Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
High rates of population growth; high unemployment
Over 80% of the world's population live in the developing world, a propor-
tion that will increase as developing countries generally experience higher
birth rates than those in developed countries. Indeed, crude birth rates (the
annual number of births per 1000 population) in less developed countries vary
between 20 and 50, equating to an average annual population growth rate in
developing countries of around 2.0%, compared with 0.7% in industrialised
countries. This means that, between 1995 and 2025, the populations of many
developing countries will double. In addition to inevitable pressures on scarce
resources, such rapid population growth will also exacerbate an already seri-
ous under- and unemployment problem. It is estimated that unemployment
in developing countries varies between 8% and 15% of the labour force,
although the figure may be double amongst the 15-24 age group.
Balance of payments problems and high levels of
international debt
Among the most publicised problems facing less developed countries are
their balance of payments deficits, their high level of international debt.
With limited natural resources and restricted industrial production, less
developed countries, by necessity, import many of their basic needs. However,
the opportunity to balance the import bill is severely restricted by their
dependence upon the export of primary, agricultural products, the real value
of which fell by some 25% during the 1980s alone.
Socio-political structures ill-equipped to address the challenges
of under-development
As discussed in Chapters 2 and 10, and of particular relevance to interna-
tional tourism, many of the problems associated with under-development are
frequently attributed to the evident inequality in the global distribution of
economic and political power. However, social and political structures
within many developing countries may also determine the degree to which
development strategies are successful.
The last two decades or so have witnessed significant changes in the
political structures in many countries, with corresponding impacts on devel-
opment. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, for example,
brought about important changes within Eastern Europe although, as Hewitt
(2000) points out, political freedom was been achieved at the cost of reduced
aid from the West. Indeed, between 1982 and 1992, aid to the former Soviet
Union fell by 14% in real terms. More generally, there has been a dramatic
shift in the global patterns of democratisation. For example, in 1975 there
were, globally, 101 authoritarian regimes, 11 partial democracies and 35
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