The Elusive Quest for Justice and Humanity in Tourism.

ECOT’s 25th anniversary is a befitting occasion to renew the call for the transformation of tourism. For decades, activist and social justice organisations concerned with how tourism develops, have been influencing the agenda for tourism to be equitable, sustainable and non-exploitative. This has been done through struggles on the ground, interventions in critical national regional and global spaces, and solidarity actions. Most of the struggles, particularly those in the global south, have been around the resistance to corporate globalization and corporate impunity, reclaiming the commons, protesting the violence and exploitation that accompany the push for certain kinds of mass-tourism, and upholding and securing the values of dialogue, dignity, participation, democratization and self-determination. These campaigns and struggles have forced policy makers, governments and the industry to acknowledge the many problems and concerns attributable to the unfettered and irresponsible growth of tourism. ECOT’s 25th anniversary is indeed a time to recognise and celebrate this spirit of solidarity and the many contributions of individuals, communities and organisations all over the world. While we do not recount these efforts in this paper, they provide the backdrop and the inspiration for the renewed demand to policy makers and industry –Transform Tourism!