Tourism an oppurtunity for community development
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Tourism can benefit local communities in several ways if managed properly. Economically, tourism creates many direct and indirect jobs for local communities, increases income and revenue, and leads to infrastructure development. Socially, tourism improves quality of life for host communities through facilities, healthcare, and preserving cultural traditions. It also culturally benefits visitors by enhancing appreciation of other cultures. Environmentally, tourism contributes to conservation by directly funding protected areas and raising environmental awareness, as natural attractions must be preserved to keep the tourism industry viable. Overall, tourism can drive community development when revenues support local communities and priorities.
Tourism an oppurtunity for community development
- 1. Tourism: An Opportunity to Community Development ABBY VARGHESE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY, TOURISM & TRAVEL MANAGEMENT MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
- 2. What is Tourism? Tourism is travel for recreation, leisure, religious, family or business purposes, usually for a limited duration. Tourism is commonly associated with international travel, but may also refer to travel to another place within the same country. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".
- 3. How Does Tourism Benefit Communities? Tourism has been encouraged by several administrative bodies as it is a tool that brings development to various sectors of the economy thus improving the socio-economic status of the communities. Promotion of Eco-Tourism will help in the infrastructural development but creating lesser impact on the environment. In terms of Economic development, Tourism will create several Direct & Indirect employment opportunity to the local communities increasing the revenue. As the destination grows several other infrastructural & institutional reforms will be brought to the destination thus bringing overall development where the local administrative bodies will just act as facilitators reducing the economic burden on them. This Paper will concentrate on how Tourism can be used to develop these local communities as well as the Tourists.
- 4. How Does Tourism Benefit Communities? Tourism has both positive and negative impacts to a community. But when considering tourism as a major drive for development the benefits achieved by communities are overweighed as long as these tourism products are controlled & managed properly. Often these benefits are overlapped as they are very closely associated with the community. But broadly classifying these benefits it is divided basically into three i.e. Economic, Social and Environment benefits.
- 5. Economic & Employment Benefits: Job Creation: Several Direct & Indirect Job opportunities. Generates income for the local communities and can lead to the alleviation of poverty in countries which are still developing. The increased employment opportunity will reduce the depended population thus facilitating a better living condition for families of the local communities. Development of economic establishments such as Banks, ATM, Supermarkets, etc. Infrastructure development include better transportation & communications networks in the region thus connecting the area with other places.
- 7. The Cycle of Flow of Capital in a TouristDestination
- 8. Social and Cultural Benefits Community Host Community Visitor Community
- 9. The Host Community Maintenance and improvement of the public realm including the development of infrastructure, facilities, and improvements to cleanliness, safety and amenity value thus improving the quality of standard of living providing access to modern healthcare facilities. Promotion of local food and drinks making it a commercial product & spreading the market for the same. Create and sustain employment enabling it to maintaining viable communities and providing a stability to community life. Encourage the continuity of local traditions, festivals, cultural events, crafts especially handicrafts. With the development of tourist destination it will contribute to the viability of local services and facilities that are essential for host communities – e.g. pubs, local shops, post offices. With the concepts of Eco-Tourism, it encourages the protection of community assets, and preservation and protection of the natural and built environment. All these components stimulates the local and civic pride, enhancing the sense of community and creating “social capital”.
- 10. The Visitor Community Tourists are also benefited both socially and culturally. But often these benefits are just considered as experiences minimising its significance. Help in the enhancement of both physical and psychological health for the tourists. Visiting destination can act as a catalyst for change, refreshing us with new ideas & new opportunities in a fast changing world. Creates an awareness and appreciation of other communities and their cultures. By visiting new destinations we are encouraged to learn new skills, languages, etc. thus improving our knowledge as experience is said to be the best teacher. Often visitors seem to improve their “quality of life” as they observe & interact with other communities which help in reduction of anti-social behavior. The Social and Cultural benefits of Tourism are greatly under-appreciated. There is vast untapped potential, and gain, for Tourism operators/businesses and communities, in recognising and exploiting these attributes in the right way. But often Tourism Sector favours and will continue “Volume and Financial Value” while planning tourism projects as long as the true worth of social and cultural benefits are understood by all.
- 11. Ecological and Environmental Benefits The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourism's relationship with the environment is complex. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends. On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance. Tourism provides financial support for the conservation of ecosystems and natural resource management, making the destination more authentic and desirable to visitors. It also adds more value to the local tourism business. When a lively tourism industry induces the government to invest in national parks and preserves, the environment may benefit.
- 12. Direct financial contributions Tourism can contribute directly to the conservation of sensitive areas and habitat. Revenue from park-entrance fees and similar sources can be allocated specifically to pay for the protection and management of environmentally sensitive areas. Special fees for park operations or conservation activities can be collected from tourists or tour operators. Some governments collect money in more far-reaching and indirect ways that are not linked to specific parks or conservation areas. User fees, income taxes, taxes on sales or rental of recreation equipment, and license fees for activities such as hunting and fishing can provide governments with the funds needed to manage natural resources. Such funds can be used for overall conservation programs and activities, such as park ranger salaries and park maintenance.
- 13. Some Examples for Direct Financial Benefits The tour operator Discovery Initiatives, which is a member of the Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development, makes an annual financial contribution to the Orangutan Foundation of some US$ 45,000. The money is earned from only 5 tour groups of 10 people each visiting the Tanjung Putting National Park in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia). The Seychelles in the Indian Ocean is introducing a US$ 90 tax on travelers entering the Seychelles. Revenue will be used to preserve the environment and improve tourism facilities.
- 14. Environmental awareness raising Tourism has the potential to increase public appreciation of the environment and to spread awareness of environmental problems when it brings people into closer contact with nature and the environment. This confrontation may heighten awareness of the value of nature and lead to environmentally conscious behavior and activities to preserve the environment.
- 15. Protection and Preservation Tourism can significantly contribute to environmental protection, conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources. Because of their attractiveness, pristine sites and natural areas are identified as valuable and the need to keep the attraction alive can lead to creation of National parks and Wildlife parks.
- 16. References: Community Development through Tourism by Sue Beeton United Nations Environment Programme Publication’s The Environment, Employment and Sustainable Development by Monica Halle “Tourism and Community Development” UNWTO WTD 2014 theme