Special Issue - Corporate Social Responsibility (December 2009)

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,

It has been almost five years since the tsunami hit coastal areas in South and South East Asia. People did not know enough about these devastating waves to effectively protect themselves. As negotiators in Copenhagen pave the way for a new climate deal, they are dealing in the future lives, livelihoods and the survival of people in some of the poorest parts of the world, and they certainly have enough information to prevent or mitigate other - but in certain respects similar - disasters in the future.

Mobility, tourism and aviation have reached limits which do not allow for further growth. Yet, the tourism industry as one of the major contributors to climate change has not yet provided credible evidence that it is going to take any approach other than "business as usual", despite the fact that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability reporting are currently high up on the agenda.

CSR is always a voluntary initiative of enterprises. Climate protection has to be included. But CSR is not just about the tourism industry's carbon footprint. More issues need to be opened up for proper scrutiny: Does tourism respect the human rights of the local communities? In what ways and to what extend does tourism really contribute to the economic development of "destinations"? Is tourism destroying the natural resources and fragile ecosystems on which local communities depend for their livelihood? Does tourism respect the culture and traditions of local communities? How are the working conditions and what kind of social security is offered?

In cooperation with "KABANI - the other direction", we will be examining to what extent we can address these concerns through CSR in our ongoing campaigns, advocacy and lobbying. At a consultation with South Indian partners in Chennai, we will facilitate a dialogue with Indian civil society organisations, community representatives and other stakeholders on CSR concepts, instruments and practices within the tourism industry and beyond. One focus will be on possible monitoring mechanisms and community involvement to make tourism businesses more accountable.

This special issue of the German quarterly TourismWatch, published by the German Church Development Service (EED), is intended as a contribution to the discussion. It carries a selection of articles published over the past few years, highlighting some of the aspects and developments that have been addressed in the current debate on CSR in tourism in Germany.

Comments, criticism and suggestions from our English speaking readers in India and other parts of the world are most welcome. We look forward to constructive interactions.

Yours faithfully,

Heinz Fuchs                                                  Christina Kamp