So many places in the world rely heavily on tourism as a key source of income and employment nowadays, as well as a way of showing off national and local heritage, plus perceived successes.
Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems too, especially if it is not managed correctly. A constant flow of foreign visitors can, for instance, undermine the beauty, uniqueness, character, and social coherence of a tourist destination over time.
It is easy to underestimate the scale of world tourism without being aware of the figures. There were estimated to be around 983 million international tourist arrivals In 2011 — this is nearly a 5 percent increase on the numbers in the previous year.
Travelers in those sorts of numbers can easily present huge challenges and problems for many destinations, including transport, places to stay, policing, and maintenance.
Advantages
- It brings in money. This is probably the main advantage of tourism and the reason why it has been promoted so much in recent years in developing countries especially. Whether in developing or developed countries, the income generated can make up a significant proportion of the national income.
- It provides jobs for the locals. Hotels, bars, transport, shops, and restaurants all need staffing. Tourism can provide much-needed employment for people.
- It raises the profile of the place generally. Tourism gives the locality a chance to show itself off and raise its profile in the world.
- It can provide a incentive for investment in infrastructure such as roads and rail networks, as well as funding local medical and education facilities.
- It can provide economic incentives for a place to preserve, regenerate, and provide upkeep in their urban and wildlife areas.
- Visitors promote international links, which can provide more business and cultural connections in the medium to long term.
Disadvantages
- Tourism can often cause environmental damage with things like pollution and forest fires. Even if tourists behave responsibly, the sheer number of the them can cause problems. Things like ancient buildings, monuments, and temples often struggle to cope with the vast amounts of tourist traffic and they suffer wear and tear or damage.
- The commercialization of culture can undermine the soul of a tourist destination. Local traditions that have a rich cultural heritage are reduced to wearing costumes and putting on acts for the tourists in return for money.
- Tourists can often lack respect for local traditions and culture, not following local dress standards, getting drunk in public, or behaving rudely or inappropriately towards locals.
- Although often jobs are created by tourism, most are relatively low level, such as bar work, hotel service, restaurant serving, and so forth. They also have little prospect for promotion.
- Tourism jobs are quite commonly seasonal and insecure with no extra benefits, such as pensions, sick pay, or health care. Some areas can be inundated with visitors during busy times, and then virtually deserted for many months.
- Money can end up being directed to tourist areas when it could be used more effectively elsewhere in a country. The locals who don’t live in specific tourist areas miss out and suffer relative decline.
- Often times, most of the tourism industry (travel companies and hotels, for one) in a developing country is actually owned by big foreign companies. They make the major profits, leaving local businesses with relatively little benefit.
- There is often an imbalance, where it becomes so successful that other forms of income generation are neglected and an economic dependence on tourism forms. This is fine in good times, but it can leave the country vulnerable to economic ruin. This can lead to political upheaval, terrorist attacks, or natural disasters, and tourism consequently dips or dries up altogether.
Pros and Cons of Tourism
Pros:
- It is good for a region’s economy, creating jobs based on the tourist influx and businesses like hotels and boutiques that cater to tourists.
- It allows visitors to experience a region in a planned and expected way; tourist destinations are organized in a way where there are usually enough hotels and restaurants, for example.
- Regions that get a lot of tourism have the incentive to keep their area clean and safe, which benefits all residents.
- Added sales taxes collected from tourists may benefit local infrastructure and schools.
Cons:
- The kinds of jobs tourism creates are often low-paying service jobs, like maids and store clerks.
- Added tourists put strains on an environment; for example, litter, excess traffic on roadways, and overcrowded beaches and parks.
- Added tourists put strains on public services, such as police and ambulance.
- Tourists may be seasonal, and the town may suffer off-season due to the slowdown in income.
- The wrong kind of tourism can bring in a seedy element and increase crime, bars, strip clubs, etc.
- Tourist destinations can often seem “inauthentic,” not really portraying the overall region accurately.
- A popular place may see increased housing prices, as seasonal visitors buy up “summer houses,” reducing the supply of available housing for locals.
