ICPTR

Controversies in Tourism
Editors: Omar Moufakkir (Stenden University)
Peter Burns (University of Brighton)
Tourism is a dynamic global phenomenon: an agent of change and a significant factor in social, cultural, and technical evolution. Such evolution, especially those driven by tourism, are almost certainly followed by a variety of induced controversies. A look at the current spectrum of tourism studies illustrates the importance, timeliness, and even necessity to set these controversies out for serious debate beyond the simplicities of journalistic headlines. A critical analysis of the contexts, causes, and consequences is required. Failure to comprehend the basis of a tourism controversy may (more than not) produce myopic tourism development policies of the sort seen in countries ranging from Turkey to Kenya. Click to read more
call for proposals1

Sandy Dhuyvetter Executive producer asked Dr. Moufakkir a few questions about the tourism and peace progress and book. Click on archives, then on segment 4-5 to listen to the interview.
archives_oct11_09http://www.traveltalkmedia.com/archives_oct11_09.html#1004

I am very pleased to publish the list of the editorial board members of the new journal -The Journal of Tourism and Peace Research. The selection was based on academics, scholars and researchers who have an interest in the topic and have written about it.

We are looking forward to your contributions for advancing our understanding of the tourism and peace propositions.

Omar Moufakkir,
Editor in-Chief
The Journal of Peace and Tourism Research
www.icptr.com
omar.moufakkir@stenden.com
(00)31-58 2441301

To go or not to go?
Political tourism has emerged as a form of political consumerism where individuals use their voice or buying power to boycott or buycott a tourism product for the purpose of either supporting or refuting a government or corporate practice.
While the lens of the two strategies –boycotting or buycotting- is different, the goal is, nevertheless, the same. Both protagonists look at social justice from the prism of their ethical value system, hoping that their voices or actions will impact the lives of those concerned (Micheletti et al., 2006). However, their impacts are disputed, and depend on the context where the political, social or environmental practice is taking place. Besides the moral dilemma of tourism boycotting and buycotting (e.g., Holden, 2003; Glaesser, 2003). In a tourism context we ask: how lasting and successful is tourism boycotting? Within the tourism and peace proposition, in the Israeli-Palestinian context, a context of 60 years of conflict, internally tainted with fear and suffering, and externally painted with boycotts and buycotts, we ask ourselves: of the two lenses, which is the most peaceful, realistic and pragmatic, 60 years later?

The interplay of perceptions, immigration, and travel propensity is a research note based on the research commissioned by Stenden University as part of its educational vision that resides in contributing to a better world. It was thus conceived as a strategy to strengthening existing ties between the Netherlands and Morocco through tourism…
a-research-note
(more about the book visit http://www.cabi.org/bk_BookDisplay.asp?PID=2096)

July 28, 2009 – San Diego, California – Celestialink LLC announced today that its media division, TravelTalkMEDIA Group, will be consulting with International peace and tourism expert, Dr. Omar Moufakkir while developing the First Ladies of the World TV series. …http://www.traveltalkmedia.com/PR_moufakkir_jul09.html

Terrorism can’t be defeated by arms. Arms may eliminate one head, but two heads will grow, even stronger, simply because of the perception of injustice, solidarity or revenge. There is so much anger. There is war in Iraq -Iraq is a Muslim country; there is war in Afganistan -Afghanistan is a Muslim country; There is war in the Holy Land -Palestinians are predominantly Muslim; There is terrorism in Somalia -Somalia is a Muslim country;  There is… And the list can go on; and today, two hotels have been bombed in Indonesia -Indonesia is a Muslim country. And Muslim countrties remain outside the world’s political, social, religious and cultural scenes. Their absence is not justified. their silence is rather immoral. Why are there no troops from Arab or Islamic countries in Afganistan? What are the concerns of authorities of Muslim countries? What is the contribution of the Muslims to the re-building of their brothers’ countries and humanity? What have they done in Bosnia, Yemen? Sudan,Pakistan or China? More lives -Muslims and Non-Muslim- are being killed. Why British or American young men and women are being killed, in the land of duty? What duty? Why do their families have to suffer from afar? I hope the Muslims love their children too, for if so they should love the other children too. It is time to react. It is time to act. It is time to show that they care, too.

Surely, war, arms and violence did not help at all, and will never do. Then, authorities of muslim countries have a moral authority and a more positve role to play in peace-building, now more than ever, not through arms but through cultural, intellectual and religious outreach. It is time to change the rules of peace-keeping-and building from the use of arms to the use of Islamic teachings. Muslim countries should have the audacity to dare to take a leading role in peace keeping and peace building in other Islamic troubled countries. They can promote the audacity of hope through the good teaching of Islam, for Islam is a religion of hope, modernity and moderation, brotherhood, science, and above all it is a religion of SALAM/PEACE. Is this too hard for some Muslims to understand? Then, it is to you to bring them back to the true teaching of the Quran and the Prophet, because this is the duty of true believers.

YES, terrorism can be defeated not by destroying bridges but by building them. The bridges of peace in a terrorism environment can be built not by violence but by reason. True believers can reason. Those who can’t can be converted to reason if they are to become true believers, if that is their claimed salvation. There are conditions for war, but terrorists’ conditions are nowhere to be found in the rules of God. War results in collateral damage. Peace results in collateral good. Those who kill do no good. Those who kill in the name of God and those who kill in the name of saving men are far from the truth.

Please make a note of the Heritage Week in Birzeit. We look forward to your visit. By Raed Saadeh, event organiser. Click to see program daily-programs

The relationships between tourism and peace can be studied from several perspectives. The contributions of tourism to peace can also be studied from several perspectives. We are very pleased to inform you that the book “Tourism, Progress and Peace” to be published by CABI International end 2009-beg 210, is shaping up successfully. It’s purpose is to advance our knowledge about the topic. The call for proposals has resulted in over 50 abstracts. Of these 16 chapters have been selected. The book is of relevance to: researchers and academics in that it offers ideas for future research related to tourism and peace; practitioners in that it’s empirical nature brings pragmatic relevance and support for projects, programs and other initiatives related to promoting a culture of peace through tourism by NGOs or government organisations; leisure, hospitality and tourism students and teachers in that it can be used in the classroom. For more information about the book, contact us by e-mail at: omar.moufakkir@stenden.com , skype at: omar.moufakkir, or by phone: (00)(31)58 2441301.

 There is no such thing as peace through tourism per se. Undoubtedly, tourism can be a vehicle for peace, but education for peace starts at home. Our peacelessness is the result of inequality in the world. This inequality is a result of ignorance, greed and failed policies. Thinking about peacelessness is what takes us further away from the animal kingdon. Accepting this peacelessness is what brings us closer to animals. Surely, there is the animal in the human, but which of these is closer to humanity remains to be  explained.