Tourism, as compared to other forms of globalization, is unique in many ways. According to the article by Sharon, tourism globally employees over one hundred million people and will generate by the year 2020, $200 billion. This figure is primarily due to the number of tourists who travel to other countries every year as well as the foreign exchange.
The industry is one of the largest, and it brings the tourists and the service providers such as the hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, car rentals, taxis, helicopters, local guides among others together. Everyday goods and products that we use come from different parts of the globe that we visit. Unlike other forms of globalization, tourism does not destroy the differences in culture.
Hotels may look the same in different countries, but the variations in culture vary from one region or state to another. Tourism is connected to education this is through international exchange programs, health areas which promise both mental and physical recuperation to the tourists, culinary tours. Tourism has both positive and negative impacts on the local culture.
127 our experts are availableright now
The local government tourism board promotes an aspect of the local heritage whereby the tourists get to know the indigenous art and culture as well as the vernacular architecture. They also support the culture of the communities which include folk dances and festivals; events in history which matter to the locals; and the local cuisine which consists of the food as well as the local markets.
Another advantage of tourism is that it creates new markets for local arts, local people can earn some cash in the sale of products to the tourists as souvenirs. Jobs are created when the hotels and restaurants hire dancers, musicians, waiters, singers and also during the construction of the infrastructure of the country and after to maintain the same. Tourism can affect the local culture in many negative ways.
In some popular sites and countries, the tourists come in huge numbers at the same time thereby damaging the cultural heritage as well as the historic buildings. The tourists alter the lives of the locals as they are going about their everyday duties by their observations as well as taking photographs. The cost of living goes up for local people as there is a need for holiday rentals which bring in more money.
In some cases, tourism creates a false sense of unrealistic desire thereby making the locals want what they have in less developed countries. The consequence of these is that the local turn into crime, an increase in prostitution and mostly child prostitution, drug dealing, hustling, and gambling. A lot of water is used by hotels when it is turned to waste, and released to the sea; living corals die due to stress over time.
Tourism also affects the sea negatively as it destroys the coral reefs. These are because of the ships which anchor over the corals and the locals who harvest them to make jeweler. Lastly, the wetlands and the mangroves which protect the shoreline during hurricanes are destroyed due to the influx of tourists. The locals are also displayed when the government is putting up more new infrastructure.
