Support for Fair Hotels in Croatia

The phrase 'sustainable tourism' is now widely used by NGO's, governments, empoloyers and other groups, and according to the UNWTO, sustainable tourism is tourism that leads to the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining vultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.

Sustainable development of tourism can only be achieved when workers rights are also taken into account. This means that workwrs in the sector should be able to exercise their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and should be in stable employment with decent conditions and wages.

We have started to develop a more comprehensive directory of hotels and tourism businesses globally, that enable workers to exercise their rights to freedom of associtation and collective bargaining. This would also provide a mechanism for us to support unions more effectively in their efforts to organize both in multinational hotel chains and local/independent operators.

There are a number of excellent examples of union initiatives in this area which are focused on respect of rights and we now warmly welcome the 'Fair Hotel Croatia Initiative" aimed to promote hotels where collecrive agreements are in place and workwes' rights are respected.

With a proactive approach, we could gain the support of the broader union movement and civil society ensuring that workers' rights are acknowledged as an integral part of sustainable tourism.

In solidarity,

Ron Oswald,
General Secretary