“There are big things you can do and small things you can do, but they all make a difference to someone's life.”
Tourism is the world's largest service industry, representing 10.4% of
global GDP and employing around 220 million people across the world.
The industry can be highly exploitative and is dominated by western
multinational corporations that control the financial flows which
frequently exclude local people and businesses. Tourism Concern has
been fighting exploitation in tourism since its creation in 1989 and
raises awareness of the negative impacts of tourism on local economies,
cultures, environments and societies.
Their campaigns have highlighted how people lose their homes and livelihoods through the development of tourism. They have campaigned on the displacement of peoples, such as the Maasai in East Africa as well as the situation in Burma where slave labour has been used to develop its tourism infrastructure and people have been driven from their homes. In response to the request by Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma who is currently under house arrest, Tourism Concern ran a campaign encouraging tour operators not to go there until democracy is restored.
Their work on Foreign Office adviseries has resulted in the UK government changing its policy on how they advise people on dangerous areas to travel to. The Foreign Office now consults with Tourism Concern and other NGO’s as well as industry representatives before posting any advice. In a context where international volunteering has become increasingly popular in the UK and Europe, they are currently working on a code of practice for voluntourism and ‘gap year’ organizations.
A registered charity, Tourism Concern campaigns against exploitation in tourism, produces publications and reports and offers a wide range of resources on ethical tourism and responsible travel and has a unique library focused on human rights and social economic aspects of tourism.
Their campaigns have highlighted how people lose their homes and livelihoods through the development of tourism. They have campaigned on the displacement of peoples, such as the Maasai in East Africa as well as the situation in Burma where slave labour has been used to develop its tourism infrastructure and people have been driven from their homes. In response to the request by Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma who is currently under house arrest, Tourism Concern ran a campaign encouraging tour operators not to go there until democracy is restored.
Their work on Foreign Office adviseries has resulted in the UK government changing its policy on how they advise people on dangerous areas to travel to. The Foreign Office now consults with Tourism Concern and other NGO’s as well as industry representatives before posting any advice. In a context where international volunteering has become increasingly popular in the UK and Europe, they are currently working on a code of practice for voluntourism and ‘gap year’ organizations.
A registered charity, Tourism Concern campaigns against exploitation in tourism, produces publications and reports and offers a wide range of resources on ethical tourism and responsible travel and has a unique library focused on human rights and social economic aspects of tourism.
