Tourism
Tourism has been one of the least spoken of but possibly one of the most controversial sectors in the context of World Bank operations internationally. Back in the 1980s, tourism, along with nuclear energy, was one of the few activities that the Bank's Board of Directors elected to halt. Today the Bank is restarting tourism operations with renewed fervour. The World Bank and its associated agencies - the IFC, MIGA and GEF - have a history of supporting large-scale, mass models of tourism development in the developing world which has led to visible negative impacts in these now established tourism "enclaves" of the world. Furthermore, since the 1990s, as part of its conservation and sustainable development approach, the Bank Group has funded conservation programmes in India that have displaced tribals and other local communities while simultaneously opening up these conservation areas (National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuaries/Tiger Reserves) for tourism promotion. Tourism is also a key motivating factor and impetus for several large-scale destructive infrastructure projects (like highway development, roads and urban development) undertaken funded by the Bank in regions like the Northeast of India. With these arguments, groups and affected communities will appeal for the complete withdrawal of the Bank's involvement in tourism as it has put in place destructive and exploitative models that have benefited the industry and investors in tourism but not local communities at destinations.

Tourism and Rights of local communities -A Workers perspective, John Rego {Paper]

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Arvin Kejriwal -Delhi Water Privatization
 
Amit Bhaduri - Response to the World Bank
 
Madhura Swaminathan - World Bank and Food Security
 

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