"Life is but a journey - to travel is to live twice."

				Tourism can help bring peace in the Middle East says WTO Secretary-General Madrid/Jerusalem: - The dynamism of tourism can help bring peace to the Middle East, World Tourism Organization (WTO) Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli told the third Prime Minister's Conference for Tourism to Israel held in Jerusalem. "Tourism and peace are inseparable. The forces unleashed by tourism are so powerful that they can change apparently irreversible situations and bring about reconciliation where none was considered possible," said Mr. Frangialli. Tourism is "a harbinger of peace" for destinations and tourism operators in a small region like the Holy Land, bound together by a common destiny and by a common interest in shared development projects. "Why confront each other when peace profits everyone and conflict no one?," he asked. It also promotes a direct contact between visitor and host, which is irreplaceable, prompting the question how "anyone can feel enmity for someone he has known or received personally, or has received him". "The grave events that have occurred over the past years prove that our message must become stronger, to dispel, once and for all, the encumbrances of the past and the forces of unreason," said the Secretary-General, conveying condolences to the families of victims of the most recent attackon a bus on Sunday. Recalling the Millennium Week meetings organized by WTO in September 2000, which brought together the tourism ministers of Israel and Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Frangialli said there is a need to "strive unremittingly to ensure that the solidarity forged in the past emerges once again," "Every one of us is responsible for tourism, and we must not allow ourselves to become discouraged. The virtues of harmonious coexistence and brotherhood that our sector fosters and embodies are no less powerful than the divisions and passions it will have to overcome." During that Millennium Week, WTO had relayed two clear messages - tourism can contribute decisively to furthering the peace process and, once peace is secured, would be the leading economic sector to benefit from it - which are still true today. "United in yesterday's prosperity, the entire region's operators now stand together in adversity," he said. "WTO remains by the side of all of them." While Israel had had to face "repeated terrorist aggressions", none had been aimed at foreign travellers. And, with the rest of the Holy Land, the country forms part of a unique destination that will continue to attractvisitors. "The day will come when tourism and peace will, side by side, resume their forward march," said Mr Frangialli. "On that day there will be no lack ofWTO support for those who are responsible for tourism in Israel, and all the Middle East destinations, to help them get their industry back on the path of growth and to once again tap its immense potential." The Conference began on Sunday and attracted more than 600 persons, among others government officials, private sector, diplomats, representatives of religious groups and the media. Mr. Frangialli also met with the Israeli President and once minister of tourism, Mr. Moshe Kazav, and expressed his condolences about the recent terrorist attack on a bus in Jerusalem that occurred on Sunday. For details, please read: Statement by Mr Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) at the "Prime Minister's Conference for Tourismto Israel", 24 February 2004 at: www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/menu.htm For further information contact: Rok Klancnik, WTO Press and Communications Department comm@world-tourism.org, Tel. (+34) 91-567-8191, Fax: (+34) 91-567-8218 www.world-tourism.org Great Sites - Host Cities - Recent Events Photos A - Photos B Excerpts from our first Expo Supplement Distributed at Harvard Business School and New York Times Travel Show, February 28-29, 2004 Reaching for the Stars Thd new Expo Supplements add powerful reach and influence to Africa Magazine's Circulation package , as new distribution points target Travel and Tourism leaders. Our warehouse in Vancouver, Canada is going strong, with shipments heading in every direction - such as Harvard business School and major travel industry events, such as the Outside Travel Expo in Chicago and the New York Times Travel Show. January's Adventures in Travel Expo at the Javits Center in Manhattan, drew over 22,000 on the coldest week of the year. There was a large African contingent of exhibitors, anchored by Africa Travel Magazine and the Africa Travel Association. Tourism can help bring peace in the Middle East says WTO Secretary-General   Madrid/Jerusalem: - The dynamism of tourism can help bring peace to the Middle East, World Tourism Organization (WTO) Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli told the third Prime Minister's Conference for Tourism to Israel held in Jerusalem. "Tourism and peace are inseparable. The forces unleashed by tourism are so powerful that they can change apparently irreversible situations and bring about reconciliation where none was considered possible," said Mr. Frangialli. Tourism is "a harbinger of peace" for destinations and tourism operators in a small region like the Holy Land, bound together by a common destiny and by a common interest in shared development projects. "Why confront each other when peace profits everyone and conflict no one?," he asked. It also promotes a direct contact between visitor and host, which is irreplaceable, prompting the question how "anyone can feel enmity for someone he has known or received personally, or has received him". "The grave events that have occurred over the past years prove that our message must become stronger, to dispel, once and for all, the encumbrances of the past and the forces of unreason," said the Secretary-General, conveying condolences to the families of victims of the most recent attackon a bus on Sunday. Recalling the Millennium Week meetings organized by WTO in September 2000, which brought together the tourism ministers of Israel and Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Frangialli said there is a need to "strive unremittingly to ensure that the solidarity forged in the past emerges once again," "Every one of us is responsible for tourism, and we must not allow ourselves to become discouraged. The virtues of harmonious coexistence and brotherhood that our sector fosters and embodies are no less powerful than the divisions and passions it will have to overcome." During that Millennium Week, WTO had relayed two clear messages - tourism can contribute decisively to furthering the peace process and, once peace is secured, would be the leading economic sector to benefit from it - which are still true today. "United in yesterday's prosperity, the entire region's operators now stand together in adversity," he said. "WTO remains by the side of all of them." While Israel had had to face "repeated terrorist aggressions", none had been aimed at foreign travellers. And, with the rest of the Holy Land, the country forms part of a unique destination that will continue to attractvisitors. "The day will come when tourism and peace will, side by side, resume their forward march," said Mr Frangialli. "On that day there will be no lack ofWTO support for those who are responsible for tourism in Israel, and all the Middle East destinations, to help them get their industry back on the path of growth and to once again tap its immense potential." The Conference began on Sunday and attracted more than 600 persons, among others government officials, private sector, diplomats, representatives of religious groups and the media. Mr. Frangialli also met with the Israeli President and once minister of tourism, Mr. Moshe Kazav, and expressed his condolences about the recent terrorist attack on a bus in Jerusalem that occurred on Sunday. For details, please read: Statement by Mr Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) at the "Prime Minister's Conference for Tourismto Israel", 24 February 2004 at: www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/menu.htm For further information contact: Rok Klancnik, WTO Press and Communications Department comm@world-tourism.org, Tel. (+34) 91-567-8191, Fax: (+34) 91-567-8218 www.world-tourism.org EXPO SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE o Outside Travel Expo, Chicago, Feb 18-22 (check for 2005 dates) o New York Times Travel Show. Feb. 27-29 (check for 2005 dates) o Bay Area Travel Show. Feb. 28-29 (check for 2005 dates) o Festival of Guinea, Conakry, Guinea, Apr 24-30 o Indaba 2004, Durban, South Africa, May 8-11 o Cruise Tour World, Fort Lauderdale, FL, May 14-15 o SADC Heads of State Summit, Grand Baie, Mauritius, Sept o AT 8th Eco Symposium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October. o Travel & Adventure Business Expo - Miami, FL Oct. 1-3 o Adventures in Travel Expo- San Francisco, Oct. 8-10 o World Travel Market - London, UK, Nov. 8-11 o Adventures in Travel Expo - Washington, Jan 7-9 o Adventures in Travel Expo- New York, Jan 14-16 o AT 30th Jubilee Congress, Nairobi, Kenya, May 2005 o AT 9th Eco Symposium. Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, Oct 2005 Sections of the new Expo Supplement for distribution at over 12 major shows annually, plus our regular targeted distribution, include: (1) Coming Attractions and Reviews of Travel Trade Shows and Conferences featuring Africa - on the continent - in the USA, Canada and Europe. (2) Great Meetings and Convention Sites (3) Air Highways of the World, with Open Skies , Roads to Adventure, Adventure Rails and Cruises. Our editors are working on a profile of Golden Tulip Hotels in Africa, their most recent experience being the Golden Tulip in Dar esse Salaam, Tanzania, where t hey attended the Second Africa Peace Through Tourism Conference, hosted by IT, AT and SSA. Details to come. Golden Tulip, Accra, Ghana, will host the AT 31st International Marketing Congress in 2006. Our Editor's profile of the Sheraton Addis and the UN Convention Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is a natural, since that exciting country is host for ATA's 9th Annual Eco symposium in October, 2004. Caesar's Gauteng at Johannesburg Airport, South Africa, will also be a major feature in the Great Meetings and Events Supplement featuring our monthly Web Hotel and Convention Site Review. ks.psd .. ..............