Xinhua: Solutions proposed by delegates to address dilution of culture by voluntourism

Following the conclusion of the discussion in the morning about solutions to the dilution of culture brought about by ecotourism, delegates then moved on to brainstorming frameworks for providing funding towards developing countries to be sued in the tourism industry.

There were many different suggestions on the floor. Ivory Coast proposed implementing taxes on NGOs which would provide funding to less developed countries and that suggested that the cost of voluntourism packages by companies should be raised and the extra money used to fund training sessions. In response, Israel mentioned that a price ceiling should be put on the amount that voluntourists could spend on such trips, believing that if the industry got too pricey, tourists would be driven away.

There were also splits between the ideas of one-time or continuous funding, and the nature of the parties that would be giving funding. Most countries argued against the idea of continuous funding, believing that it would put strain on their resources. However, certain countries like Japan argued that because of the lack of tourism infrastructure in the countries requiring funding, a one-time donation itself would not be sufficient. Ivory Coast wanted the United Nations Development Programme to help developing countries establish better voluntourism industries. However, this idea was shot down by France, which emphasised that since voluntourism was profit-driven, it would not be appropriate for the UNDP to fund such initiatives. In the end, it was settled that unions such as the African Union and the European Union could help to fund programs for developing countries.