In the lead-up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa, the government evicted thousands of people, often those living close to stadiums in informal settlements, destroying their homes without prior notice or offers of compensation. Some people who were displaced, as well as homeless people living in the streets, were moved to temporary shelter cities. The shelters, however, were often in a bad state and lacked adequate sanitary facilities. In the period preceding the World Cup, there were also increased police raids, arbitrary arrests and harassment of informal traders and people on the streets. 

A kitesurfing training centre on Vellai island in Sri Lanka was built without prior consultation with the local fishermen. The centre blocks fishermen’s access to the lagoon during the kite-surfing season and thereby restricts fishermen’s possibilities to make a living. According to the Dark Clouds over the Sunshine Paradise report by the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the centre lead to conflicts between the owner of the kitesurfing training centre and the local fishermen.

The Sri Lankan Navy offers whale watching activities in two locations. According to the Society for Threatened Peoples’ (STP) report, Dark Clouds over the Sunshine Paradise, the army has taken over a variety of communal tasks since the end of the civil war, and become increasingly involved in activities in the private sector, including tourism.

“The STP considers the military-run tourist facilities and packages extremely problematic because they deprive the local population of an important source of income. Members of the armed forces working in tourism receive their salaries directly from the military department. Thus, the armed forces secure a lucrative additional income in the tourism sector and can provide deals at lower prices than the private sector. The profits made from these tourist deals present a further issue because of the lack of transparency concerning their use.”

Saudi Arabia sentences tribesmen to death for resisting displacement

A Saudi court sentenced three members of the Howeitat, a tribe forcibly ejected to make way for the $500 bn Neom megacity, to death for opposing their eviction and resisting their displacement for the development of the $500bn megaproject to be the host site of the 2029 Asian Winter Games. The men's death sentences are only the latest in a series of extreme rulings recently handed down by Saudi courts to those who have expressed dissent. It also comes as Howeitat tribespeople have reported an escalation in the campaign by authorities to drive them from their land for the flagship project. Two other Howeitat members were given 50-year prison terms and 50-year travel bans in August for supporting their family's refusal to be evicted from their homes in the kingdom's Tabuk province. Others who have received lengthy sentences include Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University student and mother of two, and Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani, a mother of five. They were given 34 years and 45 years respectively over tweets critical of the Saudi government.

Beaches are on sale on the Turkish Riviera 

The communities on the Turkish Riviera profit from tourism - and pay attention to environmental protection on the Mediterranean coast. But from now on, private owners are to manage the coastal stretches on the Gulf of Fethiye, if the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has its way. Four bays have already been sold, it said. The contracts are to be dated for ten years. The reason for the sale of the previously public bays could be the desolate economic situation in Turkey. The bays in the Gulf of Fethiye were bought for 12.5 million Turkish liras (about 800,000 euros) by a mining company from Ankara. As his first official act, he had heavy concrete slabs sunk into the Mediterranean, where the yachts of the super-rich can anchor. The communities on the Gulf of Fethiye criticize the allocation of their bays. In recent years, the communities on the Gulf had been working to ensure that yacht tourism, which is actually so damaging to the environment, was handled in a reasonably sustainable manner. With the new owners, that could change.
 

The challenges of sustainability in surf tourism destinations

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, surf tourism was considered an opportunity for local communities in impoverished countries. However, there are a number of negative impacts and challenges of proper management to keep in mind as the impact surf tourism has on the environment will depend on how the destination manages its resources. More precisely, deficient management of surf resources may cause crowding, trash, water pollution, erosion, reef damage, environmental deterioration, pollution and many more. In addition to environmental impacts, there are also economic consequences for the local community. One of these impacts is the tension between locals and foreign tour operators when it comes to the development of surf tourism. Moreover, most of the income from all-inclusive packages of surf tourism experiences goes directly to foreign companies.