"We invite all those involved in the sector to engage in serious discernment and to promote practices towards attaining this, accompanying behaviors and lifestyle changes towards a new way of relating to each other."
The Church is also making her contribution, he noted, including with initiatives that place tourism at the service of the development of the human person.
"This is why we talk about tourism with a human touch, which is based on projects of community tourism, cooperation, solidarity, and an appreciation of the great artistic heritage which is an authentic way of beauty," he said.
Conscious of the Church's call to promote the integral development of the human person, the cardinal said that Christians must offer their own contribution to tourism, especially for the development of those most disadvantaged.
"We therefore propose our reflection. We recognize God as the creator of the universe and father of all human beings, and He who makes us brothers."
"We must put the human person as the focus of our attention," he continued. "We recognize the dignity of each person and the relationships among persons; we must share the principle of the common destiny of the human family and the universal destination of earthly goods."
Concluding, he quoted from Pope Francis' speech to the United Nations in September 2015, when he said: "The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman [...]."
"May we live out our commitment in the light of these words and these intentions!" Turkson stated.
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.