UK trek tour operators support mountain porter’s lives

Tourism Concern’s campaign ‘Trekking Wrongs: Porters’ Rights’ has triggered a dramatic increase in the number of UK ‘porter-friendly’ trek operators.

The campaign has prompted action amongst British trekking operators to protect porters used by their trips. Tourism Concern has worked specifically with operators taking treks to the Himalayas, Macchu Pichu in Peru and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania where the worst conditions are found.

As a result of Tourism Concern’s work, 40 of the 81 tour operators contacted by Tourism Concern last year now have policies to provide essential protection, fair pay and humane working conditions.

In November last year, Tourism Concern contacted UK trekking and climbing operators that visit either the Himalayas, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania or Macchu Picchu in Peru, to find out what policies on porters they had in place. Tourism Concern was shocked to discover only a few operators with well-defined policies.

Most said that they left responsibility for porters to the companies in the destination country and did not know what would be done if porters were injured or fell ill. Few set guidelines on the weights of loads porters carried, wages or protective clothing and footwear.

Suggested guidelines on porters working conditions were then drawn up by tour operators, porters’ groups and Tourism Concern (see notes to editors).

That so many tour operators have come on board to make such important changes is extremely encouraging, says Tourism Concern’s director, Patricia Barnett.

“This is great news, a move forward for the tourism industry. We are glad that operators recognise that providing basic protection is crucial,” says Patricia Barnett.

The campaign is also receiving a lot of public support, she says. “No-one wants to see people die during a holiday. Trekkers often assume porters are superhuman and can take these tough conditions. It’s a myth, no-one can sleep out in sub zero temperatures without proper protection. The fact that these operators now have policies to protect the porters will make it easier for trekkers to make an ethical decision about who to go with.”

Doug Scott, one of the UK’s leading mountaineers who also runs a tour operator business and is founder of Community Action Nepal, says: “Anyone who goes trekking or mountaineering knows that the exploitation of porters is a problem that desperately needs to be addressed. It’s incredible that so few tour operators took this seriously before Tourism Concern’s campaign. This campaign is a great success story.”

Dr Jim Duff, mountaineer and founder of the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG), has just returned from a trek across Cho La in the Everest region, says: “We are pleased to say operators and travel agents are now far more aware of the terrible conditions the porters were experiencing. We hope that trek leaders will now take responsibility for the porters and see they get what they need and that trekkers will be the eyes and ears of the campaign. There does seem to be a sea change in the way porters are being treated.”

For more information about Tourism Concern’s work see the newly released annual report at: http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/about_us/about_us_annualreport.htm