Tourism and MDGs: No More Charity

The Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh, Scotland, leading up to the 2005 G8 Summit in Gleneagles

While we’re happily selling holidays they’re dying of poverty- Induced starvation, AIDS and Malaria

Looks like the G8 will quietly bury the great promises of the Gleneagles
Summit that committed an extra $50bn of aid for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2010.  Just $11bn of the $25bn allocated to Africa has been raised so far. Given the developed  world’s current financial problems, it is unlikely that countries will either fulfill their promises or make more money available to poor nations.

Coincidentally the UNWTO has come out with a statement to emphasize the part tourism plays in achieving the MDGs it says: “the industry can play a significant role in the achievement of the MDGs, in particular MDG 1 – Eradication of Poverty; MDG 3 – Gender Equality; MDG 7 – Environmental Sustainability and MDG 8 – Global   Partnerships for Development.”

Want to know more about the MDGs? CLICK HERE

Maybe it’s time we looked at the problem.

We know that the G8 countries are in a financial pickle but:

USA 2009 earnings were $15trillion for their population of 307million; European Union countries earnings were $16trillion for their population of 492million and the UK alone, for a population of  61million, earned some $2trillion.

On the other hand, all of the African countries together (53 states) with a population of 840million, earned just $1.2trillion.

And, in Africa:

• 200,000 child slaves are sold every year. There are an estimated 8,000 girl-slaves in West Africa alone. (sources: BBC & Anti-Slavery Society)
• More than 50 percent of Africans suffer from water-related diseases such as cholera and infant diarrhea. source: World Bank
• 40 to 70% of the African Population lives in slums. These children live in the worst imaginable conditions, in overcrowded shacks with dirt floors and no running water or electricity. They play in alleyways covered with sewage and trash. Their parents are often too poor or too ill to keep them fed. Every day 30,000 children die from a combination of disease-infested water and malnutrition, water-borne diseases are claiming one child every three seconds. (source Poverty in Africa)
• One in six African children dies before the age of five. Most of  these deaths could be prevented. (source: World Vision)
• 50% of population in Sub Saharan Africa earns less than $1 a day.

But Africa is the only region that bucked 2009’s global tourism downward trend with a 5% increase in tourism so it’s quite logical to see the opportunity to use tourism as a development mechanism, particularly if you’re strapped for cash.

And the truth is that there are many tourism opportunities in Africa. The figures alone would indicate that if tourism represented an achievable 10% of GDP it would provide some $120bn a year of income and employment.

Another benefit is that this would be income raised by the countries trading themselves and not reliant on the generosity of donors.

Everybody knows the challenges/excuses in trading in Africa – corruption, tribal rivalries, lack of energy, education, and commitment. But when you look at the figures, it’s clear that Africa has been so bled dry of resources and opportunity that the cake is frequently too small to share, or to whinge about.

Tourism could increase Africa’s opportunities dramatically. Thoughtful countries like South Africa, Namibia and Botswana lead the way in partnership with NGOs like WWF, DIFED and SNV and private companies like A&K, Wilderness Safaris, Singita and &Beyond.

But it’s nowhere near enough and nowhere quick enough when millions are still starving.

Years ago tourism was seen as a panacea for Africas problems and consultants employed by donor countries and agencies were all over the continent like a rash. The result – scores of enthusiastic, badly researched ‘Tourism Master Plans’ now gathering dust as the consultants moved on to pastures greener.

It looks like the G8 money shop has closed its doors. The UNWTO has indicated an opportunity.

MDG is not just an acronym for Millennium Development Goals, it could also mean Market Development Goal – broadening the opportunity for both Africa and global tourism.

Let’s hope that it is possible this time.

Valere Tjolle