TOPIC 2

OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM IN A GREEN ECONOMY

The recent economic crisis situation could potentially be utilized as an opportunity to introduce green investment in the economics.

-SIZING AND GROWTH OF SECTOR

 The tourism economy represents 5% of world GDP and contributes to about 8% of total employment. Tourism also one of five top export earners in over 150 countries and in 60 it is the number one export and with growing developing country participant ,tourism has become a major contributor to their country growth. It is the main source of foreign exchange for one third of developing countries. 4 billions estimated domestic arrivals and 940 millions international tourists were recorded.

-CHANGING CONSUMER PATTERNS

 Tourist choices are increasingly influenced by sustainability considerations. Then the surveyed said that environmentally friendly tourism is a consideration  when travelling. CEDS and TIES  found that a majority of international tourists are interested in the social,cultural and environmental issues to the destinations they visit. The first choice experiments conducted in Uganda conclude that biodiversity attributes increase the willingness to visit tourism attraction, independently of other factors. It is estimated that global spending on ecotourism is increasing at a higher rate than the industry-wide average growth. Nature-based tourism is an important economic component of the entire tourism market.

-POTENTIAL FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND SOCIAL AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

·         POVERTY REDUCTION

The tourism sector has potential to make a substantial contribution to the achievement of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (UNWTO 2007). Tourism to poor countries is also growing faster. They think that making tourism more sustainable can create stronger linkages with the local economy, increasing local development potential. The relationship between tourism and poverty reduction is closely related like example can be found in Jamaica in 1996,the Farmers Programme began with 10 farmer supplying 2 hotels. By 2004,there were 80 farmer supplying hotels across the island.

·         DECENT WORK

-decent work is captured in four strategic objectives which underpin its substainability:-

o   Fundamental principles and rights at work and international labour standard.

o   Employment and income opportunities.

o   Social protection and social security.

o   Social dialogue and tripartism.

      These objectives hold for all workers, woman and men. They acknowledge the importance of   having a skilled, motivated and satisfied workforce.

·         WOMEN AND DISADVANTAGED GROUP

The development of tourism provides a significant opportunity for woman and other disadvantaged group to become producers of tourism services. Data reported by ILO and analysed in the UNIFEM and UNWTO Global Report on woman in Tourism 2010,show that woman are much better off in the tourism sector than in other economic areas.