Understanding the World of Tourism (Essay Sample)

Understanding the World of Tourism
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Due Date
Introduction
Tourism encompasses the social, cultural, and economic spectacles where people travel from different places to different destinations regionally or in the global avenues. People would often like to go beyond their usual places or comfort zones, hence traveling to other different destinations for recreational or professional purposes. Organizations, including United Nations World Tourism Organization, are crucial, especially in an attempt to understand tourism's role and dynamics. These organizations work collaboratively towards promoting responsible, sustainability in tourism, and universal accessibility in tourism. Tourism is a prime economic activity for the world, and over the years, it has continued expanding significantly due to the emerging technological trends (Zhao & Li, 2006, p.207). The advancement of technology has made the world a global village and has made modern tourism modes safer. Besides, the paper will explore the relationship between tourism, culture, environment, and the economy. Contemporary tourism is growing and has contributed immensely to negative and positive ramifications both locally and globally.
Development of Contemporary Tourism
Contemporary tourism is among the aspects that individuals highly misunderstand globally. Many developed countries have adopted it, and it is considered among the key economic development drivers by both the emerging and the developed nations across the globe. It is a large and significant industry globally, although it is a crucial agent of cultural and environmental changes. Contemporary tourism is complex and dynamic, especially with the modern developments in science and technology (Saarinen, Rogerson & Hall, 2019, p.23). Routledge. Therefore, it is vital to consider consumption and production aspects as roots for understanding the current tourism system. Recently, the geographical tourism system has emerged as a critical issue in the industry. It is favorable since it is used to determine the flow of tourists from divergent regions of the world to others (Różycki et al., 2014, p. 30). The system is used to determine the interconnectedness between various regions and tourist destinations. In the contemporary world, planning of the modern tourism industry in given localities has become exceedingly crucial.
The industry currently calls for the creation of strategies at the basic levels to encourage tourism to specific destinations of the world. Modern tourism systems have transited from the traditional models to the modern ones with new features. The aspects characterizing modern tourism comprise tourism policies and management trends, new technologies and techniques, and the rise in urban and city tourism, among other innovations, particularly in the hospitality aspects of tourism (Marinov et al., 2018, p.12). Nations such as Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and the USA are among the key nations that have developed their domestic tourism links and become key tourism destinations. The customer has necessitated these contemporary issues needs different from the past experiences. Other contemporary issues, including the experience economy, Internet of Things in hotels, recognition technology, big data, and analytics, have revamped modern tourism and holds a great future for the promising industry (Kapiki, 2012, p.3). Further research should empirically express how these technologies would improve the industry.
Economic Impacts of Tourism
The impacts of tourism on the economy are indisputable. Many destinations in the world invest their resources in the industry since it contributes tremendously to the economy. The positive repercussions are vast, including earning a foreign exchange, indirect contributions, and government revenues. Among the most incredible benefits is the generation of income through foreign exchange. The host economy receives incomes, and the funds generated are reinvested back into the economy hence economic expansion (Archer, Cooper & Ruhanen, 2005, p.88). However, destinations across the world manage their finances differently since some develop the industry further. Contrastingly, others use the revenues to offer other essential services to the citizens, such as public education, develop healthcare amenities. Besides, some of these finances are used fraudulently. Tourism raises government revenues through the investments that the government makes. These revenues are gained through direct and indirect contributions. Indirect contributions include the returns from businesses and employments created in the tourism industry (Stynes, 1997, p.8). For instance, Japan collects many taxes directly from the tourism industry, especially the tourism businesses. The indirect contributions emanate from the services and goods that are supplied to the tourists. These goods and services are mainly unrelated to the tourism industry.
Nevertheless, tourism activities are to blame for various cases of environmental degradation, depletion of local resources, and environmental pollution issues. According to Kumar, Hussain, and Kannan (2015), it contributes to the overutilization of natural resources due to pressure, especially in places with scarce resources. (p.410) Stress on local land use causes soil erosion, rendering the soils unsupportive for agricultural activities, which are great economic drivers. Destroying the endangered animal species also hurts the economy since these are significant resources directly connected to economic welfare. The introduction of tourism has caused costly living standards for local people following the enormous demand for goods, services, and property rise. Besides, infrastructure linked to tourism becomes expensive and unaffordable for the local citizens hence hurting the economy.
Environmental Effects of Tourism
Fundamentally, tourism contributes positively and detrimentally towards the environment. For example, the negative ramifications of tourism are when the environmental resources are utilized more than the environment can cope with. According to Dokulil (2014), uncontrolled tourism puts the natural resources into threat across the world since it pressures causing soil erosion, contamination of water bodies such as seas and oceans, loss of natural habitats, and the vulnerability of forests to fires (p.84) Water resources including fresh water is essential. The industry tends to overuse these resources, particularly in hotels and for tourists’ personal use, causing shortages and the degradation of supplies. The amount of wastewater generated is also heightened hence detrimental. Drier regions like the Mediterranean region suffer since the climate is hot and the tourists consume a lot of water, jeopardizing the resources. Over-pumping of water, especially for the maintenance of golf courses, makes water resources limited and aggravates the detriments of tourism (Camarda & Grassini, 2003, p.11). Environmental impacts of tourism. High demand for related resources such as energy, food, and vital raw materials heightens the physical impacts of the industry. It leaves back the domestic tourists with little to explore and use.
Conversely, the tourism industry, especially in the contemporary world, has promoted eco-tourism, which pervades all the world's tourism destinations. This new trend emphasizes the greener alternatives of tourism and promotes sustainability in the industry hence safeguarding the environment for use by future generations (Fennell, 2020, p.4). The industry is stupendously emerging, and it holds enormous benefits for the economies of the world and the environments of particular tourist destinations. Beyond, tourism has assisted in bolstering water quality and establishing strategies that seek to promote nature and natural resources. These issues have emerged recently as the new technologies are meant to improve the industry's sustainability while serving the current generations pleasingly (Camarda & Grassini, 2003, p.18). Tourism has been a prime generator for additional resources invested in the environmental infrastructure and related services.
Socio-cultural Impacts of Tourism
Tourism influences the world and local destinations both socially and culturally. According to Cerveny (2007), the various positive socio-cultural ramifications comprise the preservation of the local cultures and heritage values, promotion of cohesion, and integration of communities across the world, among other effects such as promoting cultures and art. For instance, in the 21st century, the world has become a global village, and social and cultural networks are equally significant. Tourists can travel across borders to any part of the world, and they can even create homes, friends, and essential associations in such destinations (Tosun, 2002, p.240). For example, China attracts tourists who tour Beijing to study the Chinese dynasties, among other aspects. Various destinations globally ensure that they safeguard their local culture hence contributing to sustainable management of resources, guarding important heritage that gives them a sense of identity, and promoting indigenous arts and cultural dynamics (Li, M., Wu & Cai, 2008, p.310). The local communities are also unified and strengthened through the various events and festivals that the tourists hold. In contrast, communities learn different values such as respect for humanity and the need for unity. The tourists create employment opportunities hence a massive boost for the entire community. When communities gain jobs, they become happier and socially active.
However, tourism brings abou...