A Statement for World Tourism Day

27 September 2009

By the Ecumenical Coalition On Tourism. Endorsed by Equations, Acció per un Turisme Responsable – ATR, Echoway, CVESMP, Kabani, Peace for Life, Mouvement Chrétien pour la Paix (Christian Movement for Peace)

‘Tourism - celebrating diversity’ is the theme chosen by the UN World Tourism Organisation for the 2009 World Tourism Day. It raises many questions despite its superficial truth. Obviously, to thrive tourism needs diversity but the short and long term costs arising from its commercial exploitation have to be faced seriously and honestly.

The world is indeed a diverse place when one considers its peoples, cultures and food, flora and fauna, and the vast variety in natural settings. Tourism is a vehicle that enables visitors to be exposed to these riches, and on the surface, this can be seen as ‘celebrating diversity’.

However, ECOT believes that the 2009 World Tourism Day, which this year marks its 30th anniversary, draws attention to the more positive (and utopian?) side of tourism, while choosing to ignore some troubling dimensions of modern tourism. Economically, the tourism industry has benefitted from diversity having marketed it to promote travel and tourism products. Do host communities in tourism destinations have reason to celebrate as well after 30 years of World Tourism Day’s?

Attachments:

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A Statement for World Tourism Day.pdf	Statement released on the 27th September 2009, on the occasion of World Tourism Day	168 Kb

Poverty, AIDS and Tourism – the global challenge

Tourism is one of the world´s largest industries, with tourist arrivals counted in the millions. This needs to be juxtaposed with the significant numbers of HIV and AIDS cases in many of the world´s poorest countries which are promoted as “exotic” and “paradise” destinations. Here, tourism is likely to provide a conducive environment for HIV and AIDS. However, the tourism industry generally has not taken up the challenge of addressing in an appropriate way and on a global scale the threat of HIV/AIDS infection.

Sex tourism accounts for up to 20% of worldwide travellers, according to the estimates of ECPAT, the network working to protect children from pornography and sexual abuse in tourism. Adult sex tourism is a breeding ground for AIDS when tourists in a ‘holiday mood’ have sex with other tourists or nationals and do not take precautions. Sex trafficked women and young men from the poorest regions in South and South East Asia are particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in the tourism context.

Attachments:

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statement HIV Pre-ICAAP Bali.pdf	Statement on tourism and HIV/AIDS released on the occasion of the pre-ICAAP meeting, Bali, August 2009	54 Kb

Israel, pilgrimage tourism, and Palestine

Questions for pilgrims

The Holy Land draws pilgrims from around the world. However, the 42nd anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestine following the June 1967 war reminds us that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved even though it is acknowledged that resolving it should be a serious priority if peace is to come to the region that impacts on the wider world.

Given its complexity, this conflict, defined as it is by the sharp edges of a Jewish/Arab divide with its religious, historical, political, cultural and other dimensions, can be seen through the prism of various perspectives. One of these is tourism.

Attachments:

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ECOT Media Release for June 2009 World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel.pdf	ECOT Media Release for June 2009 World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel	47 Kb

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Third World perspective

ITB Convention Berlin,

March 2009

CSR - a gift to the poor?

Is CSR truly good news for the communities in the Third World impacted by tourism? Surely, the tourism industry would think it is.

The Ecumenical Coalition On Tourism (ECOT) acknowledges that a growing awareness of CSR has taken place at some levels in the tourism industry within recent years. The inclusion of a Corporate Social Responsibility Day in the 2009 ITB Convention program attests to this. This is welcome. Some good practices have emerged in this area: a recent report from Tourism Australia indicates an increase in tourism businesses seeking CSR accreditations. By integrating social, environmental and ethical principles, CSR contributes to a more positive image to tourism agencies and entities, some of whom are attending the 2009 ITB. And such an image is attractive in the market where increasingly people are concerned about the state of our planet – socially, economically and ecologically.

Attachments:

File	Description	File size
CSR statement march 2009.pdf	CSR statement released on the occasion of the ITB Convention March 2009	63 Kb