LDC Poverty Alleviation and the Doha Development Agenda: Is Tourism Being Neglected?

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Despite being a leading export sector and source of foreign exchange for most (non-oil exporting) LDCs, tourism never makes the headlines of the WTO's Doha Development Agenda negotiations. When tourism's impressive potential for poverty alleviation is considered, the lack of attention is even more striking. Reasons for the apparent neglect are complex, and include a lack of awareness of tourism as an export sector, the fragmented nature of the industry and low political influence, exaggerated concerns over "leakages", misunderstandings about poverty alleviation and tourism, and the "poker playing" characteristic of trade negotiations. The evident results are missed opportunities to address services infrastructure constraints (one of the greatest impediments to increasing LDC tourism revenues and value-added), as well as a failure to address sufficiently tourism's agricultural, industrial, and Aid for Trade linkages. Terms of use: Documents inExisting national-level investment promotion objectives, as well as DTIS and TPR reports can be helpful for identifying priorities for both GATS negotiations and Aid for Trade. The focus should not necessarily be on making GATS commitments, but rather on ensuring that the importance of tourism for LDCs is acknowledged and acted upon. Indeed, governments can always further liberalize on a unilateral basis; in the context of the DDA, however, they can request greater access to trading partners' markets in exchange, as well as gain valuable international attention and publicity.

Aid for Trade and Value Chains in Tourism

“…The first contrast is the one between the role of the sector for countries' GDP and the sector's weight in aid-for-trade flows. This contrast has also been highlighted by other observers (Honeck, 2008, andDEVCO andUNWTO, 2013). On average, tourism represents over 4% of LDCs' GDP and close to 9% of their employment when only direct effects are taken into account.…”

Factors Influencing Tourism-Horticulture Linkage among Smallholder Farmers in Zanzibar

“…Several reasons are advanced to why tourism is an effective tool for the economic growth. Tourists, as consumers arriving at the destination, provide local communities with the opportunities for producing and selling additional goods and services on exchange of cash (Honeck, 2008). This means tourism contribute to raise local production of additional goods and services such as agricultural products (i.e.…”

“…Recently, the industry has become an important economic sector in developing countries including Tanzania (Honeck, 2008;UNCTAD, 2007). The tourism sector has continued recording strong growth in most countries, which are characterized by high levels of widespread poverty (UNCTAD, 2007).…”

Perceived Effects of Integrated Rural Tourism Planning on Communities’ Revenues and Resources Vitality in Makueni County, Kenya

“…These include; interest in farms, nature, adventure, health, education, arts, and heritage; and experiencing living history such as rural customs and local traditions. Honeck (2008) for instance explains that rural tourism is increasingly becoming an important economic sector in Tanzania. Spenceley (2008) observes that rural tourism has proved continued and strong growth in areas of Tanzania which are characterized with high levels of widespread poverty.…”