Christians urge change ahead of World Tourism Day

-26/09/06

A network of Christians has


Christians urge change ahead of World Tourism Day

-26/09/06

A network of Christians has suggested that tourism may have brought ‘more mayhem than good’ to some of the world’s poorest communities, and urged that it be considered as a mechanism for authentic development, reconciliation, and justice.

The comments from the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism (ECOT) come ahead of World Tourism Day (27th September) which this year is being used by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to promote the notion that tourism is a source of enrichment.

In a statement ECOT said; “Most tourism activists would beg to differ from the UNWTOís upbeat assessment.

“If tourism were designed to meet this end, it could well be the ultimate choice as instrument to bring enrichment to the world.

“The assessment is flawed and turns a blind eye to the realities to what actually happens in the tourism arena. Tourism is essentially big business. What reach(es) the hands of local communities are for the most part the crumbs from under the tables of the rich entrepreneur, big business, and the multinational. Under the garb of globalization, rich countries in collusion with big business have wreaked havoc on local communities – their environments, their economies, their cultures, their women, and children. In fact, it can be safely argued that tourism may have brought more mayhem than improvement.”

ECOT has consistently argued that there is no level playing field in which global tourism is planned at a global level. It is rich countries, they say, which dictate the parameters of the sector.

The global networks of partners who make up the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism and the Global Tourism Interventions Forum largely believe that the liberalisation of the tourism sector is potentially disastrous.

“If local communities are to really benefit from tourism, the present policies and practices must be abandoned and alternative paradigms put in their place” they said.

“These alternatives must be based on what benefits the people, protects their integrity, and, in the ultimate analysis, converts tourism into what it can be at its ideal best- a true encounter between people-and-people, and people and nature. Above all, it must be an instrument of authentic development, reconciliation, and justice in the world.”

The statement comes at a time when the place of tourism is coming under increasing scrutiny, in particular its impact on the environment.

Two months ago the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, caused uproar by suggesting that unnecessarily choosing forms of transport which harm the environment such as flying was a ìsymptom of sinî.

The Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism was founded in 1982 and includes over 70 secular and faith-based groups.


Christians urge change ahead of World Tourism Day

-26/09/06

A network of Christians has suggested that tourism may have brought ‘more mayhem than good’ to some of the world’s poorest communities, and urged that it be considered as a mechanism for authentic development, reconciliation, and justice.

The comments from the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism (ECOT) come ahead of World Tourism Day (27th September) which this year is being used by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to promote the notion that tourism is a source of enrichment.

In a statement ECOT said; “Most tourism activists would beg to differ from the UNWTOís upbeat assessment.

“If tourism were designed to meet this end, it could well be the ultimate choice as instrument to bring enrichment to the world.

“The assessment is flawed and turns a blind eye to the realities to what actually happens in the tourism arena. Tourism is essentially big business. What reach(es) the hands of local communities are for the most part the crumbs from under the tables of the rich entrepreneur, big business, and the multinational. Under the garb of globalization, rich countries in collusion with big business have wreaked havoc on local communities – their environments, their economies, their cultures, their women, and children. In fact, it can be safely argued that tourism may have brought more mayhem than improvement.”

ECOT has consistently argued that there is no level playing field in which global tourism is planned at a global level. It is rich countries, they say, which dictate the parameters of the sector.

The global networks of partners who make up the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism and the Global Tourism Interventions Forum largely believe that the liberalisation of the tourism sector is potentially disastrous.

“If local communities are to really benefit from tourism, the present policies and practices must be abandoned and alternative paradigms put in their place” they said.

“These alternatives must be based on what benefits the people, protects their integrity, and, in the ultimate analysis, converts tourism into what it can be at its ideal best- a true encounter between people-and-people, and people and nature. Above all, it must be an instrument of authentic development, reconciliation, and justice in the world.”

The statement comes at a time when the place of tourism is coming under increasing scrutiny, in particular its impact on the environment.

Two months ago the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, caused uproar by suggesting that unnecessarily choosing forms of transport which harm the environment such as flying was a ìsymptom of sinî.

The Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism was founded in 1982 and includes over 70 secular and faith-based groups.