NEW YORK -- The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will host the Global
Summit on Peace Through Tourism, scheduled for Nov. 8 to 10 in
Amman.
Under the patronage of King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, the
summit is dedicated to the memory of the of the late King Hussein
and his commitment to world peace. The summit is being organized by
the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism (IIPT), with
American Express as the key sponsor.
The primary aims of the event are to demonstrate the support of
the world's largest industry for a continuation of the peace
process in the Middle East and other regions, said Louis D'Amore,
founder and president of the IIPT.
"We in the tourism industry have a tremendous opportunity to
contribute to a positive vision of peace," D'Amore said, "and one
purpose of the global summit is to strongly endorse the United
Nations International Year for the Culture of Peace with millennium
projects that contribute to the building of a culture of peace
through tourism."
One project, the establishment of a chain of international peace
parks around the world, will be supported during the summit when
Jordan dedicates its own designated parkland.
Speaking on behalf of American Express, Michael Stolowitzky,
director of International Business Development, said he hoped peace
talks under way in the Middle East will be successful and will pave
the way for increased travel and tourism development in the
region.
"During this millennium year, the meeting in Amman should
further revive interest in the Holy Land and Jordan's extensive
treasury of antiquities and historic sites of importance to
Christian travelers," he said.
Through the World Monuments Watch, the company already has been
a key player in the conservation of Jordan's cultural heritage,
with a grant for the excavation and preservation of Petra, the
jewel in Jordan's archaeological crown.
A member of the global summit meeting's organizing committee,
Stolowitzky advised that the program highlights would range from a
prayer at the church at Bethany, where John the Baptist is believed
to have lived and been baptized, to a gala evening of food, crafts
and folklore in a setting re-creating a Jordanian village.
American Express' chairman and chief executive officer, Harvey
Golub, will deliver the keynote address at the summit.
Although hundreds of delegates are expected to include global
tourism industry statesmen and world leaders in the areas of
culture, environment and sustainable tourism, the global summit is
open to all industry members, who will benefit from special hotel
packages being offered by the Grand Hyatt Amman, Inter-Continental
and Radisson SAS Amman.
Royal Jordanian Airlines is the official air carrier for the
event. The cost of registration for the event is $595 per person.
The early-bird registration price, before June l, is $495.
Contact the IIPT's Louis D'Amore at (802) 253-8671; fax (802)
253-2645; e-mail [email protected].