While tourism can be a powerful positive force for change in poor countries, it can also be seriously damaging for the local environment and culture.
An increase in mass tourism that is not controlled responsibly can ruin areas of natural beauty. Tourism can damage coral reefs, pollute beaches and destroy the habitats of wildlife as roads and hotels are built. Ironically, damage to these natural resources is likely to reduce future numbers of visitors. Another negative effect is that the increasing numbers of aeroplane flights are a major cause of global warming. A second problem is that the tourist resorts are frequently owned by large
Western companies and all too often the profits earned from tourism go straight into the bank accounts of these companies. Moreover, the well-paid managerial positions are often held by foreigners, and the wages given to local hotel employees are usually very low. Where this is the case, very little money enters the local economy at all. By purchasing souvenirs, food and other goods from local people you can help to spread the benefits of tourism. Finally, tourism can have an adverse effect on local culture, traditions and the way of life. Large numbers of tourists can undermine traditional beliefs, values and customs and in particular risk commercialising the culture that they find so interesting. And where these tourists are insensitive to local traditions their behaviour can cause great offence.
Tourism Fact File
·
Tourism employs 250 million people, roughly one in ten of the world's workforce.
·
80% of the people that travel internationally come from the USA, Canada, Japan and 17
European countries, including the UK.
·
15 million Britons take package holidays abroad each year.
·
The developing world's share of the tourist trade has increased by an average of 9.5% a year since 1990.
·
The amount of money that leaves a destination country (the country where people spend their holiday) varies from 40% out of India, and 80% out of the Caribbean islands.
·
The UN calculates that the amount of water used by an average tourist in 24 hours would be enough to grow rice for an individual for 100 days.
·
An 18-hole golf course in a dry country can use as much water as a town of 10,000 people.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Now amongst tourism, there are many environmental and social aspects which can heavily impact Australia and its economy. Regarding the environmental impacts, tourism can increase awareness of conservational values and can be thought of as a way to finance the security of our natural and beautiful expanses. Although, tourism is linked to the construction of roads, resorts and airports, this can obstruct the environment.…
- 765 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Oppermann, M. and Chon, K-S. (1997) “Tourism in developing countries.” International Thomson Business Press: London.…
- 3596 Words
- 15 Pages
Best Essays -
Suppose that you are a high school economics teacher. You plan to visit your principal’s office and convince her that tourism should be included as part of one of your courses. What arguments would you use?…
- 865 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
Although tourism has a positive impact on the economy there are equally negative impacts. Touring agencies, shops, hotels, and even islands…
- 783 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Today, many people spend almost all of their money on traveling around the world. Their expenditure makes a big income for many countries such as Caribbean, Egypt or Thailand. This is advantageous to the countries’ development; otherwise, tourism is impacting on these countries. Environmental pollution, destruction of monuments and dilution of culture are some problems that these countries’ government must solve if they depend solely on tourism revenues.…
- 357 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In order to be able to understand the relationship that exists between tourism and development, it is important primarily to understand what is meant by the term ‘development’. One important point is that if development is linked to economic progress, then the majority of third world countries are currently not in a developmental stage at all. Sharpley et al (2002:25) state therefore that development should be classified as “the reduction of widespread poverty and unemployment”. However, this solely relates to third world countries, as poverty, whilst existing to some extent, is an extremely remote issue in developed countries such as England and France. Therefore, development should be seen as “the continuous and positive change in the economic, social, political and cultural dimensions of the human condition” (Sharpley et al, 2002:27). Tourism plays a dominant role in the socio- economic development of particular regions and is the principal economic sector of, for example, many of the islands within the Mediterranean area (Andriotis, 2003:23). Despite the obvious positive results of developing a resort for tourist’s consumption, Reid et al (2003) clarify that tourism can also result in negative impacts upon a destination, for example overcrowding of a resort. This essay will attempt to clarify, and then analyse, the effect that development has on selected destination areas, and link this to specific literature in order to understand the relationship that exists between tourism and development.…
- 2210 Words
- 9 Pages
Best Essays -
“Today, tourism is one of the largest and dynamically developing sectors of external, economic activities. Its high growth and development rates, considerable volumes of foreign currency inflows, infrastructure development, and introduction of new management and educational experience actively affect various sectors of economy, which positively contribute to the social and economic development of a country as a whole”. (Mirbabyev, B.;Shagazatova, M.)…
- 4066 Words
- 17 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Tourism is of vital importance to many countries because it represents a fundamental source in its overall balance of payments and for many developing countries it is one of the few activities that have the possibility of becoming a competitive business contributor to their economical development.…
- 2489 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Global tourism growth has received an increased interest from the public sector, private sector, NGO’s and the academic world. This growing attention has its origin, not surprisingly, in the increased economic importance of the tourism industry for global economic growth. Tourism is one of those sectors that can demonstrate the global connections between cultures, nations, NGO’s and businesses.…
- 4461 Words
- 18 Pages
Good Essays -
Tourism has increasingly grown as the economy develops well and the level of living style of human being improves, especially in China. (Jordon & Ken, 2001)The dramatically growth of tourism has brought several benefits such as enhancing local economic development and the reduction of unemployment rate. (Philip D. & Brian R., 1995) However, it is still questionable that whether it is absolutely profitable if the number of tourists continue to rise. The objectives of this essay are to emphasize the negative impacts of tourism to a Chinese destination. This essay is going to cover how the boosting tourism is affecting the quality of water and air in China.…
- 1692 Words
- 7 Pages
Best Essays -
Tourism refers to the activities of tourists, people who visit places for pleasure, and the industry that caters to their needs. It can be a double-edged sword for a country to a certain extent due to its advantages as well as its disadvantages. The advantages are economic, cultural and environmental benefits while the disadvantage will be environmental degradation.…
- 605 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Many international institutions have highlighted the importance of tourism as a motor of social transformation and a instrument for promoting economic development (OECD, 2009; UNWTO, 2005; WTTC, 2005). Its potential for growth is considered to be such that, at a horizon of no more than ten years, tourism is expected to generate 11.3 per 100 of world GDP and 8.3 per 100 of employment (WTTC, 2005). The economics literature concurs with this view. From analyses of the role of international tourism in the provision of foreign exchange and its contribution to compensating trade deficits in the balance of payments, to its capacity to generate employment or to increase tax revenues and with them the possibilities of public intervention to improve the welfare of the country 's citizens, there have been many contributions that recognize the potential of tourism as an instrument of economic development (among others, see Cooper, Fletcher, Fyall, Gilbert & Wanhill, 2008; Cortés-Jiménez & Artis, 2005; Goded, 2002; Lanza & Pigliaru, 1994; Lanza et al., 2003; Lickorish & Jenkins, 2000; Pearce, 1989; Pulido & Sánchez, 2010; Sinclair 1998; Sinclair & Stabler, 1997; Tribe, 2005; Vanhove, 2005). The concept of "globalization" has been the subject of considerable debate, which has still not come up with a clear and widely accepted definition. Some argue that the driving force behind the process is economic, while others stress political and even cultural aspects. Whatever the case however, there is a certain consensus on understanding globalization as a dynamic phenomenon which has accelerated noticeably in the last decade (Randolph, 2007), which is multidimensional (Martin, 2001; Shademan, 2009), and which affects the world as a whole thus distinguishing it from the other ways in which countries open up to…
- 12687 Words
- 51 Pages
Good Essays -
Maqbil, I. (2005) Tourism’s role in poverty alleviation highlighted. Bangkok Post, Thailand. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.…
- 1645 Words
- 7 Pages
Best Essays -
• Spending on tourism amounts to 5%-10% of total consumer, spending in a year worldwide.…
- 3861 Words
- 16 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Due to rapid development, rising disposable incomes and relaxation of restrictions on foreign travel, the volume of international trips by Chinese travellers has grown from 10 million in 2000 to 83 million in 2012 (Cripps, 2013). Expenditure by Chinese tourists abroad has also increased almost eightfold since 2000. Boosted by an appreciating Chinese currency, Chinese travellers spent a record US$ 102 billion in international tourism in 2012, a 40% jump from 2011 when it amounted to US$ 73 billion (UNWTO, 2013).…
- 2152 Words
- 9 Pages
Better Essays