Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CASE STUDY
Tourism Concern
Introduction
Tourism Concern is a membership organisati
o
n established in 1989 to bring together people with an active
concern for tourism's impact on community and environment, both in the UK and worldwide. The organisation
is working for change in tourism and insists that touri
s
m takes account of the rights and interests of those
living in the world's tourist areas. It seeks to raise awareness of tourism's impacts, informs and infl uences
decision-makers at all levels, and provides a comprehe
n
sive information base. Through its membership
network, global contacts and resource collection, Tourism Concern is a respected centre for advice and
information on tourism's impacts on environment and culture.
What does Tourism Concern do?
Tourism Concern works with communities in destination countries
to reduce social and environmental
problems connected to tourism, and with the outbound tourism industry in
t
he UK to fi nd ways of improving
tourism so that local benefi ts are increased.
Its vision is
'a world free from exploitation in which all parties involved in touri
s
m benefi t equally and in which
relationships between industry, tourists and host communities are based on trust and respect'
. Advocacy is a
major part of its work and, time and again, the message from its partners in dev
e
loping nations is that they
want tourists, but at present they don't benefi t from them.
Tourism for communities
Agencies working overseas are increasingly fi nding that tourism development impa
ct
s on the lives of
communities they work with in just the same way as other multinational industries might, such as oil and
mining companies. Communities often fi nd that:
•
They have tourism imposed on them by governments, foreign developers and tourism busin
e
sses;
•
There is little linkage between tourism (especially mass tourism) and local industry, such as agric
u
lture;
•
Land and other natural resources are frequently co-opted, often illegally;
•
Cultural traditions are appropriated and commercialised.
Tourism Concern's links with communities and agencies working in developing countries show that that the
r
e
is great concern that the trend in tourism development is for greater control by multinational companies,
more all-inclusive tourism that excludes local people and businesses, and greater numbers of tourists.
