10 April 2009 - Athens, Greece

A new campaign entitled "Global Action Programme to stop irresponsible mega-resort and real estate developments" is being coordinated by two NGOs, The Tourism Investigation & Monitoring Team (tim-team) of Bangkok Thailand, and Equations of Bangalore, India. This is an evolving campaign, currently the two organisations are circulating their views and collecting endorsements.

According to the central campaign document "Call for Action: Zones of Contestation" , Land is now "the main site of struggle as popular movements confront predatory capital, which can only accumulate through dispossession". In particular, "land conversions for large-scale tourism complexes and golf courses are unreasonable and irresponsible". The organisers talk about "Tourism's Hollow Claims" referring to the usual claims of international bodies & governments that tourism magically brings about progress & prosperity. They believe that mega-investments and the unregulated nature of tourism, with the support of 'global neo-liberal economic forces' has resulted in the State withdrawing from economic activities that lead to overall growth and development and taking up the role of facilitating private players in maximising profit at minimum cost, while "the income/ profit generated from these tourism operations remains in few hands and do not trickle down to benefit the local communities".

The Tourism Investigation & Monitoring Team - tim team (Web: www.twnside.org.sg/tour.htm) was formed in 1994 as an independent research and monitoring initiative to provide information for public use and to engage in campaigns for social and ecological justice in tourism and development. It has also been active in the Global Anti-Golf Movement (GAG'M) by contributing research and documentation on golf and tourism-related developments worldwide.

EQUATIONS (Web: www.equitabletourism.org) established in 1985, has been engaged with the question “Who Really Benefits from Tourism?” through research, advocacy, campaigns, building networks of people in India. They have linked work in their country with solidarity on similar issues on the impact of tourism on local communities through international campaigns.

ECOCLUB - International Ecotourism Magazine got in touch with the campaign organisers to express our support and to enquire about the practical goals of the campaign.

>> Find more details at:
https://ecoclub.com/news/101/ecofocus1.html