Listener's Report (Theological Critique on Commercial Tourism)

Listener's Report (Theological Critique on Commercial Tourism)

By Dr. Miriam Chang, CJCU

The International Seminar on Tourism Development and Marginal Communities Jointly Organized by PTCA, NCCI, Chang Jung Christian University and SCEPTRE was held on Date 6-8 December, 2012, at SCEPTRE, Kolkata, India.

The theme of this seminar is: Commercial Tourism and Marginal Communities: Missiological and Theological Challenges.

In 5th Dec.
Dr. Solomon Rongpi moderated the first day seminar.
Bishop Ashoke Biswas delivered the opening and inangural address.
Dr. Huang Poho introduce the mission of PTCA and released Dr. Wati Longcha’s book ‘RETURNING TO MOTHER EARTH’,THEOLOGY,CHRISTIAN WITNESS AND RHEOLOGICAL EDUCATION. An Indigenous Perspective, which is the 4th book in PTCA serial publication.

Another Tourism is Possible

Another Tourism is Possible:

A Theological Critique of Commercial Tourism and

Re-imagining Tourism as Mission of Incarnation

Dr. George Zachariah

Porf. Taminalu Theological Seminary, India

Theological seminar on Commercial Tourism

 We are gathered here as an intentional community, inspired by Christian faith to unmask the interconnection between commercial tourism and its impact on marginal communities, and to uncover the environmental impact of commercial tourism. We do this critical reflection and analysis to develop missiological and theological perspectives to inspire our faith communities to engage in just and alternative tourism. As we have seen in the stories from Sri Lanka, commercial tourism is the invasion of neo-liberal globalization into our communities and our lifeworld. It commodifies human beings, nature, and cultures, to maximize wealth. It also dehumanizes the tourists by converting their vacation, pilgrimage and leisure into unjust and destructive activities that are dangerous to the future of life on earth. This presentation is an attempt to develop a theological and ethical critique of commercial tourism and to explore alternate practices of tourism informed by the perspectives of tourism-affected communities.   

COMMERCIAL TOURISM: An Agenda for Theological Curriculum Developmen

COMMERCIAL TOURISM:

An Agenda for Theological Curriculum Development

Dr. Wati Longchar,

Director SCEPTRE, Kolkata, India

Tourism Industry – An Ethico-Theological Issue

Group picture of paricipants

Tourism industry is spiraling and has gained a greater vogue with all its zeal and valor.  It is estimated that more than five million tourists, excluding domestic tourists, arrive in India alone, annually. Alongside oil, arms, pharmaceuticals and auto-industry, it is one of the largest industries in the world, and it is growing rapidly in a massive scale. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) projects 1.5 billion arrivals of tourists by 2020.  A rough estimate puts 1,005 tourist arrivals in 2010. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) share is 5.89 trillion which is higher than GDP of the most rich countries. Excluding unaccounted laborers, tourism absorbs about 300 million people. To intensify tourism industry Governments have relaxed tax on air fuel and the budget airlines are growing. With the introduction of cheap flights, tourism industry will continue to grow all over the world.

Book Release for PTCA Series No. 4

PTCA BOOK RELEASE

PTCA series no. 4: 

Returning to Mother Earth

by Dr. Wati Longchar

PTCA Theological Seminar on Commercial Tourism

Neo Liberal Globalization and Market Oriented Commercial Tourism:

A Theological Critique

PTCA International Theological Symposium

Jointly by NCCI, CJCU and SCEPTRE

Huang Po Ho,

Prof. and vice president of CJCU, Dean of PTCA

Dec. 6-9, 2012. Kolkata, India

Introduction



Theological Seminar on Tourism

Tourism has been defined differently among the concerned scholars, no consensus being reached for its definition.  However, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has its definition of the concept which is widely adopted, that states: “Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.”^[1]  General speaking, tourism involves industries of transportation, accommodation, eating and drinking, retail shops, entertainment businesses and other hospitality services.  There are attempts to distinguish tourism from travel; however no significant distinctions are reached. Semantically speaking, all tourists are travelers, but not all travelers are tourists. But travelers are seldom able to be exempted from taking part of tourism; therefore attempt to distinguish the two does not make much sense to the discourses.

It is nevertheless, following the neo-liberal market economic development, tourist activities has been commercially organized to become a collective business industry. This has launched strategic promotion to encourage and gather great quantity of tourist groups, and to increase their frequencies of trips, and thus altered the nature of tourism. This new trend of commercial tourist industry affected by the market orientation has created different side effects related to the exploitation of nature (creation) and distortion of human relationship. It is this sort of commercial tourism industries that invite our attention to reflect upon theologically and to call for repentance and transformation.