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e-group for disseminating information
on the tourism intervention at WSF
in 2004
Tourism is the single
most important cause for the reach
of global capital to the hinterland,
not excluding even mining and resource
extraction. It touches on the lives
of many, irrevocably changing it—sometimes
for the better, oftentimes for the
worse, eroding control and leaving
host communities to the fickle whims
of fashion, ossifying and straight
jacketing culture into voyeurism and
exhibitionism divorced from life,
and commercialising even a sunrise.
Tourism, as understood commonly, is
seen as a leisure activity of the
elite and not as a behavioural and
consumption pattern that covers all
who are away from their homes for
24 hours or more. The impact is seldom
recognised, and less understood. We
propose a series of events and interventions
leading to, around, in and following
the World Social Forum 2004 in Mumbai
India, which would cater to the diverse
spectrum of participants, drawing
them to an understanding of tourism
and services related issues.
- A general conference
for about 4000 people, that would
be an introduction to tourism and
the service sector.
- More in depth seminars
for those interested, covering alternatives
and ‘working the system.’
- A self financed two–week
tour of India, meeting activists
and likeminded people.
- A three–day workshop
for activists, soon after WSF4.
Each of these would equip
the participants with a progressively
deeper understanding, and build on
the preceding phases. Only the last
two are concurrent.This group is for
disseminating information on the tourism
interventions, and the current debates
in tourism. Some issues that groups
working on tourism are grappling with
are:
- Sustainable tourism.
- Community involvement
in decision-making in tourism.
- Community control
over resources and benefits.
- Community based tourism
initiatives.
- Corporate accountability
and corporate social accountability.
- Local self–governance—expanding
the space for democratisation.
- Vulnerable and marginalised
groups and the impacts of tourism
on them.
- International trade,
globalisation and tourism.
- Pro–poor tourism.
- Fair trade in tourism.
While much of the debate has been
with tourism at the centre, what we
would like to bring clearly into focus
and at the centre is people and their
lives. For NGOs in the south—the
challenge has been to move away from
a primary role of critique to engage
seriously with communities of the
visited—on real and viable options
for them. This has meant a much more
nuanced and sharp understanding of
the behaviours of the industry, policy
making processes and politics—international,
regional and national—legal and
regulatory frameworks, the ground
realities of local communities and
the interconnectedness of these issues.
To be able to grapple with all these
without losing sight of the human
face at the centre of this complex
and sophisticated set of factors,
that people remain at the core of
our engagement is and will continue
to be our touchstone and our challenge.
We hope you will find the information
useful, and will join us in making
the tourism intervention at the WSF
successfull.
To learn more about the wsf-tourism
group, please visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wsf-tourism
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