15 October 2009
Tourism Concern in danger of closing
Campaigning charity Tourism Concern may close before Christmas through lack of funds.
The organisation urgently needs £40,000 to survive.
Director Tricia Barnett says that the recession is partly to blame for the financial crisis but the main reason is that the trusts and government sources which support the charity will not fund its basic running costs.
"Our core work supports people, particularly in the developing world, whose human rights have been severely impacted by tourism developments. They often have no other recourse to get their problems heard and supported except through us", says Barnett.
"Without £40,000 we will have to close the door to people all over the world who come to us for help and support. Often they live in fear of reprisals if they speak out about their land or water resources being snatched in the name of a tourism development. Other times they simply need an outside person to give them advice and guidance about how best to manage a difficult situation, such as poor working conditions."
Tourism Concern"s forthcoming report, Putting Tourism to Rights, highlights cases of villagers deprived of water by new hotels and golf courses; indigenous people put on show like animals in a zoo; children exploited by tourism; lack of working rights for hotel staff; and land grabs and environmental erosion caused by unchecked tourism expansion.
Tourism Concern was founded 20 years ago and its many successes include:
- The Sun, Sand, Sea and Sweatshops campaign that resulted in the UK"s leading tour operators adopting policies on labour conditions for hotels.
- The campaign, Trekking Wrongs: Porter"s Rights, improved the lives of hundreds of porters and their families. The majority of UK trekking operators have adopted Tourism Concern"s code of conduct.
- After lobbying by Tourism Concern the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office established a permanent multi-stakeholder panel to protect destinations from unnecessarily prolonged or geographically far-reaching travel advisories.
- Three out of four secondary schools in the UK requested Tourism Concern"s educational pack, Beyond the Brochure, raising the awareness of thousands of children about key tourism issues.
- Tourism Concern"s library holds the most comprehensive book stock and educational resources on tourism in the UK and is widely used by students and academics.
The charity is currently working with local groups in India and Sri Lanka to campaign against post-tsunami tourism developments that have resulted in people being forced from their homes and lands. A planned exhibition of stories and photographs,
Destination Tsunami: Stories and Struggles from the Coast, is now in jeopardy.
Which? Magazine identified Tricia Barnett, Tourism Concern"s director, as one of the five most influential movers and shakers in the UK travel industry.
Messages of support have flooded in: "Tourism Concern"s tireless promotion of the rights of destination communities has raised the consciousness of the travel industry on these often difficult issues…this valuable contribution would be missed," said Jane Ashton, head of sustainable development at TUI Travel
"I"m completely torn by this news. I completely do not want Tourism Concern to go down. It would be a disaster for the industry," said Amanda Marks of Tribes Travel.
"Tourism Concern is a valuable organization. The world, and in particular UK tourism, would be the worse if it folded," commented Chris McIntyre of Expert Africa
Said Adama Bah, of The Gambia is Good, winner of the responsibletravel award for contributing most to responsible tourism: "Tourism Concern stands for respect, justice and fair play for the less fortunate in destinations around the world. They have been an inspirational journey of awareness."
*Do you want to help save Tourism Concern? Contact Tricia Barnett directly:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7133 3800
Mobile: +44 (0)7896 337 690
Email: tricia@tourismconcern.org.uk
For more information about Tourism Concern campaigns: www.tourismconcern.org.uk
by Valere Tjolle
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Your Comments (6)
I hope that the authenticity of the 'messages of support that are flooding in' from industry can be genuinely backed up by financial support. Tourism Concern's strength comes from its independence from industry unlike other charitable tourism organisations. From personal experience, behind closed doors this often agitates those with primarily commercial interests. £1000 is not a huge sum for even moderate operations with responsible tourism budgets at their disposal and could be an opportunity to further develop relationships and communicate shared values with customers and stakeholders by stepping up to address the issues. After all, that's what good CSR is about isn't it?
By Nick Stewart, 20th October 2009 @ 04:30:56
When high street retailers were slammed for accepting sweat shop labour to keep prices low, there was general revulsion that we could be unwittingly accepting those conditions as we bought a pair of trainers. But ignorance is no defence and there is a new expectation from shoppers. They may not want worthy sustainable messages forced down their throats at every moment but they do want to know the industry they are buying from has done what it can to ensure it's buying a fair product.That's why a championing charity such as Tourism Concern is such a vital heart beat of our industry. Unlike a shoe manufacturer, many travel companies don't own and create one product. But there may be many connections or influences the industry can bring to bear to improve the world that it does touch on. Tourism Concern is the voice of people around the world our industry may be affecting, often unwittingly, but the voice of people we can also help. When travel companies couldn't sell Bali because of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice it was a commercial problem. But for the people of Bali it was an economic catastrophe. Commercial representations to FCO had no affect. Tourism Concern's campaign did and the FCO completely changed the way it gathers and presents advisories.That change will help many tourist boards, many people and many travel companies in future.So I really believe we need an independent championing charity asking difficult questions, challenging us to consider the way we thin, to consider the way we run our businesses and the impact we have on the world. Independent championing charities are never going to be well funded. All charities struggle for core funding and the simple costs of employing people and renting space. In today's climate Tourism Concern like many organisations is now developing a new funding strategy and you can help. If many of us contribute to protect the many, this important voice can continue to inspire us.
By Debbie Hindle, 18th October 2009 @ 18:09:44
The work of Tourism Concern has been extraordinary during its existence. Tricia Barnett's passion and drive to put a stop to exploitation through tourism has been an inspiraton for many, and life-changing for even more people living in the destinations Tourism Concern works to protect. There are times when people who are committed to responsible tourism need to come together and this is one of them. Catherine Mack, www.ethicaltraveller.co.uk
By catherine mack, 15th October 2009 @ 18:53:57
Whilst many travel companies don't want to hear it, the industry must stand up and face criticism to ensure they are delivering the services the modern day customer expects - this includes environmental services and policies. Tourism Concern do fantastic work for many international companies as well as help with the education of tourism students and graduates via their resources. To see them fail due to lack of funds would be a travesty.
By Flo Powell, 15th October 2009 @ 08:41:11
Maybe, if Tourism Concern spent less of their time pursuing their one-sided, politically motivated, and ill-informed campaign against travel to Burma, then they might not find themselves in such a financial pickle. Perhaps Lonely Planet will help out.
By chris coplans, 15th October 2009 @ 08:19:06
I am a great admirer of the work that Tourism Concern has done over the years. While I appreciate that they are not, and should not be, in the pockets of tour operators and agency chains, is there not scope for some modest support from the trade?
By Gilbert Archdale, 15th October 2009 @ 06:32:47