Advantages And Disadvantages Of Tourism | What is Tourism?, Tourism Benefits and Drawbacks

Advantages And Disadvantages of Tourism: It is no secret that the tourism industry in the world has been on a steady rise. In order to understand what the future will be like for tourism, it is important to examine the current landscape and consider how new technological advancements may affect the industry.

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Moreover, tourism is a very large service industry with many endeavours. In fact, the number of tourists was estimated to be 4.4 billion by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in 2016. Tourism creates jobs, provides jobs, and brings in money and revenue. There are many benefits to tourism, but the biggest one is that it helps the economy as a whole. A study done by the Tourism Policy Research Unit found that tourism boosts the GDP of every country by 8% on average. Furthermore, more and more people are going on vacation every year, and this trend is not showing signs of slowing down even though we are in the middle of a global pandemic. And just like any other industry, tourism has a lot of pros and some cons. In this article, we shall explore the advantages and disadvantages of tourism.

Advantages of Tourism

Tourism is a huge industry. It not only creates jobs, but also fosters economic development in different areas of the world. It has many advantages such as boosting the economy and giving the destination a sense of place. Tourism also helps preserve natural resources and cultural traditions. Other advantages of tourism are as follows:

  • Tourism brings in money – Tourism brings in money because people from all over the world travel to different countries. As we already saw, tourism is a huge industry, which means that it has a lot of benefits, including economic and social ones. It provides jobs in hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related industries. It also helps sustain services so that tourists can enjoy their vacations even more.
  • Tourism provides jobs – Tourism can provide a significant source of income for local communities. As a result, tourism often generates jobs in various fields like the hospitality and agriculture industries. Tourism also helps to improve the housing market, which will lead to economic growth and job opportunities in other industries
  • Stimulates growth of a country – Tourism has been a significant area of growth for many countries. It allows the economy to grow and it’s good when it comes to the environment as well. However, there are many ways in which tourism can be encouraged. Many countries offer incentives for investment like tax breaks or low rates of corporate tax. These types of incentives allow companies to invest their money into real estate, transportation, and other forms of infrastructure necessary for promoting tourism in the country.
  • Incentive to preserve the natural environment – One of the most important ways in which tourism can help preserve nature and the environment is by creating incentives for people to preserve these areas. Because destruction of such areas translates to decline in tourism.
  • Tourism  promotes international connections – Tourism is an industry that promotes international connections. Tourism creates new friendships and builds favourable relationships between different countries. By travelling, tourists are able to gain a deeper understanding of their destination. They also get to enjoy the scenery, culture, and food of their destination.
  • Helps to put nations on the global map – Tourism is an economic stimulus for the nation. It provides a wide range of benefits, including job creation, exchange of ideas, cultural enrichment, and new technologies. Many countries have started to invest in tourism to make it easier for people to travel abroad on an individual or business level.

Disadvantages of Tourism

The most common problem associated with tourism is deforestation, which leads to habitat destruction for animals and plants throughout the world. Tourism also has a negative impact on the local economy as many businesses rely on things like local tourist visits to make money. Hence, a pandemic or other geopolitical situations can spell loss of business and livelihood. Other disadvantages of tourism are as follows:

  • Can cause environmental damage – There are many disadvantages to tourism, such as the effects on the environment. Tourists will often cause damage during their visit in an attempt to find a photo opportunity. The result is that tourists are often responsible for deforestation and over-exploitation of natural resources. Destroying habitats could lead to extinction of endangered species, which could have adverse consequences on biodiversity.
  • Commercialization – Developed countries continue to grow in popularity and can become very crowded. This has led to changes in people’s attitudes and behaviours, including the development of commercialism. This new form of capitalism has had a direct impact on how tourism is conducted. A common example is the growing prevalence of high-priced souvenirs that are sold by tour guides around major tourist destinations.
  • Can cause cultures to clash – It is a major problem that many countries face due to the nature of tourism. It creates a clash between cultures and may cause the destruction of existing communities. It is important to respect local customs and traditions because other people will not always be respectful towards your culture.
  • Tourism mainly provides low level jobs – This is a sector that provides low level jobs. These jobs mostly come as waiters, cleaners, and bartenders. However, these are usually temporary jobs that don’t provide much opportunity for growth.
  • Seasonal Nature of tourism – Tourism has many disadvantages and one of the most prominent is the seasonal nature of tourism. Generally, tourism usually peaks during the summer months when people come from other areas to vacation in a warmer climate. However, other places have this trend reversed. Regardless, the off-season usually results in decreased economic activity.
  • Small businesses are unable to keep up – Sometimes, the tourism industry in developing countries is owned by big foreign companies, which means that locals who depend on the income from tourism have to find other jobs in order to make money. This can cause unemployment and can negatively affect the economy.
  • Other key sectors of a country might be ignored – Over reliance on the tourism industry can lead to other important sectors being ignored. This can be dangerous for the economy if the tourism industry takes a hit from political situations, wars,  global pandemic, natural disasters etc.

Comparison Table for Advantages and Disadvantages of Tourism

Following are the advantages and disadvantages of tourism:

AdvantagesDisadvantages
Tourism brings in moneyCan cause environmental damage
Tourism provides jobsCommercialization
Stimulates growth of a countryCan cause cultures to clash
Incentive to preserve the natural environmentTourism mainly provides low level jobs
Tourism  promotes international connectionsSeasonal Nature of tourism
Helps to put nations on the global mapSmall businesses are unable to keep up
Helps to preserve culture and heritageOther key sectors of a country might be ignored

Conclusion on Tourism Advantages And Disadvantages

One of the most important things about tourism is that it has positive and negative effects on a country. The positive effects are that it increases income, helps to spread culture, and creates employment opportunities. On the other hand, there are the negative effects such as environmental damage due to overpopulation, increased crime rates, and loss of resources.

FAQs on Advantages And Disadvantages of Tourism

Question 1.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Tourism?

Answer:
Tourism is a type of industry that relies on the willingness or need for individuals and organisations to visit or move to a certain area. It can often be very beneficial, but it can also have drawbacks. For example, Tourism creates jobs in an area and helps the economy grow. It can also lead to problems such as overcrowding, crime and even pollution. The risks of tourism have led many people to take an anti-tourist position while some people are pro-tourist in their ideology.

Question 2.
What are the disadvantages of Tourism?

Answer:
Tourism can have negative impacts on countries, regions, and cultures. The numbers of visitors can cause problems with urban planning and public transportation. There is also a lot of pollution caused by the amount of people in one place. Cultures can also clash and cause problems with safety and security.

Question 3.
What is the main purpose of tourism?

Answer:
The main purpose of tourism is to generate income. The number of tourists travelling around the world in 2016 was approximately 1.2 billion and they generated $26.3 billion dollars in revenue while they were on their travels. These numbers are very promising for the tourism industry as people from all over the world spend more time travelling due to many new advancements in technology like online payment systems and remote booking that make travel easier than ever before.

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