1. What is the impact of tourism on a country?
There are both negative and positive impacts of tourism on a country. Today, tourism is one of the largest and most dynamically developing sectors of external economic activities. Its high growth and development rates, considerable volumes of foreign currency inflows, and introduction of new management and educational experience actively affect various sectors of economy, which positively contribute to the social and economic development of the country as a whole. A negative impact is that it can lead to over consumption, pollution, and lack of resources.
2. Do you think tourism has more of a regional or a national impact on a country?
I think it has more of a regional impact than a national impact. Yes, the country receives more money in taxes and in tourist expenses such as visas and flight tickets, but the changes can be more clearly seen in the specific tourist areas. There is massive development of tourist attractions, and continually construction of hotels and restaurants to supply need. Heavy traffic occurs from overpopulation. There is inflation in the prices of everyday goods. It gets more expensive for common folk to live in these tourist areas. And the area becomes more and more artificial every day.
3. Are there any drawbacks from the development of tourism?
Tourism often grows into mass-tourism. It leads to the over consumption, pollution, and lack of resources. Among other drawbacks there is overdevelopment, assimilation, conflict, and artificial reconstruction. While presenting a culture to tourists may help preserve the culture, it can also dilute or even destroy it. The point is to promote tourism in the region so that it would both give incomes and create respect for the local tradition and culture, but sometimes the opposite affect occurs.
4. Do you think there would be any disadvantages from living in a popular tourist destination?
Yes, there are many disadvantages to living in a popular tourist destination. Cost of living rises in almost every aspect from food to rent to fuel. There is a high cost of housing, because space becomes limited. Traffic and fuel costs rise as the area gets overcrowded. Tourism also competes against or disturbs the livelihoods of the native people to that region. Homelessness is at a higher rate as there is higher job competition. Also pollution rises as more and more as construction is done to support tourist need and desire. Tourists can also be very wasteful and destructive. Resources diminish and areas become trashed with litter, because many tourists do not respect an area as the people that live there do.
