Presently, tourism is known to be one of the biggest, yet dynamic and a very fast growing sector, which has many economical benefits (Batta, 2000). Because of the high returns, substantial amount of foreign currency flow in a country, crucial infrastructures, and other amenities develop, and modern educational experiences take place rapidly affecting the economy of any given country.
No doubt, tourism has contributed to both social and economical growth of many countries worldwide. For a number of well-developed countries such as France and Switzerland among others, tourism has been one of the greatest factors, which have steered developments both in terms of social and economical spheres (Cooper et al. 2005).
However, despite of numerous developments brought by tourism, it also has the potential to cause many problems, especially to the developing countries.
According to most current statistics, tourism is a sector that has impacted world economy in a positive way. Statistics clearly show that tourism provides about ten percent (10%) of the total world income (Mitchel, 2009). In addition to this, it also provides jobs directly and indirectly to a tenth of the world’s labor force (Mitchel, 2009).
Looking at this topic from the perspective of development, tourism is a sector that has proved beyond doubt to be very reliable and most importantly, extremely essential due to its contribution in the economy of a country. However, most people tend only to see the positive aspect of the tourism sector without even thinking of the idea that tourism can also cause many problems.
In developing countries such as Kenya, Zimbabwe, Brazil, and India among many others, where tourism is a key sector and a pillar of national economy; this sector has caused numerous problems, some that are long-term. Long-term problems such as environmental and ecological damage have severe effects to the nation and the host community as well (Mason, 2008).
Tourism is highly regarded for its role in bringing people of different cultures together (Casimir, 2000). For instance, people come from all corners of the world to visit East Africa, where tourism is a booming business.
However, as much as the tourism sector impacts the host communities in a positive ways in terms of culture, it is also one of biggest destroyers of indigenous cultures (Casimir, 2000).
Most people find pride in cultural values that are deep rooted. Because of that aspect, tourists like visiting communities where members have maintained their cultural values. Most host communities tend to showcase some aspects of their widely held cultural values to foreigners.
In a number of developing countries, cultural values and aspects are mostly highlighted through making items that are part of their culture such as carvings, cloths, utensils and so on (Rodgers, 2001). Poverty is high in most developing countries and therefore, host communities depend on selling these kinds of stuffs to foreigner to earn a living (Urry, 2003).
Once tourists have bought such stuffs, considering that most of them are foreigners, they go back with them to their homes. In other words, they carry away the most treasured cultural heritage of the host community. Since most foreigners have economical power, they develop and modify such items, which have been acquired from a developing country.
The next time people from developing countries realize, their cultural products are being sold in foreign lands but they take no credit for their creative products. This way, their intellectual products are sold and their cultural values became eroded. A good example in this case is the famous Kenyan Kiondo. Kiondo was and still is a cultural heritage from one sub tribe in Kenya (the Kikuyu community).
However, today Japanese people who bought the idea of Kiondo in Kenya do produce and sell it in and outside Japan earning income for the country. If Kenya was a developed country, it would have modified this product and earn good income from it. However, the irony is that Kiondo is even more popular with Japanese than it is with Kenyans.
Secondly, tourism in many developing countries has interfered with people’s privacy, dignity, and authenticity (National Parks Portals, 2009). As tourists visit several developing countries to explore many things, they not only concentrate on nature, but they also try to explore and understand host’s way of life.
This involves visiting their homes and even sometimes staying with them for sometime. Where some hosts may take this as a gesture of friendship, others (Hosts) may not be comfortable with such situations. As tourist visits people in their homes, in one way or the other, they do interfere with their personal privacy (Singh, 2008).
On other hand, as much as some of tourists may appreciate what they see or learn about the culture of the hosts, others may disgrace or intimidate the host community. This without doubt, interferes with the dignity of individuals. This can be caused by lack of clear and developed policy in a developing country (National Parks Portals, 2009).
While tourists are highly appreciated for providing people (host) opportunities to learn about foreign cultures without having to travel across the sea, it is also one of the major causes of culture erosion in most developing countries (Telfer and Sharpey, 2008).
Due to lack of proper exposure, many people in developing countries are naive. Most people in developing countries have the perception that foreign cultures are more superior to theirs. Because of this perception, most host communities are carried away by some cultural values of the foreigners.
In fact, some foreign tourists go to such developing countries and even marry there (Telfer and Sharpey, 2008.). They then go with their wedded couples back to their homes. This greatly contributes to erosion of cultures.
In addition, as much as the tourism sector is credited to be environmental friendly, it has a substantial amount of effect on environment (Huybers, 2007). Tourism in developing countries can be a major cause of ecological destructions hence impacts the environment negatively.
Many tourists go to developing countries as part of the adventure. Although the primary goal is to explore, tourists also influence destruction of ecology in the host country (Huybers, 2007). This may come about when tourists want to visit interior areas. In an effort to make their visitors comfortable, hosts will clear trees and bushes to create roads and paths.
Moreover, when they visit national parks, they at times want to camp there. In the process, they cut trees to use for camps and making fire. This causes destruction to the environment, especially the natural cover (Urry, 2003). On the other hands, cars used by tourists also cause pollution of air and consequently the environment.
Tourism is associated with development in terms restaurants and hotels (Singh, 2008). With these forms of developments, many benefits are linked to this growth including creation of jobs to some people in the local community. Since most tourists are foreigners, the standards of foods and drinks in such restaurants are of high quality.
This therefore means that, most locals can hardly ever work in these hotels. In addition, farmers can only supply few types of foods, as most tourists (foreigners) are not used to local foods. Due to standards and quality expected by foreign tourists, most foods and even employees are exported from well developed countries (Huybers, 2007).
This denies opportunities for farmers to sell their products to these kinds of restaurants and it also does not accommodate people from the host community in terms of employment due to lack of skills. The amount or level of employment created by tourism is not adequate in developing countries (Telfer and Sharpey, 2008). This is due to lack of sufficient education and skills.
In terms of social life, tourism is highly regarded as a sector that has the ability to engage people and promote good relations. This is because tourism brings people of different cultures together.
Even though some locals in developing countries face a number of problems when dealing with foreigners, especially communication issues, good social relations is developed in one way or the other through tourism. However, as much as this sector promotes the social life, it does cause a major problem in the society. This problem is the issue of prostitution (Telfer and Sharpey, 2008).
Most people in developing countries are languishing in poverty and some live below a dollar a day (Telfer and Sharpey, 2008). Since the perception of locals is that tourists have a lot of money, they do anything to earn that foreign currency. For young girls and mid aged men, prostitution is one way of earning money.
Young women go to nightclubs where foreigners are partying and they get paid peanuts for sex. On the other hand, young men look for older tourist women and they are paid few dollars to meet sexual needs of these tourists.
Because of this factor, the social life turns to be a big evil of prostitution in areas that are widely visited by tourists. According to statistics, prostitution is relatively high in regions with high number of tourist since people are less educated (Telfer and Sharpey, 2008. They resort to prostitution to earn the foreign income.
Conclusion
In deed, tourism is a sector that has the potential to drive any country forward due to its economical benefits. Across the world, tourism sector has brought enormous economical benefits hence steering developments.
Despite of its potential to bring economical benefits to a developing country, tourism is a major cause of problems. Tourism can cause ecological and environmental damage (Lew, 2008). In addition, it can cause severe effects on culture and cultural values of the host communities.
This can either be through damage of cultural heritage or by culture erosion. Insufficient policies, lack of education and skills, and poverty is among several factors that make tourism to have far-reaching effects in most developing countries. Developing countries should device better approaches to address all issues in order to continue enjoying social and economical benefits from the tourism sector.
References
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Casimir, M 2000, Culture and the Changing Environment: Uncertainty Cognition and Risks, Berghahn Books, New York.
Cooper et al. 2005, Tourism: Principles and Practice, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, Harlow.
Huybers, T 2007,Tourism in Developing Countries, Edwin Edgar Publishers, Cheltenham.
Lew, A 2008, Long Tail Tourism: New Geographies for Marketing Niche Tourism Products, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, Vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 409–419.
Mason, P 2008,Tourism Planning and Management, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Mitchel, J 2009, Values Chain Analysis and Poverty Reduction at Scale, Overseas Development Institute.
National Parks Portals 2009, Impacts of Tourism. Web.
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