FAIR AND SOLIDARITY TOURISM

Attending the Three Editions of the “Tourisme Autrement” Salon

Tourism is the second largest economic sector after petroleum for the countries of the South. It currently represents nearly 10% of the world’s economic activity.

This industry, having become global, is in full expansion. The number of tourist trips across national borders rose from ten to twenty million in the era immediately following the war, to approximately 200 million vacationers in 1975 and, in 2005, there were about 808 million![1] This is a strong trend since the World Tourism Organization estimates the number of tourists in 2020 at 1.6 billion. The turnover for the sector should therefore be 2,000 billion dollars.

Thus, new development prospects are opening up in the poor and structurally deprived regions. Over the last decade, the annual growth rate in the number of tourists travelling to developing countries was higher than the global average.[2] Their receipts from tourism more than doubled between 1992 and 1999. Tourism has at the same time become the main source of foreign currency in the 49 LDCs (least developed countries), if the petroleum industry, which essentially focuses on three of them, is excluded.[3]

Is tourism the new panacea for eradicating poverty in developing countries?

In some forms, it could be a powerful economic driver (bringing in foreign currencies, creating jobs, improving the balance of trade, stimulating investments, supporting local services, benefiting natural and cultural resources, etc.).

Nonetheless, the countries in the North (airline companies, tour operators and hotel chains) most often remain the main beneficiaries and only a small minority of the local population gains from it. The positive effects are sometimes largely set off by considerable negative, destructuring effects (exploitation of the local workers, pressure on fragile eco-systems, particularly coastal, competition for use of rare resources, in particular water, etc.).

Confronted with these reports, many people and organizations have asked about the conditions of tourism as a driver for development for local populations, and have given rise to the notion of fair and solidarity tourism.

Unlike the dominant procedure of cut prices and of last minute decisions, this type of tourism seeks to find the “right price”. This should allow ensuring appropriate compensation and social benefits that conform to the norms of the International Labour Organization, cover the amortization of equipment and contribute to the environmental and cultural protection services.[4]

More fundamentally, in fair and solidarity tourism, the local communities participate strongly in the organization as well as in the management of tourist activities. They have the opportunity to change them, redirect them, even stop them.

The “Tourisme autrement” salon: attendance by fair and solidarity tourism operators

In this context, the Fair Trade Centre (Belgian Technical Cooperation) has been able to give various southern “operators” the opportunity to present their tourist services at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 editions of the “Tourisme autrement” salon:

[2] Franco Frangialli, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, 2003

[3] World Tourism Organization.

[4] Gilles CAIRE, Tourisme solidaire, capacités et développement socialement durable, 5e Conférence internationale sur l’approche des Capacités – Paris 11-14 September 2005