In 1966, the UN General Assembly designated the year 1967 as the ?International Tourist Year?, declaring tourism as a ?passport to peace? with the hope that it ?should help to promote goodwill among men, a heightened awareness of the rich cultural heritage of the different nations and a deeper appreciation of their worth and thus contribute to the strengthening of peace in the world. National and international initiatives were launched and public and private organizations undertook a variety of programmes to foster tourist interchange and also to develop ?tourism?.

The Manila declaration of 1980 restated the significance of international tourism thus: ?With respect to international relations and the search for peace, based on justice and respect of individual and national aspirations, tourism stands out as a positive and ever-present factor in promoting mutual knowledge and understanding and as a basis of reaching a greater level of respect and confidence among all the people of the world?. To put it briefly, therefore, the role of tourism as an ambassador and vehicle of international understanding, amity and peace need not only be recognized and emphasized but should also be realized in practice.