☘️Discuss Advantages/Disadvantages of Tourism

✅Question : Tourism has increased so much over the last 50 years that it is having a mainly negative
impact on local inhabitants and the environment. However, others claim that it is good for the
economy.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and give your own opinion.

📚 Answer:

Whether or not tourist destinations benefit from international tourism is a debatable issue. To some
governments, the local economic benefits are worth the overcrowding and hiked prices of the
tourist season. However, there are environmental and social costs and other risks of relying on
tourism as a major source of annual income.

Sleepy coastal communities can be changed beyond recognition by mass-market tourism. Package
holiday companies operate huge numbers of low-cost flights to high-rise hotels in developing
countries every summer. This means, of course, that easy money can be had servicing this seasonal
influx and the government sees increased tax revenue and local employment. However, when the
tourist season comes to an end, employment ceases and the area becomes a ghost town. The social
cohesion of a small community can also be blighted by the seasonal migration of people to cities to
look for work out of season, leaving only the elderly behind. This is perhaps made worse by second
home owners, who drive up house prices beyond the means of local inhabitants.

On the other hand, the local community do gain language skills and other fringe benefits of cultural
exchange. Such a large volume of travelers every year can cause environmental problems to fragile
habitats and historical sites. Age-old stone remains can be worn away and traditional buildings
demolished in favor of bland international hotels. Local infrastructure can also fail to cope with large
numbers of visitors, leading to pollution and litter. However, over time this can change as the
economy improves and tourism becomes more of an established industry. Local government
investment in infrastructure should ensure repeat trade and further benefits for the economy.

Overall, tourism can be a good source of income for countries blessed with natural beauty or sites of
historical interest. However, governments must ensure that the wishes of local businesses are not
put before the needs of the local community and that any revenue generated by tourism is
reinvested in the area to protect the local environment.

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Band: 9.0