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UK travel workers ‘underpaid, overworked and under trained’
Workers in resorts are not the only ones to suffer at the hands of travel companies which rely on low pay to boost profits.
Tourism Concern director Tricia Barnett, launching a membership drive for the organisation, said: “Our holidays may desecrate beautiful local areas and reduce our host workers to the status of servility.
“And this is not only the case in resorts – UK travel workers are frequently underpaid, under trained and overworked – many travel and tourism organisations rely on low pay to deliver profits.”
This is against the background of global travel and tourism being forecast to cater for 1 billion tourists and to provide jobs for 9% of the global population by 2010, according to Tourism Concern.
Barnett said: “What enormous cost will we pay for this dramatic growth? More long-distance holidays extend our environmental footprint and contribute to global warming.
“Poverty-stricken countries precious water is often squandered on rich wasteful tourists. Mass tourism’s low prices mean local workers frequently work for a pittance in sweatshop conditions. Big organisations and authoritarian governments deny local populations’ and worker’s rights to make a fast buck and then move on to where the pasture is greener.”
She added: “Everybody could benefit from the global tourism boom. It just needs more thought, more care, more education and more understanding of tourism impacts to reap tourism’s vast potential for good and eliminate tourism poverty.
“Concerned travellers, holidaymakers and business travellers – all could all benefit from joining Tourism Concern to become more aware of the reality behind their travel and holidays.”
Membership of Tourism Concern costs from £2 a month.
Report by Phil Davies
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