Tourism in Perspective - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 24

BENEFITS AND COSTS OF TOURISM

Tourism brings both economic and noneconomic bene ts and costs to host communities. Some of the
considerable economic impacts and bene ts were described in the preceding section. There are
additional areas of bene t that have not received much research attention. These relate to
the

to the traveler, such as the contribution of pleasure travel to rest and
relaxation, the educational bene t, the understanding of other people and cultures, and the physical
and mental well being of the traveler.
There is no question that tourism delivers bene ts, but tourism is not perfect. Even advocates for
tourism such as your authors (we have been accused of being cheerleaders for tourism) acknowledge
that tourism is not an unquali ed blessing. There are also

bene ts of tourism

, and they do not
accrue equally. Many of the social costs incurred are dif cult or impossible to measure. Topics such as
The Golden Hordes, Tourism: Blessing or Blight, and The Holiday Makers (see the Selected References)
point out some of the unpleasant aspects of tourism. Improperly planned and developed tourism can
create problems. The demands of tourism may come into con ict with the needs and wishes of local
residents. Thoughtless development, inappropriate development, overdevelopment, or un nished
development can easily damage the environment.
Tourism has been blamed for polluting beaches; raising the price of labor, land, goods, and so on; spoiling
the countryside; contaminating the values of native people; crowding; congestion; noise; litter; crime; loss of
privacy; creating social tensions; environmental deterioration; lack of control over a destination

costs of tourism

sfuture;
and low-paid seasonal employment. These problems are common to many forms of development and
in many cases represent dissatisfaction with the status quo or overdevelopment. They emphasize the need
for a coordinated overall economic development plan, of which tourism will be one part.
We must accept that tourism is neither a blessing nor a blight, neither poison nor panacea. Tourism
can bring great bene ts, but it can also bring social problems. The world has experience in how to
increase the bene ts of tourism and at least some experience in how to lessen social problems. What
has to be done is to balance the bene ts and costs to come up with the best cost/bene t result.
Tourism students and executives must have a clear understanding of both the positive and the
negative impacts of tourism on the quality of life of a nation, a province or state, or a community.
What are the positive aspects? The negative aspects? We need a balance sheet. First, we look at the
plus side of the ledger. Tourism:

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Provides employment opportunities, both skilled and unskilled, because it is a labor-intensive
industry

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Generates a supply of needed foreign exchange

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Increases incomes

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Creates increased gross domestic product

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Can be built on existing infrastructure

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Develops an infrastructure that will also help stimulate local commerce and industry

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Can be developed with local products and resources

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Helps to diversify the economy

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Tends to be one of the most compatible economic development activities available to an area,
complementing other economic activities

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Spreads development

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Has a high multiplier impact

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Increases governmental revenues

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Broadens educational and cultural horizons and improves feelings of self-worth

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Improves the quality of life related to a higher level of income and improved standards of living

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