- Effective September 23 2023, Ajay Prakash, President of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), to assume global Presidency at The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT)
- The mission of IIPT is to encourage every tourist to become an ambassador of peace – Ajay Prakash
Ajay Prakash, President of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) and CEO, Nomad Travels, is to take over as the global President of The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT). Formed in 1986, IIPT is with the vision of travel and tourism becoming the world’s first global peace industry.
Reiterating the importance of tourism industry for establishing harmony, Prakash mentioned, “Tourism is a huge industry with potential to make an impact. It accounts for almost 10% of global GDP and employs 1 in 10 people. The vision is to make the world a better place and to use tourism as a force for good. This has been a momentous journey of 37 years and I am proud, honored, and humbled to be taking over the Presidency of IIPT. 2023 marks the midpoint of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, and IIPT has a role to play in bringing greater awareness.”
“We must remember that there is no Planet B for humanity, it is the Earth that we have. Now there is a need for all of us to look at reducing conflict as scarce resources are being diverted to armed conflicts. We are meeting soon to plan out a future that involves trade, tourism, youth and the world at large. The mission of IIPT is to encourage every tourist to become an ambassador of peace.” added Prakash.
Talking about vision, Prakash further added “It is our intention to get the travel industry involved in a much bigger way in this movement, as tourism thrives on natural environment and peace, and tourism can bring the same if we inculcate the concept of harmony, sustainability, acceptance, and tolerance at the core of our business strategies. There are chapters in 12 countries and IIPT is with an intent to add more. We are working on collaboration across the universities globally to encourage youth as well as faculty together. Also, we plan to bring a public awareness campaign that preaches the idea of traveling with an open mind and gentle heart.
