Issues in Tourism Assignment

1.) Here are ten factors that influence people’s viewpoints about travel and tourism issues.
Look at the list and identify the two most important and the two least important factors.
Explain your choices.

The two most important factors on this are list are income levels and political perspectives. I
feel that these two are the most important factors out of the list for many reasons.
Furthermore, I chose income levels because if somebody is in a tough financial state, they are
not going to be looking at leaving the country due to pricing of tickets/gas., they will probably
resort to a short road trip or just postponing the trip in general, especially now with Covid-19
everything has gone up in price. Personally, I feel like finance is the biggest barrier for travelling
to peoples dream places in the world. Next, I chose political issues, most of the time it would
mean it is unsafe for one to go someplace in the world because of the relations the two
countries have (often times bad blood). Some examples of this includes North Korea and South
Korea, India and Pakistan, Israel and Palestine, Serbia and Albania. Looking at the 3 rd example it
would not be safe for an Israeli to travel to Palestine because of the current state the two
countries are in. The last example I gave, it would not be safe for an Albanian to go to Serbia
because of what happened between the two countries many years ago. I have heard stories of
Albanians travelling to Serbia and all the terrible/horrific things that have happened to them. I
feel like these two factors play the biggest rolls in influencing people’s views on a country,
safety is always first, if a place is safe, does one have the proper funds to go?
The two least important factors in my opinion are age and how educated a person is. Age really
has nothing to do with how you look at tourism, every place in the world has something you’ll
like, weather you want both you and your kids to enjoy a place in the world or you and any
loved one. There is always something for everybody everywhere you go. Lastly, somebody who
has finished university/college would have the same outlook on travel and tourism as someone
who is failing all their classes in high school. Everybody knows what they like, you just need to
find a place in the world that you would like to go to, but within your means.

2.) Give two examples of things that you would consider “problems” and two examples of
“issues” in travel and tourism.

As I see it, problems are considered things that need an urgent solution, while issues are
situations that need a discussion or a debate. That being said, two examples of problems in
travel and tourism are getting lost in a foreign country, in this case you would need to find a
way to get back on the proper route immediately. You could ask a local who might know the
way around that part of the town/city/country, or look it up on any mapping site/app. Another
example would be running out of money. In this case one would need to ask a loved one for
some financial help or resort in bank loans. Worst case scenario you would need to get a job for
the time being. Now onto the issues, some issues I see occurring to a tourist is not being able to
speak the native tongue, you would need to take self-initiative and start learning the language
either through a teacher or an app. Lastly, a huge problem that I have encountered is baggage
not arriving with you. In this case, you would need to consult customer service at the last
airport you were at. This example could also be considered a problem because of the fact that
everybody wants their luggage, the question is where it really is and how are you going to get it
back.

4.) Alternatively, you may read the following article Controversy on Deck. and work through the
steps of “Investigating Issues.” For the Decide For Yourself step, state whether you agree with
the outcome and provide reasons for your opinion.

Stakeholders – Monkey River locals and the Norwegian Cruise Line.

Issue – Cruises have increased tourism in Belize, but locals are concerned about the
environmental and cultural consequences.

Different Viewpoints – Cruise line argues that it increases the tourism in Money River, which
then also increases the economy. But the locals argue that it is affecting the natural
environment and it’s culture.

Evaluation of views – It is in the cruise lines best interest to keep the cruises going to Monkey
River solely for the fact that it helps the cruise line bring in more money. They are arguing that
it brings tourism to the island, which boosts the economy. Which is the case, but you need to
look at this situation in the bigger picture. I agree with the locals because Monkey Island is not
used to that many people being present, meaning it is coming to a point where it is cluttering
the island to a maximum. This may affect their culture because the visitors may see the Monkey
River locals as less, they might feel disrespected

Best Decision – If I were calling the shots in this situation I would 100% side with the locals on
this one. I just feel like the island has come to a point where it is being drained of all its beauty.
The environment is decaying because of the overload of people. Wildlife habitats are most
likely worsening due to the fact that there is an overload of people at the island at once. I feel
like if I were in the position of the locals during the cruise, I would feel disrespected in a way, I
would think that all of these well-living foreigners are coming to my island to view how my poor
self is living. In my head I would be thinking that they feel sorry for me and that would be the
last thing I want if I were them. Cruise ships emit carbon dioxide and fossil fuels into the air and
water, Cruise ships the size of small cities sail the waters off coasts, dumping vast amounts of
sewage and other trash into our oceans, polluting beaches, ruining coral reefs, and destroying
valuable marine biodiversity. Some of the waste is treated before being discarded, while other
waste is simply dumped into the ocean. Cruise ships are one of the most carbon-intensive ways
to travel in today’s world and are extremely bad for the overall environment. To side with the
locals, without all the people coming to visit their island, it keeps Monkey River more natural
and wholesome in a sense.