The Summit is dedicated to the commitment my late father King Hussein made to instill mutual understanding and peace among people in this region and in the global village. For Jordan, the travel industry is a vitally important dimension of sustainable growth. It can be the engine to move ahead as the new millennium dawns. The Summit plans were announced at a press conference with Harvey Golub, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express Company, who will deliver a keynote address at the Summit. His Excellency Akel Bitaji, Jordan's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and Louis D'Amore, founder and president of IIPT were on hand, along with Michael Stolowitzky, American Express Director of International Business Development.
Tourism also educates travelers about other cultures, thereby fostering understanding.
While world leaders often meet to discuss opportunities for peace, it's rare that they would view a single industry as playing such a powerful role in sustaining Global Summit of Peace through Tourism Announcement peace. This Global Summit will demonstrate that the travel industry has a serious commitment to fostering peace through regional cooperation. King Abdullah has personally invited world leaders who are dedicated to building peace to participate in the summit, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres, currently Israel's Minister for Regional Cooperation and former Prime Minister, has already accepted the King's invitation to speak. The World Travel and Tourism Councils and the World Tourism Organization endorse the Summit. Twenty prestigious international organizations have become founding members of a Coalition of Partners for World Peace Through Tourism.