ISLAMIC TOURISM FOR WHOM?
Ever since we decided to publish a magazine, with the title "Tourism Islamic", whose launch coincided with the event of September 11, 2001 in the United States and its consequences in terms of the fallacious charges against Islam and the Moslem community as a whole, the question is still being raised as to the identity and objectives of the magazine.
This question is repeated every time the international political and security situation is threatened by the hegemonic policy of Western powers, in particular the United States, which classified a certain number of states and Moslem political forces among "The Axis of Evil" and does all it can to fight them. The situation has deteriorated to the stage where Islam is equated with terrorism and vice versa.
The question is also raised with the increase of global interest in the publications of Islamic Tourism and its distribution particularly through its noticed presence and its effective participation in specialized tourism exhibitions and international congresses and forums. It is also raised as the magazine has diversified and is now published in five languages, Arabic, English, French, Spanish and German and has very active websites which publish weekly news bulletins in the five languages. Questions are also raised as Islamic Tourism receives a favourable reception from researchers, intellectuals, persons in charge of tourism, the media and other interested parties.
We are obliged to answer these questions many times as we see the look of bewilderment on the faces of those who discover our magazines for the first time. Since we live in the age of instant communication we must answer quickly and concisely.
And our answer is: "Islamic Tourism includes tourism that respects noble human and family ethical values and manners, of which we find one of the best demonstrations in our just Islamic religion".
A definition and explanation of these concepts is required:
1) Islamic Tourism is a magazine, a website and other media products that are produced by the Technical Consulting and Publishing House (TCPH LTD), founded in England in 1983.
2) It is an international media, specialized in tourism which works in a professional manner to cover regional and international exhibitions and congress of travel and tourism. It publishes news and reports on major events in the world of tourism, with particular emphasis on the ethical, virtuous and civilized dimensions of tourism, such as heritage tourism and tourism focusing on religious sites. We believe this form of tourism started to increase thanks to an awareness created by our publication which pointed out the prospects for religious tourism and its positive economic benefits to Muslim countries and their peoples.
Why Islamic Tourism?
But why the name Islamic Tourism? The nature of my vocational training as an industrialist, and my experiences through my work, travel and the scientific follow-up through my visits to international exhibitions and the tourism/ travel which I carried out during sixty years, starting in 1947 in Syria and in Lebanon, gave me a great practical sense to detect the sectors of development and the potential economic opportunities in each sector of life. In addition to this, faith and humanism always prevailed in my thoughts, work and relations with others.
On the basis of these considerations, I found that there are resources and tourist heritage treasures hidden under the dust of time and space. This is the Islamic heritage which belongs to humanity, and which, if one draws attention to it, would become a center that radiates the enlightenment of past civilizations for the benefit of Muslim peoples and the international tourist sector.
I found that many countries started to become aware of the importance of tourism to revive their economies and raise incomes. Thus, they started to create tourist sites and infrastructures, spending millions, even billions on construction and advertisements. Yet profits were not always guaranteed: the plan, execution, environment, competition, safety, policy or the imitation of widespread tourist models in other countries harmed our countries and was often incompatible with our values and traditions.
Due to these thoughts and my religious background I noted that there are tourist potentialities that cannot compete in terms of numbers or universal appeal. Their fame and popularity comes from the Muslim faith and certain sites should only be developed for the enrichment of civilization and peace in the world.
What Is Religious Tourism?
Religious tourism means visits to the holy places throughout the year. But is this Islamic Tourism? The answer is yes, but Islamic tourism is much broader and one cannot define it through one or two concepts. It includes all kinds of family tourism that respects religious principles as well as tourism aimed at the discovery of old civilizations and their heritage, visiting cities and countries to come to know them, to rest, or for recreation and treatment.
The essence of this concept of tourism is found in certain paragraphs of the "International Code Of Ethical Tourism" adopted on 1/10/1999 by the UN’s World Tourism Organization. Tourism from the Islamic point of view is integrated in the global vision of civilized and interdependent tourism, whose principal bases are:
1. Respect for noble human values and ethics which preserve human dignity and pride;
2. Respect for the natural and societal environment;
3. Enhancement of social solidarity by ensuring local people profit from tourist activities;
4. Making the effort to give the right of travel to all people by offering services at suitable prices to all social classes;
5. Respect for the families of various religions and various people who want to preserve their values and the education of their children;
6. Respects for people who observe Islamic values;
From this point of view, tourism, due to the opportunities it offers people of different religions and cultures to come to know each other, can play a major role in bringing people together, enabling mutual understanding and peace between all peoples – not just the rich.
What Are The Requirements Of Islamic Tourism?
The answer to this question requires studies and analyses of this type of tourism, whose roots extend into many centuries. It also needs action in order to raise the level of its activity so as to increase the participation of all social classes aspiring to the various types of ethical tourism which conforms to human values and manners in understanding between people and nations.
It requires the construction of infrastructure (means of transport, hotels and restaurants) respecting ethics, manners of family and Islamic tourism values. Finally it requires the development of programmes of travel and visits to areas which plan to promote their multiple products in accordance with the principles stated above, particularly the holy cities.
The Role Of International Organizations
Many international and regional organizations, such as the following, can play an effective role in the development and extension of tourism in its noble and civilized form.
· World Tourism Organisation (WTO) www.world-tourism.org
· UNESCO: www.unesco.org
· ISESCO: www.isesco.org
· Organization of Islamic Conference (OCI): www.oic-oci.org
· The Arab League: www.arableagueonline.org
This discussion of Islamic Tourism clearly points to the need for field studies and analyses of the historical and social aspects of tourism. This could be facilitated by the establishment of an Academy of Islamic Tourism. We will return to this subject aware that the future will answer many questions.
May god guide us to success.
A.S. Shakiry | 
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