This is my first writing, i hope you can correct it, i was watching your video and your writing posts in your blog and i have tried to follow your advices. This topic was given to me last year at the institute where i studied. I know it is an old topic but for me is the first that i have made.
Tourism is a modern form of colonialism. It distorts local economies, causes environmental damage and ruins the places it exploits.
To what extent would you support or reject this idea?
Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in many economies of the world and has brought with it many economic and social benefits. This is very apparent in many Latin American countries. It is disagreed that tourism is a modern form of colonialism. The merits of this position will be shown by looking how tourism can create jobs and improve local community quality of life.
Firstly, a well-designed and managed tourism has close linkages to other sectors like education and hospitality industry and it can create directly and indirectly employment to people. For example, a community-owned Spanish language school located in the Maya Reserve receives hundreds of tourists yearly and employs almost all the local people who were in the past engaged in illegal timber extraction, hunting and slash-and-burn techniques. Also, tourists spends their money in other goods and services, it leads to what is known as the multiplier effect that contributes to create others industries like hospitality. If this eco school had not opened, many families in the village would have not been benefited. Thus, it is clear that tourism industry provides opportunities for small-scales business enterprises and contributes to develop local economy.
Furthermore, tourism can contribute to make an important and sizeable contribution to host community. For instance, to attract tourist to a local community is necessary to have a good infrastructure and leisure amenities, the improvements that the governments do to develop these aspects are part of the result from tourism. These acts as an example how tourism can develop life conditions of host community; it encourages the preservation of traditional customs and can create a better cultural understanding. Thus, it is clear that benefits derive from the encouragement of developing tourism.
As the above shows, tourism is beneficial to local economies because it can develop jobs to improve the living conditions of people and as well instills an understanding of the importance of preservation of customs. Thus, it can be concluded that there are clear and healthful benefits to encouraging tourism among the world. It is expected to increase tourism over the world in the next years.
