Tourism and Peacebuilding in the Mediterranean Region: Navigating Conflict, Fostering Reconciliation, and Promoting Development

The Book Series entitled Tourism Studies on the Mediterranean Region, launched in 2021 by the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean (ISMed) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), focuses on current research and practice in tourism in the Mediterranean area. It examines the interrelations between tourism and geopolitical, socio-economic, and cultural dynamics, while critically assessing policies and measures aimed at fostering a more sustainable transformation of the sector. The fifth book in the series explores the complex relationship between tourism and peacebuilding in the Mediterranean region, an area historically shaped by cultural encounters, geopolitical tensions, conflict, and reconciliation processes. It presents key findings and theoretical and managerial implications from interdisciplinary studies that consider tourism not only as an economic activity, but also as a catalyst for dialogue, mutual understanding, resilience, and sustainable development. The volume addresses topics such as cross-border tourism cooperation, tourism diplomacy, educational tourism for reconciliation, resilience and social cohesion, community participation, and the contribution of creativity, art, and memory to social reconstruction. The book is relevant to academics, destination managers, practitioners, policymakers, and students, offering a timely contribution to understanding how tourism, when responsibly designed and inclusively governed, can support reconciliation and peace in the Mediterranean and beyond.