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Help Save ‘Tourism Concern’

By Kristen Geis

October 20th, 2009

Responsible tourism advocacy organization Tourism Concern is in danger of closing its doors due to a lack of government funding.

With the global recession affecting all aspects of business and government operations, responsible travel organization Tourism Concern is having a hard time finding the necessary funds to stay in operation.

The organization desperately needs £40,000 – or just over $65,000 – to survive.

“Our core work supports people, particularly in the developing world, whose human rights have been severely impacted by tourism developments,” said Tourism Concern Director Tricia Barnett. “They often have no other recourse to get their problems heard and supported except through us”, says Barnett.

“Without £40,000 we will have to close the door to people all over the world who come to us for help and support. Often they live in fear of reprisals if they speak out about their land or water resources being snatched in the name of a tourism development. Other times they simply need an outside person to give them advice and guidance about how best to manage a difficult situation, such as poor working conditions.”

Tourism Concern, which was founded 20 years ago, has operated many successful campaigns throughout its 2-decade history, including:

The Sun, Sand, Sea and Sweatshops campaign – resulted in the UK’s leading tour operators adopting policies on labor conditions for hotels.
Trekking Wrongs: Porter’s Rights - improved the lives of hundreds of porters and their families.
Beyond the Brochure – raised awareness of thousands of children about key tourism issues.

The organization’s most recent effort, Putting Tourism to Rights, highlights cases of villagers deprived of water by new hotels and golf courses; indigenous people put on show like animals in a zoo; children exploited by tourism; lack of working rights for hotel staff; and land grabs and environmental erosion caused by unchecked tourism expansion.

Tourism Concern is also working with local groups in India and Sri Lanka to campaign against post-tsunami tourism developments that have resulted in people being forced from their homes and lands. A planned exhibition of stories and photographs.

“Tourism Concern’s tireless promotion of the rights of destination communities has raised the consciousness of the travel industry on these often difficult issues…this valuable contribution would be missed,” said Jane Ashton, head of sustainable development at TUI Travel.

Find out how you can help save Tourism Concern. Contact Tricia Barnett directly:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7133 3800
Mobile: +44 (0)7896 337 690
Email: tricia@tourismconcern.org.uk

Don’t forget to visit Tourism Concern online at: www.tourismconcern.org.uk to learn more about their organization’s advocacy campaigns.

Read more about: ACTE, awareness, charity, government, human rights, recession, Tourism Concern, tsunami

About the Author

Kristen is a student and freelance writer as well as an active member of Greenpeace. She has most notably published journals documenting environmental tourism studies in Fiji, The Galapagos and Costa Rica.

See more contributions (42 so far) from Kristen Geis.