration
of societies and people.
Both tourism and terrorism have at the very base of its operation
aspects that warrant and demand the attention of all of human kind. In tourism,
it is to ensure that it brings positive aspects of its delivery as intended and
do not focus on merely the ‘having a good time’ aspects, at cost to the
communities ands societies it operates in. Terrorism on the other hand reflects
what is basically faulty in mankind’s attempt at seeking more at the expense of
those who have little or no access to resources, rights or opportunities. It also
reflects the intolerance of others’ ways that prevail and makes a violent call
for its correction.
Tourism has most of the ingredients needed to address the causes of what,
has led to the creation of terrorism. It is about peace, about greater understanding
and appreciation, about tolerance and at its very best, about sharing and
caring. Together with initiatives such as seeing a world where religious and
cultural conflicts are minimal, weapons of mass destruction or weapons of any
sort are taken away from the arsenal of all nations; powerful, emerging or
otherwise, tourism has the potential of making its mark in building a better
world.
Sri Lanka made a mark on the world at large, as a nation that defeated
one of the most vicious terrorist groups in the world with much sacrifice and
cost. Now it is the same nation that can demonstrate, that it is doing its’ all
to address terrorisms’ root causes. We do have the resolve but have a long way
to go down that road. Tourism is a strong pillar that is used to support our
efforts and therein, we may find the answers to heal old wounds, to sooth hurt
and to learn of ways to find unity within our diversity.
For both tourism and terrorism, desired outcomes will depend not on
words alone but on solid, committed action by all, taken on with a strong and
well-focussed will to succeed.
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