Tourism has increased so much over the last 50 years that it is having a mainly negative impact on local inhabitants and the environment. However, others claim that it is good for the economy.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and give your own opinion.
There is no doubt that tourist industry has been developing rapidly in recent decades, thus it is contended that the development of tourism is good for the economy. However, another perspective thinks that it is impacting negatively on local residents and landscape. Personally, I believe that the development of tourism has both positive and negative aspects.
To begin with, tourism can boost the economy of a country. Obviously, tourist industry creates more new jobs for local people; this helps them have more money to spend on their daily demands, such as food or clothing items. As a result, it will accelerate other industries to develop. Furthermore, tourism also improves services and infrastructure for local inhabitants. For example, to attract more foreign visitors, local governments need to fix and upgrade the old road systems and public transports; this clearly brings many benefits for local residents.
Nevertheless, tourist industry also has many drawbacks. Firstly, it causes damage to local environment. Evidently, the pollution mainly come from the exhaust fumes of vehicles which pollute the atmosphere, and the litter that visitors leave behind, such as tin cans, plastics and bottles. Moreover, there are many tourists who do not respect local cultures and customs, they are willing to graffiti on walls or status, and even they may destroy historical monuments.
In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages to tourism. Therefore, it is believed that we should try to curb detrimental aspects of tourism to help it develop further in future.
