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Equitable Tourism Options

Equitable Tourism Options (EQUATIONS)
Logo of the non-profit organization Equitable Tourism Options (EQUATIONS)
Founded 1985
Type Research, campaign and advocacy non-profit
Focus Impacts of tourism on local communities in India
Location
  • Bangalore, India
Coordinates 13°0′27.7″N 77°39′11.10″E / 13.007694°N 77.6530833°E / 13.007694; 77.6530833
Area served
India
Slogan Who Really Benefits From Tourism?
Mission Tourism should be non-exploitative, equitable and sustainable
Website http://www.equitabletourism.org

Equitable Tourism Options (EQUATIONS) is a research, campaign and advocacy NGO working on social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of tourism on local communities in India. Their work is directed towards enabling non-exploitative, equitable and sustainable tourism in India. They function out of Bangalore, India and were founded in 1985.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.


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