Socio Cultural Impacts of Tourism

Tourism is an activity done by an individual or a group of individuals, which leads to a motion from a place to another. From a country to another for performing a specific task or it is a visit to a place or several places in the purpose of entertaining which leads to an awareness of other civilizations and cultures, also increasing the knowledge of countries, cultures, and history (Central Department of Tourism & Summer Resorts 2006). Tourism is an important industry that depends on culture and science. According to the Miriam’s Webster’s dictionary environment is defined as: the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community. Tourism and the environment have a very complex and interdependent relationship. Tourism is one of the largest industries in today's world economy and is a great source of foreign exchange for many developing countries, whose major assets are their natural resources. At the same time, it is the environmental quality of a place that will determine the success of the tourism industry, since it is the principal attraction.

There have been disagreements on whether tourism in beneficial or harmful to the environment, and this paper lays out the arguments for both sides. This analysis will illustrate that tourism, if unplanned and unregulated, can be extremely harmful to the environment, and therefore needs a better, more sustainable alternative that involves the local population in the planning and management of tourism. Tourism is Jamaica's largest foreign exchange earner and fastest growing industry, and its natural resources, such as its beaches, clear water culture and vegetation, are the primary selling points for tourists. Stephanie Tullen (Reference) states that; Tourism does seem to be much less harmful than other industries, such as manufacturing and the bauxite industry. The tourism industry has a stake in the preservation of