Tourism Costs and Benefits

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3/21/13

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Social Costs and Benefits

May attract visitors whose lifestyles and ideas conflict with the community's. An example may be the visitors' use of drugs and alcohol. May change individual behaviour and family relationships. May lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. Loss of traditional values and culture through imitation of visitor behaviour or cultural diffusion resulting from normal, everyday interaction. May create crowding and congestion. May compete with residents for available services, facilities, and existing recreation opportunities. May result in harassment of visitors perceived to be wealthy and an increase in crime. Can involve violations of human rights. People have been displaced from their land and beaches have been reserved for hotel guests while access is barred to local people.

Brings in outside dollars to support community facilities and services that otherwise might not be developed. Encourages civic involvement and pride. Provides cultural exchange between hosts and guests. Encourages the preservation and celebration of local festivals and cultural events. Facilities and infrastructure developed for tourism can also benefit residents. Encourages the learning of new languages and skills. Tourism related funds have contributed towards schools being built in some areas.

Environmental Costs & Benefits

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May threaten Brings in outside specific dollars natural to support resources community such as facilities and beaches and coral services reefs that or otherwise historical sites. might not be developed. May increase litter, noise, and pollution. Encourages civic competition involvement for and pride. Brings increased limited Provides cultural resources such as exchange water andbetween land, resulting hosts and in guests. land degradation, loss of wildlife habitats and deterioration of preservation scenery. Tourism seasonality of Encourages the and celebration local festivals Directly contributes and cultural to sewage events. and solid waste pollution. Facilities and infrastructure developed for tourism can Emissions generated also benefit by forms residents. of transport are one of the main environmental of Encourages the learning of newproblems languages and

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Economic Costs and Benefits

Helps diversify and stabilize the local economy. Provides governments with extra tax revenues Tourism of infrastructure (airports, roads, etc.) can cost the local each year development through accommodation and government a great deal of money. restaurant taxes, airport taxes, sales taxes, park entrance fees, employee income tax of goods and services. May inflate property values and prices etc.. Leakages: Creates local jobs and business If outside interests own the tourism development, most of the economic benefits opportunities. These include those jobs will leave the community. directly related to tourism (hotel and tour Considerable of foreign exchange revenues leaks back out of the services) and thoseamount that indirectly support destination for tourism-related imports. tourism (such as countries food production and housing construction). The multiplier effect: Brings new money into the economy. Tourist money is returned to the local economy as it is spent over and over again. Helps attract additional businesses and services to support the tourist industry. Is Labour-intensive. Earns valuable foreign exchange.

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Employment tends to be seasonal. Workers may be laid off in the winter season. Many jobs in the tourism industry are poorly paid. This is a particular problem in LEDCs where the local workforce lack the skills to fill the better paid management positions. Tourist numbers can be adversely affected by events beyond the control of the destination e.g. terrorism, economic recession. This is a big problem in LEDC countries dependent on