Vatican says tourism can help bridge differences

Published: 2006-08-28

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Tourism can help populations bridge cultural and financial differences and forge new ties of friendship and understanding, said the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers. The annual message for World Tourism Day, celebrated by the church this year Sept. 27, was dedicated to the theme "Tourism Enriches." The text was released at the Vatican Aug. 24. The message noted that the number of tourists around the globe continues to grow, bringing cultures into increasing contact with one another. However, it said the tourist experience is far from uniform: For some, tourism means spending time in the grandeur of nature, while for others it involves visiting points of artistic heritage. Quite a few people see a financial opportunity in tourism, and for many tourism is something done with a credit card, it said. "For some -- and we hope they are many and growing in number -- it signifies ties with people, neighbors, family and community, a matter of the heart and feeling," it said.

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