SASS EGeog Tourism Gateway 3

Subject: Geography Topic: Global Tourism Gateway 3: Developing tourism at what cost? _____________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction Traditional culture can be greatly affected by tourist activities. For example: • Kayan Lahwi women as tourist attractions: – Tourists photograph the ‘long-necked women’ – Tourists buy clothing and souvenirs made by the women – Local businesses charge fees to enter the villages – Some of the women were relocated to Inle Lake – The tradition of wearing brass neck coils continues because it gives the Kayan Lahwi a source of revenue What are the impacts of tourism? • Economic • Socio-cultural • Environmental Economic Tourism can bring about positive and negative economic impacts. Positive Negative • Employment opportunities • Seasonal unemployment • Growth in income • Underuse of facilities • Increase in foreign exchange • Shortage of services • Infrastructure development Positive Economic Impact 1: Employment Opportunities Employment: Work performed for a wage or salary, in cash or in kind • The growth of tourism has led to an increase in number of tourism-related jobs • The tourism industry offers many employment opportunities, e.g. hotels, souvenir shops, tour agencies • Some jobs are: – Directly linked to the tourism industry, e.g. travel agents, tour guides, hotel staff, waiters and waitresses – Indirectly linked to the tourism industry, e.g. taxi drivers, shop owners • In 2011, the tourism industry employed over 235 million people worldwide (6–8 % of all the jobs in the world) Positive Economic Impact 2: Growth in income and Positive Economic Impact 3: Increase in Foreign Exchange Growth in income includes • Tourism receipts: Money received from tourists spending . • Tourism receipts generate large revenue for many countries. In 2011, worldwide tourism receipts exceeded US$1 trillion • Tourism growth can lead to growth in income for i Individuals and a country • Example: Fishermen on Pamilacan Island, Philippines

– Local tour companies hire fishermen to help them view and swim with whale sharks – Fishermen are paid between US$80–US$100 per boat for their service – Fishermen can expect additional income on top of their fishing livelihood – Tour c Companies will experience an increase in revenue – Overall increase in r Revenue for the country through taxes collected from the fishermen and tour companies • A large portion of revenue from tourism is sometimes lost as l leakages , especially in LDCs • Leakage occurs when revenue earned from tourism is p Paid to other c Countries for the i Import _ of goods and services needed to meet the needs of tourists • For example: Phuket, Thailand – Travellers may use the services of f Foreign -o owned businesses and buy imported items – Some of the profits made by local businesses are sent to another country to pay for i Import _ – Money that d Does n Not stay in the l Local economy may bring few benefits to local businesses and workers Positive Economic Impact 4: Infrastructure development Infrastructure development: Construction of transport and communication networks, electrical frameworks and systems for water and waste disposal • Tourism cannot develop and would not be able to operate on a large scale without sufficient infrastructure and appropriate facilities such as: – Airports – Roads – Electricity – Hotels • Infrastructure built to enhance tourism brings benefits to the locals • For example: Roads – Link airports, cities and tourist sites which allow tourists access to local attractions – Allow local people better access to markets, health care, education and jobs • For example: Sports venues and other infrastructure – Built for major sporting events, e.g. Olympic Games, World Cup – Improve sporting infrastructure of host countries – Useful even after the key event, e.g. Summer Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing • Creates employment for local workers as many workers are needed during the construction process • Local industries are boosted because local materials may be used to construct the infrastructure • Encourages economic growth due to increased spending in the local economy

Negative Economic Impact 1: Seasonal unemployment • Certain tourist activities depend on climatic conditions • Countries may experience regular fluctuations in tourist numbers • People in tourism-related jobs have to find other sources of income when employment is temporarily unavailable • For example: European countries surrounding the Mediterranean – Majority of all hotel stays take place in the summer season of July to September, e.g. Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Spain – Increase in summer visits is mainly due to the warm weather as tourists can do a range of activities e.g. relaxing by the beach, hiking – Employment in hotels and restaurants across the European Union reaches its peak for the year during this season • For example: Sapporo, Japan – Receives a large number of visitors from December to February, many of whom engage in Winter sports, e.g. skiing, snowboarding – Mountain ski resort operators employ more people during winter to cater to the high tourist demand – In other seasons, workers return to other jobs (e.g. farming) or move away temporarily until the next tourist season Negative Economic Impact 2: Underuse of facilities at certain times of the year • Underused facilities can be costly to maintain • Money from tourists normally pays for the cost of maintaining such facilities • Facilities may become neglected when there are few tourists • Example: Venue for Summer Olympic Games in Beijing – Venues allegedly deteriorating years after the Olympics – Some were renovated to become more profitable, e.g. Beijing National Aquatics Center was renovated into a water park – Only one-third of major sports venues in China have managed to break even Negative Economic Impact 3: Shortage of services • Tourist infrastructure may require the use of large amounts of land, water and power • This could lead to a shortage of services, e.g. water supplies or power in non-tourist areas Positive Socio-cultural Impact 1: Preservation of culture and local customs • Preservation of culture: Protection of the way people live, including their economic activities, traditional beliefs and religious practices • Could apply to heritage and customs

• Preserved and restored s Sites are more attractive to tourists • R Restored sites benefit the local population by: – Enhancing people’s sense of h History _ – Build a sense of belonging to the c Community _ – Tourism revenue can fund the p Preservatikn and restoration of cultural h Heritage , e.g. entry fee to Angkor Wat a) The historical Christ Church in Malacca, Malaysia, has been carefully restored and now stands as a relic of Malacca’s colonial history, while serving as a tourist attraction. b) Sites such as the Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, have entry fees that help fund conservation efforts. Negative Socio-cultural Impact 1: Dilution of culture and local customs Dilution of culture and local customs • I Identity , c Culture and v Values of a place can be lost when tourism becomes the major activity of an area • T Tourism -o Oriented commercial activities (e.g. food outlets, travel agencies, souvenir shops) can overwhelm an area • Buildings may be m Modified or built to accommodate tourism • Locals may r Relocate elsewhere, which changes the original atmosphere, appearance and functions of the area th