PANJIIM: On the World Tourism Day, commemorated each year on September 27, the Centre for Responsible Tourism (CRT) has demanded that government protect and promote traditional occupation as well as create new jobs for a better future for all. 

The forum has stated that the collapse of Thomas Cook, a development that comes ahead of the tourism season, is an indicator that several people are out of job and feared it would have an adverse effect on the people and job scenario in Goa.

The theme of the World Tourism Day (WTD) this year is ‘Tourism and Jobs: better future for all’ and the theme brings into focus the Sustainable Development Goal which stresses on ‘Decent work and economic growth.’

“India’s on-going economic slowdown has not only created serious challenges on creating new jobs but also brought a major reason for current recession in various sectors especially in the automobile industry, aviation and manufacturing sectors.  Thousands of people have lost jobs and many more are on the verge of losing their livelihood,” a press statement issued by Fr Freddy Braganza, Executive Secretary of the CRT, reads. 

In a bid to improve job situation in the tourism sector, CRT with Tourism Alert and Action Forum (TTAF) has proposed that new policies are needed to ensure that tourism jobs are well-regulated, unionized, pay a living wage and are protected from exploitation and slavery. 

“Two pillars are essential: a new international economic order to address developing countries call for justice in an unfair global system and a basic living wage in all countries,” it states adding, “Policies and actions should be geared to ensuring tourism is developed only as a contributor to balanced economy; tourism dependency must be avoided. Tourism education should not be hijacked to shape labour into suitable wage slaves; instead, it must be offer a holistic and integrated curriculum that explains how tourism fits into the development of a fair and just economy that is geared to support local community well-being.”

The CRT also demanded a holistic approach to tourism that removes it from the control of capital and returns it to local sovereignty and decision-making.

“We invite all stakeholders to hear this indictment of tourism and reject the lie that is sold that tourism delivers jobs of value. 

The CRT also stated that three phenomena serve as examples of the current injustices of tourism’s labour and employment impacts - sexual slavery and human trafficking in the context of tourism, child exploitation in orphanage tourism and widespread abuse of migrant labour in segments like cruise ship tourism and events tourism. The CRT will be celebrating the World Tourism Day on October 2 in Calangute wherein awareness program on “child trafficking/abuse and tourism’’ will be held.