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Tourism and peace – towards reconciliation after conflicts, IIPT World Symposium, Johannesburg, South Africa 2015 http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai/record/1/3907 J. Popesku Tourism and peace are two mutually closely linked concepts. The existence of peace, understood as a state in which there are no conflicts or any form of violence, is a basic prerequisite for traveling as well as for functioning of tourist destinations. On the other hand, tourism, better to say traveling between countries and regions can significantly contribute to a better mutual understanding as well as to reconciliation between states and between nations who have been in conflict. Tourism and peace are complementing each other; they exist in a symbiotic relationship because it can bring mutual benefits. Tourism can contribute to the peace and benefit from operating in peace. The broader context of striving to achieve peace through tourism should be expressed through activities aimed at sustainable tourism development, poverty reduction, preservation of cultural heritage and environmental protection. There are many examples that can testify on the interdependence and intersection between tourism and peace. Middle East, Northern Ireland and Yugoslavia can be good examples of this. An example of Yugoslavia is multiply significant - it is about a country that was located in Europe, the key tourist region of the world, with the tourism industry directed towards foreign markets and with significant volume of tourist traffic between its republics. Conflicts led to the regional disturbances in the tourism development, the destruction of tourism facilities and infrastructure and long-term interruption of tourist flows between the countries of former Yugoslavia. The situation has begun to change in particular since 2000, through gradual but relatively constant and stable increase in tourist traffic between the countries in the region. In 2013, for example, guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia were ranked at the first three places in the number of foreign tourists to Serbia, while tourists from Croatia were at the 7th and Macedonia at the 9th place. Progress is certainly there, but the question remains - to which extent tourism can contribute to the better understanding and reconciliation between formerly opposing sides? Are there all possibilities in place for joint activities in order to achieve economic and social effects as an essential part of the road to creating a sustainable future for tourism in the whole region? conferenceObject IIPT World Symposium