Travel Classifieds & Advocacy Community

This library was built while researching theconcept and need for a community like Step Up Travel. The library has a great many references to the United Nations. The reason for this is that we wanted to show how the grassroots movement of this community can help address problems that are discussed and reported over and over by governments and the United Nations.

We would like say that Step Up Travel has been most inspired by:
*the many, many excellent local organizations and people around the world doing great work to bring about positive social change and local economic development through tourism in their communities

*the following international organizations:Tourism Concern,Planeta,Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership, The International Institute of Peace through Tourism,Ashoka

Tourism and Poverty Alleviation, World Tourism Organization
Full Doc | Excerpts

Tourism, Microfinance, and Poverty Alleviation, PlaNet Finance and World Tourism Organization
Full Doc | Excerpts

Taking off: E-tourism opportunities for developing countries, U.N. Information Economy Report, 2005
Full Doc | Excerpts

New Directions in Tourism for the Third World, John Brohman
Full Doc | Excerpts

Nine Quandries of Tourism by Cheryl Shanks, ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America
Full Doc

United Nations Environment Programme Sustainable Tourism Library
Full Doc

"ST-EP" will promote socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable tourism, aimed at alleviating poverty and bringing jobs to people in developing countries. . . these objectives are fully consistent with the goals set out in the Millenium Declaration
--U.N. Secretary General, Kofi A. Annan

Indeed, as it brings together people of different cultures on a scale previously unimagined, tourism is now one of the most powerful forces of change in the world.
--Louise Frechette, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations, UNCTAD. Beijing, China, October 19, 2003

ST-EP Tourism Website

In order to coordinate the efforts and ensure an efficient contribution of tourism in poverty alleviation, the World Tourism Organization is implementing the initiative ST-EP: Sustainable Tourism-Elimination of Poverty. . .
--Eugenio Yunis, Chief, Sustainable Development of Tourism, WTO

The WTO, in collaboration with United Nations, launched the Sustainable Tourism-Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative to develop sustainable tourism as a force for poverty alleviation.
--World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002

Tourism is the only major sector in international trade in services in which developing countries have consistently had surpluses. Their positive balance in the travel account improved steadily from US$ 6 billion in 1980 to US$ 62.2 billion in 1996.
--U.N. Conference For Trade and Development

Developing countries now attract some 35% per cent of international travellers each year, but most have been unable to increase tourism profits because most trips are planned, booked and financed through firms based in richer nations.
--United Nations (U.N. Conference on Trade and Development)

In African least developed countries, up to 85% of total profits from the tourism industry are repatriated to developed countries. In the Caribbean, up to 80% of total profits from the tourism industry are repatriated to developed countries.
--U.N. Conference For Trade and Development

Travel and tourism is one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries, creating one in eleven jobs, contributing to international and regional economic growth, bridging disparities between developed and developing countries, and bringing prosperity which fosters peace.
--Amman Declaration on Peace Through Tourism

The combined tourism export receipts of all LDCs in 1998 accounted for 16.2% of the total non-oil export receipts, thereby exceeding the second and third largest non-oil export sectors (cotton and textiles) by 39% and 82%, respectively.
--U.N. Conference for Trade and Development

Seven Approaches to Poverty Reduction through Tourism:
--PlanetFinance. Tourism: the power to catalyse poverty alleviation programs

1. Employment of the poor in tourism enterprises
2. Supply of goods and services to tourism enterprises by the poor
3. Direct sales of goods and services to tourists by the poor
4. Establishment of Tourism Enterprises by the poor
5. Tax or levy on tourism income or profits with proceeds benefiting poverty reduction programs
6. Voluntary giving by tourism enterprises and tourists
7. Investment in infrastructure stimulated by tourism

How Tourism Can Contribute to Socio-Cultural Conservation? It has the potential to promote social development through employment creation, income redistribution and poverty alleviation.

WTO Policy Forum: Tourism is Top Priority in Fight Against Poverty

It is now widely understood that tourism can play a significant role in helping people lift themselves out of poverty. Indeed, international tourism is one of the few ways in which the least developed countries have managed to increase their participation in the global economy. . .And by promoting greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilizations, tourism can contribute to better understanding among peoples, and help foster a culture of peace that is essential to development.
--Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary General. Nov 27, 2003

The World Tourism Organization believes that tourism can be harnessed as a significant force for the alleviation of poverty, as well as for environmental protection, giving economic value to cultural heritage, creating employment and generating foreign exchange earnings.
--Eugenio Yunis, Chief of Sustainable Tourism Development, WTO

Travel & Tourism can be part of the solution to the challenges facing the preservation of our indigenous communities and our natural resources by the alleviation of poverty in developing countries.
--World Travel and Tourism Council

The decade between the Rio and Johannesburg Earth Summits has seen a major shift in global concern from the environment to poverty alleviation.
--World Travel and Tourism Council

Tourism profits often drain out of the world's poorer nations and back to the large travel firms, hotel chains, and booking and transportation providers based in the United States and Europe. . .Most of the information relating to tourism opportunities is generated and maintained by developed country service providers and naturally reflects their interests. The Information Economy Report 2005 focuses on the challenges posed for the world's poorer nations by accelerating use of the Internet in the conduct of international business and finance.
--Information Economy Report 2005, U.N. Conference for Trade and Development

Effectively harnessing tourism for development, and making it a tool for poverty reduction, requires the creation of linkages with the local economy.
--Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary General, UNCTAD. 2005 World Summit.

The decade between the Rio and Johannesburg Earth Summits has seen a major shift in global concern from the environment to poverty alleviation.
--World Travel and Tourism Council

Travel and tourism is a worldwide social and cultural phenomenon, engaging people of all nations as hosts and guests, and as such is one of humanity's truly global activities.
--Amman Declaration on Peace Through Tourism

Travel and tourism is a worldwide social and cultural phenomenon, engaging people of all nations as hosts and guests, and as such is one of humanity's truly global activities.
--Amman Declaration on Peace Through Tourism

Tourism improves relationships between individuals and peoples; when those relationships are cordial, respectful and based on solidarity they constitute, as it were, an open door to peace and harmonious coexistence.
--Pope John Paul II

As people of good will strive to eliminate injustice and discrimination and seek to transform the world into a civilization of love, the encounters engendered among peoples through travel are not only a condition for the realization of peace but a positive contribution towards peace.
--Pope John Paul II

World tourism is mostly concentrated in a handful of rich countries, which both run the business and reap the benefits.
--U.N. Conference for Trade and Development

Given the magnitude of the challenges that human settlements pose, society must value and take advantage of the wisdom, knowledge, and skills of every person. . . Participation requires the establishment and strengthening of participatory mechanisms.
--Cultural Tourism Towards Community Development, B. Wouters

Tourism companies no longer originate at the touristic places that they explore. More and more they are companies with managerial expertise, and good financial records, that invest on tourism ventures wherever good opportunities arise
--The E-tourism and Virtual Enterprise

People, more and more, have access to other cultures and points of view adopting new consumption patterns, seeking new life experiences, becoming more open to changes in habits and values... The tourism industry is rapidly changing...
--The E-tourism and Virtual Enterprise

The tourism product is based on social interaction between the supplier and the consumer, where the quality of the product is mainly defined by this interaction.
--Global Tourism Landscape

By contrast responsible tourism is market driven, both responding to and creating tourists who demand a more real encounter with the environment and the community, based on values of respect for other people and their places. Responsible Tourism and the Market
--International Centre for Responsible Tourism. November 2005

Worlds Apart: A Call to Responsible Global Tourism

ICT and Tourism: a natural partnership

The Internet can enable poorer nations to promote and manage travel and tourism themselves, eliminating intermediaries. . .
--WTO / UNCTAD

The UNCTAD report notes that developing countries also need to learn how to capitalize on unique and distinct tourism activities that give them an advantage over overseas tourism providers.
--WTO / UNCTAD

[E-tourism] shows how new technologies can empower tourism entrepreneurs and contribute to local economic and social development, especially in developing countries. . .For small tourism enterprises, "e-tourism" marketing and branding tools. . .are often the only avenue for reaching the international market at little cost.
--Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary General, UNCTAD. 2005 World Summit

The web and word of mouth are by far the most important forms of tourism promotion nowadays.
--U.N. Conference for Trade and Development

E-tourism is one such application. It shows how new technologies can empower tourism entrepreneurs and contribute to local economic and social development, especially in developing countries.
Statements by the Secretary-General of UNCTAD. Geneva, Switzerland -- November 30, 2005

Today, tourism is among the most important application domains in the World Wide Web. Estimates state that approximately 33% of Internet transactions are tourism-based...Most information on tourism opportunities in developing countries is generated, updated, marketed online by major international service providers based in developed countries...E-tourism could help developing countries exploit the untapped development opportunities tourism offers and, if set up efficiently, could give them better control for their own tourism industry.
--Global Tourism landscape

Tourism producers in developing countries could achieve autonomy and save costs by promoting and selling products directly to consumers provided that they have an effective website.
Information Economy Report, UNCTAD. Geneva, Switzerland, 2005

In China, between 1997-2000, the number of internet users doubled every six months and since 2000 there has been a 20-30% increase every six months. There were 33 million internet users in China at the end of 2001. One of the main barriers to online tourism creation in China is the cost for development and maintenance of online tourism applications
--China Tourism

UNCTAD E-Tourism Initiative: Helping Developing Countries Destinations to Become More Autonomous. March, 14, 2005

E-Tourism Can Help Developing Countries Keep Tourism Profits at Home

UNCTAD Expert Meeting On Electronic Commerce and Tourism- New Perspectives and Challenges for Developing Countries. Geneva, Switzerland -- September 18-20, 2000

UNCTAD Report of the Expert Meeting on ICT and Tourism for Development. Geneva, Switzerland -- November 30, 2005

UNCTAD Eleventh Session: E-Tourism Initiative. Sao Paulo, Brazil -- June 13-18, 2004

UNCTAD E-Tourism Initiative Website

Tourism is composed of a wide network of micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and can create further opportunities for many small entrepreneurs in an industry in which start-up costs and barriers to entry are generally low or can easily be lowered. . . On the occasion of the International Year of Microcredit, awareness campaigns in support of actions linking tourism and microcredit should be put in place to allow tourism to fully develop its potential as an economic driving force in favor of the poor.
--Eugenio Yunis, Chief of Sustainable Development of Tourism, World Tourism Organization.
--Tourism, Poverty Alleviation and Microcredit: A First Glance. United Nations Capital Development Fund, August 2004

Tourism does not only create direct employment for those working in it: the sector is composed of a dense network of micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that generate income through a complicated line of goods and services supply... It is at the destination level that the opportunities for local people to gain from this export industry need to be maximized. All too often, especially in rural areas, local people are denied any significant opportunity to participate in the tourism market.
--U.N. World Tourism Organization and PlaNet Finance, India

Through the collaboration with PlaNet Finance, the WTO seeks to achieve a synergy with a recognized organization in microfinance, as well as to offer to private actors, especially to the small & micro-entrepreneurs of the tourism sector who live in the poorest regions, a tool for them to use microloans in order to realize their projects.
--Eugenio Yunis, Chief of Sustainable Development of Tourism, World Tourism Organization.

Encouraging local employment in the tourism industry is another important avenue to poverty reduction. Local employment can also be a first step towards local ownership. Many developing countries have now begun to...encourage tourism-specific entrepreneurship through awareness-raising and financial and technical support, particularly for small enterprise development, which can have a significant local socio-economic impact... International efforts to build sustainable, locally rooted tourism industries should be supported, since they can play a crucial role ...in building sustainable sources of income for the vulnerable countries of our global community.
--Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary General, UNCTAD. 2005 World Summit.

Quite often these [tourism] products are the result of a well thought sustainability concept, and yet the entrepreneurs behind it fail to reach the marketplace, because they lack marketing expertise and knowledge of the tourism industry's distribution channels. These tourism companies, and particularly small firms from developing countries, suffer from poor targeting, market segmentation and positioning, low consumer product knowledge, and consumer risk perception. Distribution channels are key to increase the exposure of sustainable suppliers, and to capitalise on the latent market demand for sustainability by changing behaviour in non-sustainable firms.
--Marketing Sustainable Tourism Products, UNEP.

Travel & Tourism can be part of the solution to these challenges. In some countries it is one of the few possibilities for economic activity. It can create jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurs.
--World Travel and Tourism Council

The tourism sector is composed of a wide network of micro businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, it is often a difficult task for small entrepreneurs to borrow the relatively modest amount of money needed to start and sustain their activity.
--World Tourism Organization

Sustainability in travel and tourism means ensuring liberal markets in which the industry can thrive economically and generate jobs, creating frameworks for education, training and social development...
--World Travel and Tourism Council

Let us work together on programs to increase consumer awareness, or to provide the resources and incentives for local entrepreneurs, guided by private sector leaders.
--Graham Wason, Strategic Advisor WTTC

Self-employment is very important in the tourism industry, mainly when the person has special constraints that impede traditional office work. The flexibility of working gets so evident that people do not need to work in an office. This is very positive for the tourism industry since often, the involved activities (such as the ones of tour guides) are geographically scattered, mobile, and time-wise irregular.
--The E-tourism and Virtual Enterprise

By contrast, alternative, smaller-scale, more dispersed operations that encourage tourist mobility are believed to contribute to a more uniform distribution of tourism expenditure which may foster a more spatially equitable pattern of regional development.
--New Directions for Tourism in the Third World, J. Brohman