In the era of globalization, tourism has started playing a vital role in the development of economies. Nowadays, tourism makes significant contributions to the economy of a nation;, however it has some drawbacks too. This essay will discuss the pros and cons of tourism before arriving at a conclusion.
The two major advantages of tourism are the augmentation of the national economy and the generation of employment for local people. Firstly, tourists use a wide range of services which includes hotel bookings, tourist guides, food and transportation. This results in additional income which in turn contributes to the nation’s economy. For example, tourism increases consumptions of domestic product which have significant impact in the overall GDP growth of the country. Secondly, tourism creates a significant number of job opportunities as without people tour operators, restaurants, hotels and transport services cannot operate. Hence, tourism brings significant benefits such as boost in national economy and employment for local people.
However, there are various disadvantages associated with tourism such as destruction of popular destinations and rise in criminal and illegal activities. Firstly, the massive influx of tourists to places like historical monuments and pilgrimage centres causes significant damage to these age old structures. In addition, to cope up with the demand of tourists / tourism national resources are overexploited. Secondly, as tourists carry valuable items with them such as cash, jewelry and other expensive items, they may become the targets of thieves and other anti-social elements. Hence tourism also has many disadvantages which can be eliminated by the government if they ensure proper security measures and timely maintenance of popular tourist spots.
To conclude, in spite of the fact that tourism has certain disadvantages such as destructive effects on monuments and increase in criminal activities it has very constructive effect on a nation’s economy and gives a plethora of new job opportunities for locals. I personally believe that the advantages of tourism outweigh its disadvantages.
