Beyond Greening - Tourism Watch

Beyond Greening: Reflections on Tourism in the Rio-Process | PositioningpaperWhile Rio+20 examines the international governance architecture for sustainabledevelopment, there is a need also to look at the roles of various players who influence the waysin which the tourism sector operates and affects peoples' lives and the environment. Toachieve sustainable development, the participation of a broad range of stakeholders and rightsholders in the governance process is vital. Decentralization and the strengthening of localgovernance allow closer involvement of citizens in the policy process. It is a fundamentalingredient for good governance. Good governance is about more than the objectives ofnation-states. Good governance is about anti-corruption and making authority and itsinstitutions accountable, effective and efficient, participatory, transparent, responsive,consensus-oriented, and equitable.Key challengesThis publication places tourism in the context of the Rio+20 themes "green economy" andgovernance. It aims to raise awareness of the challenges in tourism and encourage reflectionand debate. It highlights the role that tourism plays with regard to key sustainability challengesthat are being addressed or need to be addressed in the Rio process. Case studies and analysesfocus on the human rights dimension in the sustainability discussion, such as the right ofaccess to natural resources and the right to land for residence and self-sustaining agriculturalproduction.Authors from different parts of the world caution against easy solutions such as the "greeneconomy" and "pro-poor tourism". The "green economy" concept promoted by UNEPadvocates efficiency, but fails to question the prevailing growth paradigm. Questions ofresource allocation, rights to resources and access to governance processes are also veryimportant. The pro-poor tourism concept assumes that any kind of tourism that somehowmakes some of the poor better off can be justified as a path to development. Both concepts failto address the complexities of direct and indirect impacts of tourism on people's livelihoodsand human rights. Livelihood means much more than "income". It is rooted in the culture andidentity of people and is dependent upon the landscape and ecology. It is connected withcommunity and property rights that determine dignity, control, empowerment andsustainability.Communities within destinations, in particular the economically poor, must not bear thecosts of meeting the requirements and demands of tourists and businesses. Tourism activitiesare usually based on existing unequal, exploitative relationships and consequently the poorerand more vulnerable groups in the destination shoulder the negative impacts of tourism. Theimpacts on the environment and the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities and theirculture are immense. Inequalities and the exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerfulare inherent in the worst forms of tourism practices, resulting in serious violations of varioushuman and other rights of local communities.To achieve growth in tourism, local resources and economic activities are mainly used for andtargeted at the development of the industry and not for the well-being of communities. Localcommunities' rights to land, water, natural resources, health care, education and housing areoften compromised by the tourism industry or tourist activities.Land grabbingMainstream tourism promotion strategies bypass and ignore weaker parties whose rights toland, resources and livelihood are violated. Land speculation and land grabbing have becomecommon phenomena in areas of interest to the tourism sector, leading to the physical andeconomic displacement of local people. Coastal areas in developing and emerging countries,including regions in Asia affected by the Tsunami of 2004, are being destroyed by tourism11