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# re: How do we mainstream pro-poor tourism? @ Friday, July 06, 2007 10:46 PM

As a tourism development consultant I agree completely that market access is a critical missing link among donor supported tourism interventions. Advances in web hosting, distribution, dynamic packaging and new business models open the door for a variety of new products and relationships. But technology, quality assurance and capacity building programs will not work without sane and capable intermediaries to provide leadership across sectoral boundaries. The gulf among governments, donors and business decision-makers continues to be wide and deep.  

Alvin Rosenbaum

# re: How do we mainstream pro-poor tourism? @ Monday, July 16, 2007 4:32 PM

Tourism is a risky business for donor organisations and governments because a comprehensive understanding of the diversity, mechanics and economics of the industry has been lacking from the existing research, resulting in confusing, ambiguious and incomplete studies.  

Tourism is one of the most competitive, dynamic, volatile, regulated and international industry sectors in today’s world. Tourism professionals have to constantly review the market, legislation and politics and be pro-active to evolving situations.  

The industry is not very transparent and development experts, academics and business advisers do not have the inside knowledge of the travel industry needed. The industry must be better understood before it can be mainstreamed. Researchers must work with key decision makers and strategy planners from within the industry. Similarly, if the sector is to succeed in development programmes, then project implementation and training must come from experts within the industry.  Only then can informed, realistic and practical research be presented to donor organisations and governments -empowering them to seriously consider tourism for development programmes.  

Liz Drake

# re: How do we mainstream pro-poor tourism? @ Sunday, July 29, 2007 10:59 PM

Pro-poor tourism seems to me to be all about applying the lessons of integration by the key proponents. Commentary above includes the need for academics to include market analysis, and tourism professionals to better use and commission research. These are certainly necessary. Missing from this, though, is the need for both these groups to learn from, and integrate, the lessons of development. Academic modelling of pro-poor tourism largely centres on concepts and definitions that are meaningless to the poor in developing countries (and therefore often for development agencies). Market-based approaches by tourism professionals are often unsustainable for similar reasons. Bridging the apparent gap between theory and practice in ways that deliver genuinely sustainable outcomes for poor communities is dependent on local stakeholder ownership and commitment - ie the poor that are the supposed target group. This imparts a development dynamic - one that is highly contextual and largely process-focused. Balancing a pro-poor agenda from donors and private sector actors with the development priorities of poor communities is essential for sustained pro-poor tourism.

Roger Cornforth

# re: How do we mainstream pro-poor tourism? @ Sunday, August 12, 2007 4:09 PM

Understanding market at level level/beneficiaries level is still unclear. What is the actual market for the local beneficiaries?  Benefits from the local produce or direct service charge? There is gap on market price and margin on tourism business. Only responsible private sector can benefit to the poor community. Therefore, to maximize the benefits to the local community, the support agency including government policy should promote the more responsible Tourism entrepreneurs locally

Ekanath Khatiwada

# re: How do we mainstream pro-poor tourism? @ Tuesday, September 11, 2007 11:36 AM

Interesting thoughts and comments on the issue of ProPoor Tourism. However, I am missing that we are not discussing a truly holistic approach for the industry yet! Tourism as a global sector just can't only focus on making more money and commercialise everything into commodities. But has to support that the Millennium Devlopment Goals will be achieved - incorporating all stakeholders! Interestingly, none of the UNWTO ST-EP initiatives, for instance, has a HIV&AIDS prevention component. The lack to combine MDG 1 and 6 is just one but an outstanding example of the entire situation. As poverty is the breeding ground for AIDS and as tourism in also contributing to poverty by displacing people and exploiting them, above all in most of the world's poorest countries's destinations, I am wondering if we should not request the industry and respective governments to finally take on an integrated approach towards sustainable development. There is a lot to be done still!

ECOT - Julia Schonharl

# Community-based and culture-rooted tourism can be really helpful @ Sunday, January 27, 2008 6:17 PM

CAMAT [Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism] is UNESCO project that has been working in District Chitral, northern Pakistan for the last 5 years. We have been working through the involvement of local communities, cultural troupes and traditional sports clubs such as Chitral District Polo Association. During implementation of this project, we have come to realise that adding economic incentives to the traditional cultural and sporting events not only save them from being extinct but also gives considerable economic benefits to the musicians that results in protecting the unique cultural heritage of Khow and Kalash communities in Chitral, Northern Pakistan.

Shams Uddin