I understand your qualms about SNV’s wordy language and respect the fact that you’re challenging the validity of Pro-Poor Tourism. But I think you’re missing the point.

SNV isn’t advocating that Vietnam’s population remain poor — they’re trying to help poor, rural communities access the tourism market, which you accurately describe as the world’s largest industry.

I just returned from a fact finding mission with the SNV crew in Son La. Consider the province as the bastard step-child to Lao Cai’s Sapa. SNV has been facilitating the conversation between Tour Operators and the local communities vis-a-vis developing the area as a tourist destination. While the number of visitors isn’t even a blip on the map (about 300 persons), there is potential in the area. And even though the home-stay programs aren’t necessarily high on the agenda of most visitors to the country, foreigners do find these opportunities interesting — not everyone wants surf, sun and sand. These host villages have two choices: 1) stay in poverty and keep up with their subsistence farming way of life or 2) develop some sort of modest tourism economy based on home-stays, handicrafts, nature tours and visiting tea plantations, and then perhaps they can send their sons and daughters off to college for a better education.

There were complaints that the old saying “travel broadens the mind” did not apply to these tourists. They are not interested in the culture or the language. These complaints came from other customers, not from anyone in the countries with a successful tourist industry! The answer from the industry was that we should rejoice that we are in the pleasure, leisure, holidaymaker business. Not, mainly, the tourist business. Before the war millions of people worked hard with nothing to look forward to. Today, millions still do not enjoy their work but can look forward to a well earned holiday. Do not tell them what to do with it. Using the same example, if they want English food and English beer on the same Spanish beach every year because it is well known, reliably warm, sandy and good value, do not tell them they should spend their hard earned rest learning Spanish culture and language or travelling elsewhere. There is, nevertheless, a bridge. Nobody will want a war.

There were also complaints about environmental degradation – coming from the customers. One point was that this depends entirely on well managed local and national authorities but the industry also has a vested interest. Tourists do not return after the environment has been wrecked! As far as the “carbon footprint” was concerned flying is 2% of global emissions, houses and vehicles 40% and improving technology has offset the growth.

The only complaint from a tourist industry country was about foreigners pricing locals out of their own beach resorts and coastal villages. Holiday homes promote returns and foreign rents but that is why I advocated restricted designated areas where foreigners could buy property.

VNAT think they can tell us we want inconvenient expensive visas. They can’t. We don’t. We are free to choose Thailand. Visas are to keep poor people out of rich countries, not to keep rich people out of poor countries. VNAT think they can tell us we want to pay 50% more to fly to Viet Nam than Thailand. They can’t. We don’t. In any case Thailand is in all the ads paid for by charter and low cost airlines with all the brochures paid for by tour operators. Viet Nam is not. VNAT think they can tell us we want cultural festivals. They can’t. We don’t. We want beachside and riverside promenades with marinas as a focus for a wide choice of leisure activities. Just like the successful holiday destinations. Including Thailand.

Of course I can’t speak for the Chinese. Apparently their favourite leisure activity is shopping. If that includes the men they are unique! Perhaps we need shopping malls and craft fairs next to the beach? In depth research required. Apparently they also like sightseeing. In which case they will go to India, Egypt, Europe, North and South America and people from those countries will go to China. Once. Beach holidaymakers also like the choice of some short side trips. Saigon, Ha Noi, Hue, Angkor Wat? Find out what the customers want is absolutely basic but we should ask whether we can afford the water for too many golf courses and whether we want to provide the prostitutes. Unlike Thailand!

Incidentally, there was a more than half page ad in yesterday’s Viet Nam News for SNV PPST. (Pro Poor Sustainable Tourism) operating within the framework of SEDP (Social Economic Development Plan) and MDG (Millennium Development Goals) in co-operation with VNAT. “building capacities” “strategic leadership” “portfolio co-ordinator” “country strategy through annual sector plans” “mainstreaming” capacity building” “facilitation for localisation” “feedback” “identification of best practices” “thematic expertise” “networks” “knowledge development” “high-impact investment options” requirements for senior adviser : “academic level of working in tourism, development and/or public administration” “value chain approach” “facilitation of multi-stakeholder processes” “product development” “organisational learning” “change processes” “strategy formulation” “resource mobilisation”.Etc!

They have been operational since 2001. Seven years without insisting that VNAT stop their determination to preserve poverty by ignoring what the competition is offering. Especially Thailand. A demonstration of what happens when you put academics, expensive consultants and bureaucrats together. Does this look like a dynamic action plan to you? All words and no deeds. I can assure you that none of the people involved in this ad have ever had a successful start-up or managed a successful business in their lives. What do you think is the motivation of these self styled “experts”? For whose benefit do you think the other alphabet soup of 30+ unregulated financial instruments is designed? The real experts have got one piece of alphabet soup. KISS. (Keep It Simple Stupid). Why do you think for 10 years I have been drawing your attention to the real experts, the volunteer consultants who have actually done it? Why do you think for ten years I have been drawing your attention to the billions poured into the multifarious organisations in the MDG pipeline with a trickle coming out the other end for sustainable development with the people on the ground? A new series of BBC World Challenge has just started. Why do you think I draw your attention to that every year? It is about sustainable development for people at the sharp end. On the ground. For 12 years I have had daily evidence that nobody in authority is even starting to get the messages.