A toolkit on poverty reduction through tourism has been produced. It aims at assisting developing and least developed countries to create a sustainable tourism industry and businesses based on decent employment. It is oriented towards SMEs and local communities in rural areas and includes case studies, training sessions and best practices. The toolkit illustrates the links between the International Labour Office (ILO) Decent Work Agenda, poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals.
The toolkit is part of the ILO’s wider effort to promote decent work in the tourism industry and aims to contribute to poverty reduction through tourism and the promotion of employment in rural areas.
The ILO’s mission is to promote decent work within the context of poverty reduction. The ILO’s Decent Work Agenda directly relates to poverty reduction through an integrated approach that has four pillars: rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue.
The theme of this toolkit is the ways in which tourism can be a driver of poverty reduction. The toolkit outlines the background to poverty reduction approaches and how the ILO is involved within the context of decent work and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Recent developments in tourism and a vision for an inclusive, pro-poor tourism industry are summarized.
While local/rural communities and small enterprises are the primary target group, the toolkit is directed towards a wide range of actors that share an interest and are involved in reducing poverty through tourism. Within this framework, it aims to be useful for:
- national government representatives;
- local/rural authorities representatives;
- local/rural community organizations’ representatives;
- representatives of employers’ organizations;
- trade union representatives;
- representatives of support institutions (e.g. NGOs); and
- representatives of the local/rural tourism industry.
Modules
The toolkit is organized around five modular chapters.
- The tourism industry and poverty reduction – general overview
- Human resources, decent work and social dialogue
- Promotion and marketing in tourism
- Tourism market
- Tourism business
The chapters can be used together or independently, fully or in part, according to the training needs of participants and trainers. Some parts can also be used for other purposes (for advocacy, awareness raising and information, and as a background source).
You can download this toolkit for free here.
