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Many of us have at
least one long holiday a year, nearly half of which take us overseas (UK Gov.
stats). We want each holiday to be one to remember, different enough from
last year to provoke interest, but familiar enough so that we can relax,
switch off and enjoy a hard-earned rest.
However, how do the 600 million people that travel each year affect
the countries they visit?
Tourism is one of the
world’s largest industries and is rising up the international policy agenda. However, tourism is not just an economic
transaction or a series of activities that can be isolated from everyday life
or from their impact on people. The very fact that we travel to another
culture and come into direct contact with the people there raises a number of
ethical issues.
Tourism is perhaps the
global industry that has the greatest impact on people and it should
therefore have their well-being, especially those on the receiving end, as
its foundation. The industry has gone some way to addressing a few
environmental concerns but has been slow to address the social, cultural and
economic issues, particularly in relation to developing countries.
We, the tourists, are
the driving force of the industry and can influence its behaviour. If enough
tourists want the industry to behave in an ethical way, then the industry
will have to respond.
What can we do?
·
Change our behaviour while on holiday
How do I behave when
on holiday? Do I interact with the local people and local environment from a
basis of respect, or use them simply for my convenience? Is there anything I
can do which will make a more positive contribution to the local economy,
such as eating in local restaurants or staying in locally-run guesthouses?
·
Question the tour company’s policies and actions
If you book a package
tour, ask the company some basic questions. What are the working conditions
for the guides and workers in the hotels? In what ways do the operators try
and support local development projects? Do they try to employ local people
and use local companies? What information do they provide for you on the
political and cultural context and on appropriate forms of dress and
behaviour?
·
Seek alternative, more responsible tour companies
An
increasing number of small tour operators and independent projects are making
big strides to support community development. Some of these are members of
the Association of Independent Tour Operators www.aito.co.uk
and others can
be found in the Community Tourism Directory which appears on Tourism Concern’s
website.
Adapted
from the article ‘Ethical Tourism’ on the Tearfund Website (www.tearfund.org)
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