Final Essay--Sophie

Do the benefits of tourism outweigh the costs?

In the last decades,advances in global communication have made it possible for people to travel in different places and countries than in the past.Yet when it comes to the merits or demerits of the tourism industry,some people believe that it has played a positive role in cross-culture contacting,increasing foreign currency revenue and broadening community horizons,etc.Whilst Others argue that it probably costs a huge sum of money to build supportive facilities and may also break the ecological balance.With a meticulous comparison and contrast,people may find many best reasons accounting for the significant of tourism,mainly,in terms of individual and country;despite,some inevitable drawbacks should not be ignored.

In the first place,the virtual advantages of travelling have become very convenient,safe and economical for human beings.Nowadays,it is not uncommon for excursionists to gain the various knowledge of geography,customs,cultures and lifestyles from the places of interests.In addition,backpacking is good for health.One who keeps him indoors all day long is likely to be sick.By hiking,we can obtain the chance to climb mountains,walk on foot,do more exercises and inhale more fresh air.Furthermore,wayfarers are encouraged to visit regions bequeathed with rich cultural heritage,see local people's colourful dress,join in celebrating their traditional festivals and experiences.It is no doubt that tourism can improve the well-being of indigenous inhabitants and keep the customs and beauty of local places.

Additionally,tourism vastly increases income to a particular area or country,not only via direct spending but also through taxation and the purchase of luxury goods which creates a larger market than would be possible with purely local spending.In many less developed countries,for instance,tourism acts an alternative to cash crops,improving trade and creating a more diversified economic base.By travelling,obviously,we foster understanding and create international bonds.More centrally,tourism helps to accelerate the city construction and its embellishment and helps solve or ease the social problem of unemployment(Jimino,2008,Post-travel Economy).In light of the booming industry,as known to all,the railways,highways and waterway transportation have greatly improved,plus the development of catering,recreational and souvenir trade.

On the contrary,without proper planning,tourism can cause considerable problems.For instance,in most all-inclusive package tours,more than 80 percent of travelers' fees go to the airlines,hotels and other international companies,not to local businesses or workers(Lyne,2009,On the travelling consumers).It seems that tourism may give rise to conflicts because tourists usually do not know much about the local language and culture.There maybe arise some misunderstanding or even disputes between the tourists and the local inhabitants.Eventually,visitors create pollution and have destroyed many beautiful scenic spots.

In the final analysis,insofar the tourist industry actually is defined as a key sector in the tertiary property and has been listed as the number one priority to be actively developed in many countries.In that sense,tourism is not only a vanguard industry ecotourism ventures but also a cradle of cultural heritage(Milian,2009,Globe-trotter).As the matter of fact,under a careful examination many benefits of journey can be obviously found than its drawbacks.All in all,it is no exaggeration to say that tourism can foster a climate of peace,prosperity and sustainable development by bringing together mankind of different cultures and nationalities in the future.

References:
Jimino(2008)Post-travel Economy,The World
Milian(2009)Globe-trotter,technology and humanism publication
Lyne(2009)On the travelling consumers,China Daily