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Open Letter from the Conference of the Ecumenical Coalition on Third World Tourism (ECTWT) "Mission Perspective in Tourism" Pen


Aims of ECTWT

The Ecumenical Coalition on Third World Tourism (ECTWT) is a non-government organization which aims to challenge the negative impacts of tourism on society and environment by empowering vulnerable people and groups. For the last two decades it has worked to ensure that the benefits of tourism will be experienced by all members of society. There are seven principle aims of the coalition, namely, to

  1. Focus on tourism and the effect it has on the lives of the people of the Third World and the environment.
  2. Provide opportunities for local people affected by tourism to express their views and concerns.
  3. Denounce unfair practices in tourism and encourage action to change them.
  4. Promote a good quality of tourist activity that is appropriate to the quest for a just, participatory and sustainable society.
  5. Empower indigenous people and support them in their attempts to get a fair price for their exposure to tourism.
  6. Lobby against violation of Human Rights related to tourism development projects at national and international level.
  7. Provide research and information on the impact of tourism.

Its major innovative breakthroughs have been in four areas: various forms of alternative tourism, awareness of the dangers of sex tourism, the defence of victims of child abuse (leading to the establishment of the ECPAT) and a critical analysis of golf tourism.

One of the challenges that led to the birth of the ECTWT in 1982 was the question of what is the Church´s mission toward the negative impact of tourism on the environment and peoples, especially indigenous minorities, women and children. Consequently, various responses were made through the years since the first consultation on mission perspectives in tourism in Khonkaen, Thailand, 1985.

Today, tourism is linked to many more issues that need immediate attention. It has now grown into the largest industry in the world. Hence, it is important for those who are concerned about it (and involved in it) to come together and again reflect on its positive and negative aspects. Once more we must bring our mission perspectives on and responses to tourism as it exists today. Even more than two decades ago, tourism is still directly related to many other wider issues. These include such as areas as development, globalization, economic justice, land and cultural rights, the rights of the indigenous peoples and other minority groups, ecological justice, HIV-Aids and so on.

The conference

Our four days consultation involved 27 participants from 12 countries, five continents and included Buddhists, Hindus, Protestants and Catholics.

We tried to rearticulate our mission perspectives in order to better inform the churches and partner organizations of our joint responsibility in dealing with tourism in a new context with new vocabulary and paradigms.

Each day´s consultation began with reflection on the Sacred Scriptures to find inspiration and insight to provide new hope for people involved in tourism. Through the stories of Hanna (I Samuel Chapter 1 and 2), Naaman (II Kings 5:1-27), the call of the rich young man (Mark 10:17-23) and the transforming role of the prophet (Luke 9:28-43), we saw the need to play a prophetic role in transforming tourism into a genuine spiritual journey. We felt called to respond by seeking conclusions about the current situation and then making recommendations for action in the future. We want to reaffirm the original mission of the Ecumenical Movement and its implementation as part of our spiritual journey together in which we talk not "to" or "for" but "with" our churches.

Terms such as globalization, empowerment, networking, the women´s movement, stakeholder analysis and the internet are a few examples of terms that did not exist two decades ago. Yet the reality of global poverty and exploitation are still with us. The list of positive and negative aspects of tourism has grown longer and more complicated when one looks at contemporary trends in the global economy.

To examine these new paradigms we listened to current experiences of tourism in the participants´ home countries. Through the similarities and differences in these experiences we were able to feel challenged to determine the appropriate roles which our churches can play in the future. Action works like defend, advocate, challenge, criticize, discern, cooperate, network, and transform were the fruits of our exercise in listening to each other and the people involved in these stories. In some areas our response must be a negative or preventive one while in others it should be a positive or constructive one.

Taking a more historical perspective we remembered that around the end of the 1970´s and the beginning of the 1980´s, several regional Christian conferences ended with the conclusion that tourism is rather more harmful than helpful. This fundamental critique was the basis for the foundation of the Ecumenical Coalition and unmasked the fact that the promises made by the national and international tourism industry were simply myths. The money did not really go to the poor, but rather ended up in the hands of the rich represented by the large hotel chains, travel agencies and airlines. Tourism has not only created very few jobs but the jobs turned out to be mainly for unskilled workers and paid low wages. Above all, in many parts of the world they were restricted to seasonal employment and thus did not provide stable employment. Even as a promoter of cultural exchange, tourism did not function well, since the encounters involved took place only on a very superficial level. As a result, in many cases tourism has in fact endangered and exploited national, regional, and local culture rather than enhanced them.

At the time, this critique was devastating. Nevertheless, the situation has still continued despite many efforts to correct it. The demands for a more human kind of tourism have become louder. More than ever, many people feel called to rethink and restructure tourism in a new and more human way. The task is not finished.

Call for an intensive dialogue

The guiding principle should no longer be the mere "maximization of profits" and an "exaggerated materialism" but rather the right of all people for genuine human development. Hence, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and "all people of good will" are once again reminded of our responsibility to support all efforts for a more human international tourism. A small step of this is the decision by the WTO in September 1999 to adopt the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. We therefore call for an intensive dialogue of the World Tourism Organisation with all stakeholders to improve the scope of the code and to work together on an acceptable strategy for implementation.

Our responses were divided into three major parts: the mission perspective on tourism, the religious response and strategies for the future.

It was felt that too many governments and churches are indifferent to the impacts of tourism because they are primarily concerned with the macro-economic dimension.

Globalization has even made some governments unable to control the undesirable influences of tourism especially as travellers arrive not only from western countries but from all parts of the world.

Tourism is still basically involved with serving the rich and this can be a demeaning experience for those whose culture is displayed as a tourist attraction. The mission perspective should be towards the fullness of life which is central to the Missio Dei. The church can still play a major role in exposing and challenging the aspects that negate life. The churches have a responsibility towards identifying and then advocating on behalf of the victims of tourism. Acceptable tourism is based on the interest and needs of the local people especially in the process of planning and implementation. We consider information, public debates and discussions to be an integral part of this process. These would include:

  1. promotion of an awareness about opportunities and threats from tourism for the local population;
  2. participation and decision making involving as many people as possible;
  3. sharing the positive economic, social and cultural effects of tourism;
  4. providing better quality jobs in tourism for local people by improving job conditions, social security, working hours and professional training;
  5. strengthening local culture and avoiding social and cultural damages caused by tourism.

We also felt strongly that the term "sustainable tourism" gives undue attention to tourism and implies that tourism should be made sustainable. It is better to limit tourism to the part it can play towards the sustainable development of local communities.

Our response took the form of first raising awareness and conscientizating churches about the intercultural dimension of tourism and closing the communication gap with tourism organizations. Seminars on the positive and negative aspects of tourism, legal advocacy, linkages with tourist sending countries, support of the victims of tourism, and co-ordination with other NGO´s are concrete strategies to help improve the situation. A kind of spiritual tourism with an emphasis on quiet time for reflection would also be appropriate. Another important area is including more materials about the negative effects of tourism as well as fostering more critical thinking about tourism in the curriculum of educational institutions devoted to preparing tourism professionals.

Because policy making in tourism has changed significantly from a minor role in development to a significant contribution to the global economy, a more strategic response is now needed. Thus, an important part of the work of the Ecumenical Coalition is networking and action plans. These try to influence international processes such as the UN Year of Ecotourism 2002, UN Commission on Sustainable Development, Convention on Biodiversity, WTO/GATS negotiations (World Trade Organsiation/General Agreement on Trade in Services) and the Implementation of the WTO "Global Code of Ethics for Tourism". The ECTWT´s responses to these global processes will emerge from the issues related to women in tourism, human rights, struggles of indigenous peoples, children in tourism the environment and the integrity of the whole creation.

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Conference of the Ecumenical Coalition of Third World Tourism (ECTWT)

"Mission Perspective in Tourism", Penang/Malaysia, 12.-15.02.2001