TEN - Tourism European/Ecumenical Network
DECLARATION
TEN stands for Third World Tourism Ecumenical European Net. It is a network of development agencies, aid agencies, church groups, solidarity groups and individuals who are active in the field of tourism and the effects it has on the people of the Third World. This working group understands Third World tourism within the context of the North-South-conflict and denounces and fights unjust practices in tourism.
TEN acts as a partner to the Ecumenical Coalition on Third World Tourism (ECTWT) as well as to other issue-oriented nets.
Members of TEN try to
- raise consciousness and awareness on the effects of tourism to the people in the receiving countries of the Third World. Those effects should be researched and discussed from a development point of view. Similar problems within European tourism may also be considered in the endeavour towards more just societies.
- to support all attitudes which avoid the "touristic consumption" of other peoples, countries and cultures or which help to create equal relations among peoples of different countries.
- to encourage all means which increase the positive aspects within tourism and to fight all its negative aspects: That means tourism has to be measured by the criteria of contributing to building just, participatory and sustainable societies. TEN should look for cooperation with the tourism industry and with partners at all levels within the receiving countries.
Wijgmaal-Louvain, 20. Oktober 1984
Press Release
20th Anniversary of the “Wijgmaal-Declaration”,
the Constitutional Declaration of TEN22nd Annual meeting of the TEN Network in Italy,
18th – 20th June 2004At the occasion of their annual meeting in Tavarnuzze, Florence, the members of the Tourism European Ecumenical Network – TEN reinforced the principles laid down in the 1984 Wijgmaal Declaration to work towards building just, participatory and sustainable societies. The TEN members expressed their concern that there is a growth of undemocratic and unfair practises in tourism developments, especially in destinations of Asia, Africa and Latin-America.
This was highlighted at the World Social Forum (WSF) held in Mumbai in January 2004 in a programme of seminars and panel debates which for the first time brought tourism issues to the forefront of the WSF agenda. Many global experiences, illustrating exploitation within the tourism industry which are severely detrimental to human rights, were presented.
In particular, the TEN Network expresses solidarity with the people of Burma currently living under an anti-democratic and military dictatorship, whilst members of the elected government continue to remain under house arrest. The TEN Network supports the Burmese Democracy Movement who continues to struggle both inside and outside of Burma for a just and democratic society. Therefore, TEN supports the ongoing requests from the Democracy Movement of Burma asking tourists not to travel to Burma and businesses not to operate in Burma as long as the military junta remains in power.
Associazione RAM, Centro di Attenzione al Turismo
Organizer of the annual TEN Meeting 2004TEN has twelve members in eight European countries. Participants in Florence were
- Arbeitskreis Tourismus & Entwicklung, Basle
- EED-Tourism Watch, Bonn
- Karavaan, Brussels
- Associazione RAM, Genoa
- Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung, Ammerland
- Tourism Concern, London
- Tourès-Tourisme responsable ASBL, Brussels
- Transverses, Paris
For further information: Renzo Garrone, Marta di Cesare, RAM, Italy. Tel +39 0185 776028, email: orzonero@hotmail.com