Sustainable tourism and its role in the equitable distribution of wealth

The tourism industry, as a source of income, user and employment for all levels and classes of society, as well as its special role in the fair distribution of wealth and directing money from the upper and middle deciles of society to rural and local communities, ‌ can be a golden tool and opportunity Used to reduce the phenomenon of poverty and even fight it.

Due to its unique characteristics, the tourism industry can be used as a tool to reduce and even fight poverty. Tourism due to its high income generation, helping to balance wages, investing in infrastructure, helping to create communication links within economic sectors, creating employment for all levels and classes of society, as well as its role in equitable income distribution and guidance. Money from the rich and middle classes of society to rural and poor communities, provides golden opportunities for communities and thus can have a significant impact on improving the economies of less developed countries, as in many developing countries today. It is used to reduce poverty.

Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon and, consequently, affects people’s lives in various ways, and the poor are prone to the highest levels of vulnerability in the areas of health, economic turmoil and natural diseases. Lack of income and assets to meet basic needs is one of the main causes of poverty. In general, poverty decreases as economic growth and income increase, and income decreases as poverty decreases. That is why in developed countries, governments are fighting poverty with a greater focus on tourism as a source of diversity, growth and economic stability.

According to international organizations, such as the World Tourism Organization (WTO), “tourism” has been a tool for development since the 1970s, and its role in reducing poverty has been considered since the late 1990s, and since then tourism development in general has the potential for They link poverty reduction and identify tourism as an engine of economic development to help poor countries reduce poverty. Since then, Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) has quickly become a well-known method, a set of measures that seeks to increase the benefits of tourism and this valuable industry for the poor. And through this channel to show its impact on reducing national poverty levels.

Pro-poor tourism is a relatively new method and perspective in tourism development that is designed to increase the net benefit of the poor from tourism and to ensure that the growth of tourism helps reduce poverty. This type of tourism seeks to provide special benefits to the poor, which may be economic, social, environmental or cultural, and enables the poor to actively participate in and benefit from economic activities.

The goals of this type of tourism range from increasing local employment to the active participation of local people in the decision-making process and development programs, and as long as the poor benefit from tourism, it can be called “pro-poor tourism”, even if the wealthy share more than Be poor.

In simpler terms, pro-poor tourism is an executive initiative that seeks to increase the net benefits of tourism for the poor and seeks to change the distribution of economic benefits to all types of tourism for the benefit of the poor by improving poor access to tourism and providing them with a source of income. Are outside the tourism sector or do not have access to this sector.

The tourism industry is the best alternative to those industries and a strategy for the development of the country, when the profit of the activities of other economic sectors in the country is declining. The tourism industry was one of the most important and lucrative industries in the world at the beginning of the third millennium, with an annual income of nearly one trillion dollars in the world, in addition to poverty alleviation, justice and job creation, generated high income for vulnerable groups including the poor. Create jobs.

It is necessary to say about poor tourism that tourism does not support the poor or some kind of tourism, but in fact it is an approach that a country has to this industry. The benefits of this type of tourism perspective come in a variety of economic, social, environmental or cultural benefits.

Implementing strategies in the field of poverty alleviation tourism seeks to create opportunities for the poor through tourism, whether these benefits are of economic benefits, include social welfare benefits or they are included in decision-making processes in Activate the field of tourism in the country.

In order to focus the benefits of tourism on poverty reduction as well as the poor, many measures and implementation paths are needed. Many activities in the field of marketing, recruitment, expansion of relations between the private sector and national structures, policy-making and legislation and participation in decision-making must be done to witness their crystallization at the level of national programs to reduce poverty.

The strategies used in this area can be divided into three main categories: extending economic benefits to the poor, pursuing the criteria and indirect effects of poor tourism, and expanding activities in the field of poor tourism, including the development of policies and Relevant processes or expansion of commercial companies in this field.

In order to optimize the implementation of impoverished tourism, it is necessary to consider various components: the degree of access of the poor to markets (whether access to physical opportunities, access to economic elites or social restrictions imposed on poor producers), business life (including Quality and price of goods produced, marketing and power of intentions), structures and policy frameworks (land tenure, legal nature and content, planning processes, government attitudes and national capacities) and issues and challenges related to the implementation of the regions of the developed programs (filling Skills gaps in regional environments, management of costs and expectations, expansion of collaborations among stakeholder chains).

As a result, various policies have been adopted over time to combat poverty. Today, countries, especially developing countries, have realized that they can use tourism to reduce poverty, but a strong institutional structure is essential for the successful implementation of programs. Increasing investment in the tourism sector and paying more attention to the tourism sector and the necessary public and private investments to develop this industry will lead to increased economic growth and reduce poverty and inequality and can be considered as one of the main pillars of sustainable development. And this industry, by creating employment, earning income and strengthening infrastructure, affects various aspects of people’s lives and reduces poverty and inequality and improves income distribution in the country. Therefore, paying attention to the following items in this regard can be helpful:

Increase the participation of poor people in the decision-making process

Maximize the use of local suppliers and staff

– Creation and development of infrastructure (road, water, electricity, etc.) and providing appropriate facilities for tourism development in different regions, especially deprived areas of the country

– Creating a suitable environment for the employment of the poor in tourism activities and institutions

– Encourage local suppliers to supply goods and services from the place as much as possible

– Motivate the private sector to encourage investment in disadvantaged areas

– Increasing the awareness of the poor about tourism and its effects

– Educate the poor to increase their skills for small businesses

It is hoped that by implementing programs with a tourism approach for the benefit of the poor, these destinations will be seen as a place for business so that in a general system, each tourist destination will be considered as a subdivision of development.

Source: Aria Heritage