Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHY TOURISM PLANNING IS NECESSARY
The decision to develop tourism or expand present tourism development in a community, a region, or
a country must be studied carefully. The socioeconomic bene
ts from tourism are powerful. Tourism
development looks attractive to both developed and underdeveloped countries with the right
preconditions
some combination of natural, scenic, historical, archaeological, cultural, and climate
attractions. Tourism is a growth industry, and while that growth may show some slowing in the short
run, the long-run prospects are good. The expected continued growth is based on continually rising per
capita incomes, lower travel costs, increased leisure time, and changes in consumers
—
tastes and
preferences toward travel, recreation, and leisure goods and services. Many advocates regard tourism
as a panacea for solving an area
'
is development problems. This view is unrealistic because bene
ts may
be accompanied by detrimental consequences. A review of some advantages and disadvantages from
Chapter 1 arising from tourism development will indicate why careful planning is necessary. There are a
dozen major arguments for tourism:
'
1.
Provides employment opportunities, both skilled and unskilled, because it is a labor-intensive industry
2.
Generates a supply of needed foreign exchange
3.
Increases incomes
4.
Creates increased gross domestic product
5.
Requires the development of an infrastructure that will also help stimulate local commerce and
industry
6.
Justi
es environmental protection and improvement
7.
Increases governmental revenues
8.
Helps to diversify the economy
9.
Creates a favorable worldwide image for the destination
10.
Facilitates the process of modernization by education of youth and society and changing values
11.
Provides tourist and recreational facilities that may be used by a local population who could not
otherwise afford to develop facilities
12.
Gives foreigners an opportunity to be favorably impressed by a little-known country or region
Nine disadvantages of tourism are that it:
1.
Develops excess demand
2.
Creates leakages so great that economic bene
ts might not accrue
3.
Diverts funds from more promising forms of economic development
4.
Creates social problems from income differences, social differences, introduction of prostitution,
gambling, crime, and so on
5.
Degrades the natural physical environment
6.
Degrades the cultural environment
7.
Poses the dif
culties of seasonality
8.
Increases vulnerability to economic and political changes
9.
Adds to in
ation of land values and the price of local goods and services
Consequently, tourism is not always a panacea. On the contrary, overdevelopment can generate soil
andwater pollution and even people pollution, if there are toomany visitors at the same place at the same
time. Consider automobile and bus traf
c congestion, inadequate parking, hotels dwar
ng the scale of
historic districts, and the displacement of the local community-serving businesses by tourist-serving
firms, leading to degradation, rather than improvement, of the quality of life.
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