ECOT marks 25th year seeking to ‘transform, re-form tourism’

The Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism (ECOT) marked its 25th anniversary with a consultation on the theme ‘Taking Stock, Moving Ahead: Transforming/Re-forming Tourism’, held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on April 7-9.

Carmencita Karagdag, PfL coordinator, participated in the consultation on behalf of Peace for Life. She served as moderator for the discussion on the topic “tourism and peace building”.

Founded in 1982, ECOT is a Thailand-based international network organisation of faith-based and secular groups that aims to unite people around collective efforts that negate the undesirable effects of modern tourism and, in its place, institute socially, ecologically and ethically responsible tourism.

In light of the further growth forecast in tourism, ECOT called on those concerned about tourism to come together and take stock and engage on the appropriate and effective responses needed for the times ahead. The gathering aimed to assist ECOT in charting future directions and to reinforce its networking role for purposes of advocacy, campaigns, and analysis.

Over the past 25 years, ECOT has served as a focal point for networking and advocacy for justice and humanity in tourism. It has been monitoring the industry’s development and subsequent negative impacts on rural populations and ecosystems—climate change, access to resources, sexual exploitation and human trafficking, HIV AIDS, violations of human rights, and so on—while appreciating the many positive initiatives of a responsible and fair tourism evolving all around the world, such as Community Based Tourism.

A recent ECOT Media Release for ITB 2008 (International Tourism Bourse) summarises ECOT’s principal advocacy position vis-a-vis the global tourism industry.

“While the effects of tourism might be particularised, they derive from the one model and one set of values that generally underpin global and globalised tourism,” says Caesar D’Mello, ECOT executive director. He shares his insight on the outcome of the Consultation in the latest issue of Contours Magazine, but says the “brief article... cannot fully communicate the intensity of the debate, the quality of the ideas, the immediacy of experience, or the warmth of our networking that emerged at the meeting.”

The gathering also became an occasion to launch ECOT’s groundbreaking anniversary book, Transforming Re-Forming Tourism: Perspectives on justice and humanity in tourism.* The book features 30 authors from around the world, including well known experts in the field, contributing their insights and particular experiences in tourism as it impacts the environment and vulnerable sectors of society.

Peace for Life maintains a partnership relationship with ECOT. In 2006, ECOT was among the co-organisers of the PfL-led International Solidarity Mission for Peace in Nepal. Both Mr. D’Mello and ECOT’s former executive director, Ranjan Solomon, member of the PfL Continuation Committee, also participated in the PfL Peace Pilgrimage to Palestine in November 2007. Peace for Life and ECOT are once again coming together to organise a Manila consultation on global tourism in October this year.

* Please send an order request to ECOT if you wish to purchase a copy of the book.

Questioning tourism directions in the Third World
(Caesar D’Mello, Contours Magazine, June-July 2008)
PfL, ECOT, Philippine groups to probe impacts of global tourism