PurposeThis article explores the ways in which the relationship between tourism, sustainable development and peace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is presented in national tourism policies, with a focus on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)16: peace justice and strong institutions.Design/methodology/approachLeximancer 5.0 software is used to analyze national tourism policy documents. Themes and concepts from the documents are presented visually in a concept map, and further qualitative analysis is carried out on the theme of sustainability to generate insights.FindingsThe relationship between tourism and peace is not well developed in tourism policies in the MENA region. This is a missed opportunity to use the engine of tourism development to promote regional sustainable development, but increased engagement with nongovernmental organization (NGOs) and communities by tourism policy-makers can help to address this.Originality/valueThis article links SDG 16 to tourism policy and provides insights into how this relationship could be developed in a region experiencing recurrent crises and high levels of tourism growth.

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