Beyond Greening - Tourism Watch

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Beyond Greening: Reflections on Tourism in the Rio-Process | PositioningpaperIntroduction: Towards Rio+20At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the international community adopted important resolutionsconcerning how the precious resources of our planet should be equitably shared and protectedfor present and future generations. Despite positive projects achieved over the past twodecades, we are a far cry from the sustainable path. Sustainability is often reduced to itsecological and economic aspects. Social impacts, human rights and equity concerns are notsufficiently taken into account, and people (including the economically poor) pay taxes thatcontinue to finance unsustainable practices.The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012 focuseson the "green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication",and on the "institutional framework for sustainable development – in relation to the objectiveof renewed political commitment to sustainable development, reviewing progress andimplementation gaps and addressing new and emerging challenges". New momentum isurgently needed, given the failure of international actors to keep most of the promises of Rio.Tourism and sustainable development"The sheer size and reach of the sector makes it critically important from a global resourceperspective", says the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Tourism is often seen as arelatively eco-friendly alternative to other industries like mining and manufacturing.International tourism has been identified within the "green economy" debate as one of tensectors that can lead the transformation to this new model. But testimonies from tourismdestinations show that unsustainable tourism development is often taking place locally,undermining real progress towards this proposed new model. What is needed, therefore, ismore stringent regulation.The "Green Economy Report" (2011) published by the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) dedicates one chapter to the tourism sector. The UNWTO co-authoredthis chapter and is taking Rio+20 as an opportunity to promote tourism as "one of the mostpromising drivers of growth for the world economy". The UNWTO amongst others argue thatbecause of its cross-cutting nature, sustainable tourism can "address meaningfully a range ofpriority issues identified, in the context of sustainable development at Rio+20. Among theseare: energy, water, oceans, green jobs, sustainable cities, sustainable agriculture and foodsecurity, disaster risk reduction, and investing in health, education, youth, gender equality andwomen’s empowerment." However, current mainstream tourism development underminesprogress in all these sectors. The growth forecast by UNWTO is incompatible with realsustainability.The need for scrutinyThe strategies discussed in Rio+20 and the underlying paradigms must be scrutinized by civilsociety. The "green economy" concept focuses on investment in energy and resourceefficiency. It fails to question the prevailing growth paradigm and seriously neglectsfundamental challenges of global equity and human development. According to itsproponents, in particular UNEP and UNWTO, the best way of responding to the challengesposed by environmental destruction and poverty is through more growth. However, this verygrowth-oriented paradigm has led to environmental destruction and human rights violationsin the first place. The debate therefore has to be focussed not only on "green" and "economy",but also on human rights, equity and justice. There is a need for a paradigm shift in tourismdevelopment.10
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
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