Contemporary Issues in Travel and Tourism

While travel and tourism are viewed as beneficial to the host country, they are not without problems. Although they generate revenue for a country, travel and tourism can also result in serious problems for that country. Some such problems include the spreading of disease, the erosion of cultural values, and the destruction of the environment among other things. With the increase in travel and tourism, these issues are a constant cause for concern. One of the major problems associated with travel and tourism is the degradation of the environment. Many adjustments must be made in order to facilitate tourists and travelers; as such, this can lead to the destruction of the natural environment and an increase in pollution. According to a document produced by the Commission on Sustainable Development, one of the problems associated with tourism is a decline in access to natural resources for locals and damage to the environment. One primary reason for this is that a common understanding of eco-tourism is lacking. As a result of this lack of understanding, environmental regulations and standards are constantly being violated. Furthermore, tourism requires much use of land and other resources; tourism therefore puts pressure on local resources (1). Travel and tourism can therefore lead to serious environmental concerns. Even though they generate foreign exchange, the problems associated with travelling and tourist activities which lead to environmental degradation must not be undermined. Travel and tourism generates much waste because, in providing suitable infrastructure, host countries end up destroying their own environment. One such example is the disposal of sewage into water bodies. Travel and tourism often caters to the needs of visitors while neglecting the effects of these activities on the lives of locals. Such problems could be lessened if eco-tourism was practiced on a wider scale. In most developing countries, tourism contributes greatly to the generation of waste as sewage, wastewater, and solid waste disposal are not properly managed or

planned (Commission on Sustainable Development 1). This is a serious issue as diseases can emerge and pose threats to the lives of individuals. In many cases, water becomes polluted and unsuitable for use. One such example is evident in Jamaica Kincaids A Small Place, as she hints that the water which tourists enjoy is more than likely connected to a sewage system although they are unaware of this. Tourism has expanded greatly over the years as its initial focus was only on Westerners. One of the reasons tourism and travel pose serious issues is due to their significant expansion. The core of modern tourism lies in the Western world; the industry was developed, owned and managed by Westerners, modern tourists were predominantly Westerners; Westerners shaped the principal tourist routes and destinations, styles of travel, of accommodations and of auxiliary services (Cohen 331). Tourism and travel has therefore changed enormously as they are no longer limited to the Western world and its people. While this is good for the exposure of developing countries as they get an opportunity to showcase what they too have to offer, while maximizing earnings; travel and tourism has posed several problems, such as the erosion of cultural values. The Commission on Sustainable Development notes that tourism facilitates the removal of traditional values from a society and replaces them with that which is deemed modern. The Commision further notes that tourists bring with them new ideas. Being unaware of the cultures rooted in a given society, investors often impose their own values on the societies in which they invest. (1). This can lead to cultural erasure or ethnocentrism as the host country may lose some of its cultural values as well as, tourists and natives alike will view their cultures as being superior to the other. This is a growing concern as it regards contemporary travel and tourism as persons travel from all over the world.

Works Cited Cohen, Erik. "The Changing Faces of Contemporary Tourism." Society 45.4 (2008): 330-333. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 4 Jan. 2011. Commission on Sustainable Development. 19-30 April 1999. Google docs. 4 January 2011 <http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:iaLgUSoD3JYJ:www.gdrc.org/uem/ecotour/ngo4.pdf+problems+associated+with+a+large+tourism+industry&hl=en&gl=jm&pi d=bl&srcid=ADGEEShyyNilMO2lLDXhs86iKC_0ZwWRjoXEsVVpjckBvahqfSZU1Iw gB8oiPGu24I4YUnUdbL8eyhOQtIiG1v9vBG>. Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place. New York: Plume, 1989.