Just a Drop founder Fiona Jeffery and former World Travel and Tourism Council president David Scowsill are among six people to receive global ambassador of peace through tourism awards.
Supported by Incredible India and the UNWTO, the awards are sponsored by Cox & Kings and will be handed out at World Travel Market in London on Monday.
The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism selected the six people from the world of travel and tourism to honour as the global ambassadors of peace through tourism.
Institute founder and president in India Ajay Prakash said: “Each one of our ambassadors for peace 2017 are exceptional persons who have had a an illustrious career in tourism and each one of them embodies the founding principles of IIPT.
“Tourism and peace are inextricably linked; such a large industry has the power to shape the world and it is time to focus this power and harness the collective financial, political and moral resources of the travel and tourism industry to make it count.
“But for this to happen, the concept of tourism as a vehicle for peace has to be integrated into the very core business philosophy of every stakeholder – tourism companies, host destinations, tourists and all service providers.
“And because tourism is such a people-centric activity it’s important to recognise and felicitate people who have devoted their energies to champion sustainable tourism practices that go beyond the commercial interest and embrace the higher paradigm of tourism – to nurture and save the planet and its people, tapping into the collective resources and social reach of the travel and tourism industry.”
Other award winners are Princess Dana Firas of Jordan, chair of the Petra National Trust and UNESCO goodwill ambassador, CACHET Consulting managing director Anita Mendiratta, Beyond Green Travel chief executive Costas Christ and Green Growth and Travelism Institute director Geoffrey Lipman.
UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai will also be named as ‘global man of peace through tourism’.
Cox & Kings Ceo Peter Kerkar said: “It is vital that we encourage peaceful cultural exchange and recognise those who have used tourism to facilitate philanthropic activities.”
Jeffery said: “I’m genuinely honoured to be considered a global ambassador of peace through tourism, but I think it simply reflects the power of tourism and the paths we walk and how each of us can make a contribution to our industry that perhaps creates a lasting impact and influences how we progress as an industry in the future.
“The International Institute of Peace for Tourism has trodden a challenging path for the last 30 years and has created meaningful legacies all over the world. I’m delighted to be considered worthy of such an honour.”