Tourism and Its Effects on the Community
Tourism and Its Effects on the Community
Tourism is the largest industry in the world and the fact that it is still growing portrays a very bright future for the industry. Many countries have made billions out of this industry and are still earning more but to gain something, we have to lose something. In this essay I will discuss the effects of the tourism industry on the community taking into account important factors such as politics, economics, the environment and the historical factors.
Tourism is the premier industry in many South Pacific countries. Not only does it bring a considerable amount of foreign currency, it also provides employment to many people. Its economic benefits are unquestionable but an over dependence on it may cause the downfall of other industries and the livelihood of the people associated with it. Many countries, especially developing countries with little ability to explore other resources, have taken up tourism as a way to improve the economy. However, as a result their survival often has become dependent on customary tourism revenue arrival. In The Gambia, for example, 30% of the workforce depends directly or indirectly on tourism. According to the WTO, in small island developing states, percentages can range from 83% in the Maldives to 21% in the Seychelles and 34% in Jamaica (www.unatlas.com). Another such indirect case is the sugar industry in Fiji. Many people think that a larger portion of government time and money has been dedicated to the tourism industry and this has led to the decline in the earnings of the sugar industry. Thus many farmers have stopped farming sugar cane due to the lack of government support.
Another negative economic impact of tourism is the "all inclusive" vacation packages. Local businesses often see their chances to earn income from tourists severely reduced by the creation of these vacation packages. When tourists remain for their entire stay on the same cruise ship or in the same resort or
Tourism is the largest industry in the world and the fact that it is still growing portrays a very bright future for the industry. Many countries have made billions out of this industry and are still earning more but to gain something, we have to lose something. In this essay I will discuss the effects of the tourism industry on the community taking into account important factors such as politics, economics, the environment and the historical factors.
Tourism is the premier industry in many South Pacific countries. Not only does it bring a considerable amount of foreign currency, it also provides employment to many people. Its economic benefits are unquestionable but an over dependence on it may cause the downfall of other industries and the livelihood of the people associated with it. Many countries, especially developing countries with little ability to explore other resources, have taken up tourism as a way to improve the economy. However, as a result their survival often has become dependent on customary tourism revenue arrival. In The Gambia, for example, 30% of the workforce depends directly or indirectly on tourism. According to the WTO, in small island developing states, percentages can range from 83% in the Maldives to 21% in the Seychelles and 34% in Jamaica (www.unatlas.com). Another such indirect case is the sugar industry in Fiji. Many people think that a larger portion of government time and money has been dedicated to the tourism industry and this has led to the decline in the earnings of the sugar industry. Thus many farmers have stopped farming sugar cane due to the lack of government support.
Another negative economic impact of tourism is the "all inclusive" vacation packages. Local businesses often see their chances to earn income from tourists severely reduced by the creation of these vacation packages. When tourists remain for their entire stay on the same cruise ship or in the same resort or