Equitable Tourism Options

About EQUATIONS

This NGO works towards awareness and mitigation of the negative impacts of tourism in India. They primarily provide analysis, initiate campaigns, advocate for law and policy changes, and network with other groups working on the issues of tourism. They rely on their network of grassroots organisations, local communities, activists, researchers, unions and experts to build perspectives from the ground. The work of EQUATIONS can be categorised into six broad themes across regions of India.

Child and Tourism

EQUATIONS is a formal member of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes - (ECPAT) International. They work closely with ECPAT on the mission to rid tourism of child exploitation. Their main objectives are to advocate for social accountability and responsibility on the protection of children in tourism, encourage collaborative and concerted action to combat the exploitation of children in tourism and influence governments to incorporate child-friendly and gender-sensitive guidelines.

Economic Impacts and Tourism

They evaluate the implications of international trade and economic policy on tourism development and consequent impact on local communities. Since the early nineties, they have engaged with the issues of impact of globalisation, trade and investment policies on tourism development.

Ecosystems, Communities and Tourism

They examine tourism development from an environmental angle and also linking it to the livelihoods, culture, way of living of communities dependent on natural resources. They believe that tourism development must be environmentally just, respectful of the rights of local communities and sustainable. EQUATIONS uses research grounded in grassroots realities and advocates through networking with the government, the tourism industry, media, other civil society organisations and with communities.

Governance, Law and Tourism

They monitor laws and policies and advocates concerns on the unregulated expansion of tourism in violation of rights of local communities and self governance at the grassroots level with various ministries and departments. They also work with communities and individuals to build awareness and capacity towards exercising their rights in relation to tourism planning and implementation in their local region.

Women and Tourism

Their work examines ways in which women can have greater access, control and ownership over livelihoods and natural resources as well as access to the benefits in the context of tourism.

Tourism Education

They engage with students, academicians and tourism institutions to build awareness on tourism impacts, encouraging research and welcoming interns. Their attempt is to integrate critical perspectives on the impacts of tourism within tourism curriculum to further understanding of how tourism can be more equitable.

EQUATIONS Vision

EQUATIONS envisions a just and equitable world, where all people have the freedom and the right to determine their lives and future. They envision forms of tourism which are non-exploitative, where decision making is democratised, and access to and benefits of tourism are equitably distributed. They believe in the capacity of individuals and communities to actualise their potential for the well-being of society.

Campaigns and Advocacy

EQUATIONS initiates campaigns and supports people’s struggles, against unjust, undemocratic and unsustainable forms of tourism. They advocate people’s concerns with the local, regional and national government. Their advocacy aims for decentralised democracy and that communities should have a decisive voice in the access, control and ownership over their livelihood, natural resources and common resources. They try to ensure people’s experiences influences changes in tourism policies.

Some of EQUATIONS campaigns and advocacy literature

Recent Publications

EQUATIONS provides access to all their publications.

2010

2009

2008