| |
|
International Seminar
“Tourism: Unfair Practices –
Equitable Options”
from 7th to 9th December 2003 in
Hannover, Stephansstift (Germany)
hosted by: DANTE / The Network for
Sustainable Tourism Development
Tourism development has generated
many conflicts around the world, which
have been increased by neo-liberal
policies. Liberalisation of international
trade, privatization and tourism development
are mutually dependent and accelerate
each other. In consequence communities
and local people loose access to and
control over local resources. Thus,
tourism has endangered livelihoods
while policy making institutions have
kept local communities out of decision
making. As a result struggles are
emerging on working conditions, land
use and resource allocation.
Liberalised trade in tourism services
substantially intervenes with domestic
regulations, which could ideally enhance
people’s rights. Under the neo-liberal
regime it becomes virtually impossible
to impose regulations for social and
ecological standards on foreign suppliers.
Unrestricted investment rights for
foreign companies reduce the possibilities
for the host countries to profit from
tourism. At the same time they weaken
the scope for action for people’s
movements and NGOs to call their governments
for action. However, governments have
often too willingly adopted the neo-liberal
agenda to attract foreign investment
catering to the needs of state finances
and local elites.
On the other hand, indigenous communities
and NGOs have been active in campaigning
for a people-centred approach in tourism
development. They have taken the initiative
in analysing the implications of new
economic frameworks such as the General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
and in exploring theoretically and
empirically the potential of fair
trade in tourism. Others have created
new small-scale tourism products within
democratic structures. Community-based
experiences come increasingly into
focus as well the role of development
co-operation in tourism projects.
In 2002, at the occasion of the World
Summit in Johannesburg, the DANTE
Rio+10 Working Group initiated a cross-sector
dialogue on tourism and presented
a strategy paper with ten principles
and challenges for a sustainable tourism
development in the 21st Century. The
World Summit and the UN-International
Year of Tourism are over. At this
time, DANTE is offering the opportunity
to exchange views and opinions in
an attempt to capitalize on experiences
and with the aim to identify the most
important issues as well as political
strategies in view of the upcoming
World Social Forum (WSF) in January
2004.
The WSF generally provides a space
for strengthening alliances between
social movements, non-governmental
organisations, local communities and
unions of working people from South
and North. For this reason the upcoming
WSF is a good opportunity to demonstrate
the relevance of the tourism issue
and seek dialogue and linkages with
other NGOs and activist groups.
We would like to seize the opportunity
to promote a network of researchers,
social movements, NGOs who are interested
in an ongoing exchange and cooperation
in the field of reviewing tourism
policies. The aim is to encourage
capacity building in different regions
of the world on the issue of tourism
and its impact on people’s economy.
The exchange of experiences and opinions
should be beneficial for the link
of micro and macro perspectives and
motivate us all to continue the local
political struggles towards fair and
equitable practices in tourism while
maintaining a perspective of global
solidarity.
In the meantime, WSF organizing team
will launch an internet consultation
to offer a broad opportunity to participate
in the debate and shape the inputs
for WSF 2004
(To learn more about the wsf-tourism
group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wsf-tourism).
DANTE-International Seminar: Issues
& Provisional Agenda
DANTE invites 36 specialists form
NGOs, unions, community and grass-root
initiatives and social movements from
four Continents.
The DANTE Seminar will focus on three
significant topics:
- working conditions in tourism
and workers’ rights
- privatization and tourism development
- challenges and perspectives for
communities and community-based
tourism
- Optional: Open Space (for the
most significant results of the
internet consultation)
We come together to:
- learn from new insights and to
share experiences and opinions
- extend the network of organisations
and initiatives who resist unfair
tourism practices and who are engaged
in equitable and sustainable tourism
options
- take stock of critical issues
in tourism development, especially
the impact of GATS (General Agreement
on Trade in Services) and of debt
policy
- look critically at new practices
in tourism, such as “poverty
alleviation strategies” (ST-EP)
or pro-poor tourism approaches and
review voluntary initiatives (TOI
- Tour Operator Initiative) and
labelling initiatives (such as proposed
by Sustainable Tourism Stewardship
Council)
- further we will discuss community
based tourism approaches, the concept
of Fair Trade in tourism and human
rights issues.
- weigh up strategies of action
and discuss the presentation of
tourism issues at WSF 2004 in Mumbai/Bombay
Following Working Groups will be
organized:
Team of organizers:
The concept of the International
Seminar has been developed by DANTE
– The Network for Sustainable
Tourism Development (Bonn), namely
Martina Backes
& Steffen Schülein / FernWeh
– Tourism Review, Freiburg (www.iz3w.org)
Christian Baumgartner / respect, Wien
(www.respect.at)
Anke Biedenkapp / stattreisen, Hannover
(www.stattreisen-hannover.de)
Heinz Fuchs / EED Tourism Watch ,
Bonn (www.tourism-watch.de)
Angela Giraldo / KATE – Kontaktstelle
für Umwelt & Entwicklung,
Stuttgart (www.turismovision.kate-stuttgart.org)
Christine Plüss / akte –
Arbeitskreis Tourismus & Entwicklung,
Basel (www.akte.ch)
In cooperation with K.T. Suresh (Equations
– Equitable Tourism Options,
Bangalore)
|