Beyond Greening - Tourism Watch

Beyond Greening: Reflections on Tourism in the Rio-Process | Positioningpaperconsensus that decentralization is not only an important condition to achieve sustainablesocio-economic development, but also a fundamental ingredient for good governance.The principles of good governance, however, are not new. Good governance means thatauthorities and their institutions are participatory, consensus oriented, accountable,transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follow the rule oflaw. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into accountand that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is alsoresponsive to the present and future needs of society. 41Good governance can also be instrumental in providing services that respond more closely tothe needs of the local population. In brief, decentralization, which has come to occupy aprominent role in the debate on sustainable human development, is viewed as an importantmeans to achieve a more democratic and participatory approach to governance.There is a myth that tourism is one of the sectors that need high level investment, skills andprofessionalism. So there is a claim that there has to be a better system of governance whichshould include the private sector (industry) that ensures the effectiveness and high level skillsin tourism. But in reality the implications of this biased governance badly affect thedestination communities. This lack of proper governance in tourism undermines progresstowards sustainability. Democratic governance and proper regulations in tourism areindispensable in order to protect the interests of local people, their resources and theirlivelihoods in the destinations.Sumesh Mangalassery is a tourism researcher and social activist from India. He is one of the foundingmembers of Kabani – the other direction, a research, networking and campaign organisation working ontourism issues in India.The Role of Tourism Corporations: The Neoliberal Attack on Local andGlobal DemocracyBy Joan BuadesAs from the mid-80s, the boom in the global hotel industry has occurred in parallel with anunprecedented expansion of financial capitalism. The point of connection, or synergy,between the two has been the creation of a huge tourism offer in the form of business clusterswhich have added a wide range of incentives to the traditional hotel model (from condo hotelsto golf courses, marinas and casinos). For those controlling the speculative investment fundsthat characterised turbo-capitalism until the crisis of autumn 2008, the positive social image oftourism as an "industry without chimneys" and a "passport to development" – especially in thecase of multipurpose resorts with a variety of residential options – has permitted the murkysource of much of their capital to be laundered whilst at the same time yielding quick profits.41www.unescap.org/pdd/prs/ProjectActivities/Ongoing/gg/governance.asp, retrieved on 29/5/201262