TO DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES OF THE SECOND IIPT AFRICA CONFERENCE ON PEACE THROUGH TOURISM IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

It is with deep personal and professional regret that I am unable to attend the 2nd IIPT African Conference on Peace Through Tourism Conference in Tanzania this year. It is an event important to US-African economic interests, and ultimately to our relationships overall, for nothing promotes friendships and bonds more than international travel. Without the benefit of international travel through my earliest adult life, my life would have been a very different, and, I am certain, a far less-fulfilled life.

It is therefore with some irony that I find that the dates for the conference coincided exactly with those of the Third US-sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (AGOA Forum) Ministerial and Private Sector Sessions, the latter for which my own organization, the Corporate Council on Africa, is primarily responsible. I am obligated to present the opening address at the forum on December 9, 2003 in Washington, DC.

The 2nd IIPT African Conference and our partnership with IIPT and ATA is one in which we take considerable pride. The African Travel Association, above any other travel organization in the United States, focuses solely on Africa and supports Africa as no other travel organization in America. For that reason we were honored to accept the offer to be partners in this program.

It is our desire to build upon the event and, IIPT and ATA willing, continue the partnership into the foreseeable future. We also hope to organize an event annually in the United States that will help build up participation in the IIPT African Conferences. We think our partnership with IIPT and ATA is a winning proposition for all.

I wish you the greatest success and look forward to being with you next year.

Most sincerely,

Stephen Hayes
President

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