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“Fair trade, not just aid” – Tourism Concern
Tourism Concern has called for local involvement in rebuilding tourism in tsunami affected countries.
The charity says that if tourism is to be sustainable for local communities in countries such as Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand, they must be part of the decision making progress.
Tourism Concern director Tricia Barnett said: “The tsunami highlights the over dependency of many governments on tourism but also presents a challenge to begin to correct what has been so skewed for too long.
“Already people are filling the sex bars in Phuket. We must move quickly to ensure that people can earn a fair living from tourism without having to sell their bodies and their children.”
People living in the nations impacted by the floods must be fully consulted as the rebuilding process takes place so that their needs are taken into account, Tourism Concern says.
“We welcome the Thai government’s desire to rebuild with an emphasis on environmental values but also urge attention to human rights, people’s development and their opportunities to receive a fair share of the revenue,” a statement added.
“Already there are reports of local people in the devastated areas expressing anxiety about being moved from their homes for new developments.”
Tourism Concern has launched a Make Poverty History initiative “to argue for fair trade, not just aid”.
Report by Phil Davies
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