Social impacts of tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social impacts of tourism - Essay Example But not all of the results of successful tourism are necessarily beneficial. While the economic impact is usually the primary focus, it is the social impacts that tend to be less considered. It is important to understand the side of the people who call these amazing far away destinations their home. Whenever tourism booms in a given location the majority of the time the initial response is wholly positive. The newfound and continuing income that tourism can provide is a particular incentive. (Blasco Peris) Tourism, also, provides more enjoyable activities, better maintenance of streets and popular architecture, finer dining and businesses, new infrastructure, and ideally greater local pride. It can, also, contribute to positive population growth, intercultural communication, and a rise in a locale’s property values.("Tourism Social Indicators" 2) All of these things turn a given location into a very lucrative place. One of the highlights of tourism for a local population is th e fact that to accommodate the demand of visitors it may lead to a huge growth in employment opportunities. The Dambulla Tourism Destination, in Sri Lanka, was determined to make sure that the residents were involved and supportive of the tourism moving into their area. The tourism created an 85% increase in potential employment.(Chandralal 3) However, not all of the social impacts of tourism are good. Sometimes the tourism brings with a slew of side-effects that have negative impacts on the populations that are being visited. The cost of living may increase. There may be an increase in drugs and alcohol related incidents, along with overall greater crime rates. All of these are a consideration. There can be issues of overcrowding and greater use of public resources, like heath, police, and fire services. ("Tourism Social Indicators" 2) But it is the disruption of local traditions and life that can have the greatest negative impact. Tourism is an invasion, of sorts. It may be a peac eful and unintentionally intrusive invasion, but all the same, an invasion.(Blasco Peris) The presence of tourists is disruptive to the day to day life of the local populations. It must be quite overwhelming when large amounts of tourists, with strange languages and attitudes very different from what they may be accustomed to are surrounding them. A community can become so dependent upon the tourism income that they give up traditional tasks to work in the jobs demanded that tourism has created.(Ragsdale) It can change the feel and familiarity of the locals with their home surroundings and cause them to not feel at home in their own homes. This usually occurs when the number of tourist reach a certain point that the local population may start to feel smothered. It is when this happens and the benefits of tourism are not being felt, the local population may become resentful and unpleasant to the tourists; treating the tourists like terrorists.(Blasco Peris) Tourists never intended to become a nuisance to the locales that they visit, but all the same, it can happen. Many of the experts say that tourism will never be successful unless the local people are in agreement, they need that support to make a sustainable tourism industry in their communities a success. (Chandralal 2) That is why many areas that are considering opening themselves up and encouraging tourism are working harder, than in the past, to gain