EQUATIONS in the Media

Tourism First Magazine features cover story of child and tourism in it's June 2015 issue.

Media Release by the Bengaluru-based NGO EQUATIONS – A coalition of 35 Indian non-government organisations has blasted the draft national tourism policy 2015 released by the central government as paving the way for a complete privatisation of the country’s tourism industry, with scant regard being paid to the interests of local communities. The draft policy was released on 30th April with comments to be sent in by 10th May. (http://tourism.gov.in/WhatsNew/NewsDetails.aspx?NID=50).

A section of civil society organisations (CSOs) from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa have called for child safety-centric tourism policy, especially in context of recent studies in the state that showed rampant exploitation of children at major tourism spots such as Khajuraho and Ujjain.

There have been a few successful convictions of child sex offenders in Cambodia and UK. But, many offenders go scot-free. Successful convictions would send out a clear message to the offenders and could bring a stop to children being abused, said Christine Beddoe, presently serving as special adviser on children to the British joint parliamentary committee on the Modern Slavery Bill.

An independent study by three leading NGOs has exposed exploitation of children including sexual assault at two of India’s most popular tourist destinations, Ujjain and world heritage site Khajuraho, known for its temples dedicated to beauty and love.
Sexual exploitation of children by tourists in India is commonly associated with states like Kerala and Goa and the study is perhaps the first to reveal such goings-on in Madhya Pradesh.

A joint research conducted by the council for social justice and peace (CSJP) and Equations, a Bangalore-based NGO, with a focus on two coastal villages- Candolim and Agonda-found that though tourism has been promoted in Goa since 1984, the state still does not have a tourism policy.

For about 20 years, those attempting the conservation of monuments in India have struggled with one big problem: traffic. From Madurai to Pune, from Ahmedabad to Srinagar, the solutions are being fought over with varying results.

The Bhopal International Conference on Sustainable Tourism 2013 organised by Ecotourism Society of India along with Madhya Pradesh Tourism was an effort to bring on one platform conservation experts, NGOs and hotel operators to focus on wide ranging issues related to sustainable tourism and community engagement

Draft norms propose that only up to 20% of core areas of tiger habitats be allowed for regulated tourism

The best kind of tourism is people centric; the traveller as those living in the destination.

Mixed reactions to lifting ban on tiger reserves