Module 6

Learning Outcomes:
 Determine the economic effects of tourism and hospitality;
 Discuss the social impacts of tourism and hospitality;
 Explain the impacts of tourism and hospitality on culture; and
 Analyze the environmental impact of tourism and hospitality.

Indicative Content:

 The Impacts of Tourism and Hospitality

 The Positive Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Impact of Tourism and
Hospitality
 The Negative Social, Cultural and Environmental Impact of tourism and Hospitality

The Impacts of Tourism and Hospitality

The rapid growth of tourism and hospitality in the 20 th century has produced both problems
and benefits for destination countries. It has had a visible impact on the sociocultural and
socioeconomic environment. Although tourism and hospitality can bring economics advantages
to a destination country, it also brings with it serious long-term problems which, without careful
control and planning, can threaten the society.

The Positive Economic Effects of Tourism and Hospitality

Like any others industry, tourism and hospitality affects the economy of those areas in which
it takes place. The area affected may be resort, a region, or the entire nation. Not with standing
the size of the affected area, the economics effects of tourism and hospitality may be classified
into four group, namely: effects of income; on employment; on the area’s balance of payments
with the outside world; and on investment and development.

Income

The tourism and hospitality industry obviously generates income within a destination country.
Nations wanting to increase their income have used tourism and hospitality as a means for
reasonably quick development. Experience has shown us that it takes less time to increase
income from tourism and hospitality than from manufactured goods or other available options.

Tourist income, in general, comes from wages and salaries, interest, rent and profits since
tourism and hospitality is a labor-intensive industry, the greatest proportion of its income is
derived from wages and salaries. Income is also generated from interest, rent, and profits if
tourism and hospitality businesses such as interest paid on loans to an airline in order to buy
aircraft, or rent paid to a landowner for a car park. Income is also obtained from direct taxation
or indirect taxation. Imposing value added tax (VAT) on hotel bills is an example of direct
taxation.

Tourism and hospitality is both an income generator and income redistributor. Most of the
tourist receipt go to the developing nations of the world such as in east Africa, and the pacific.
Because of the flow of capital of one country to another, many countries limit the amount of
currency the nationals may take abroad for foreign travel.

Much of the income at the international and national level is business income which is
generated by organizations buying and selling goods and services to tourist. One advantage that
tourism and hospitality offers developing countries is the range of businesses needed to provide
to tourists. It includes local food, drinks, and flower for resort areas; local crafts for the tourists
to buy; local cafes and restaurant; tour guides and interpreter; local travel services; local cultural
events; shops for tourists’ needed; and specialized local housing such as pensions and small inns.

The sum of all income of a country is called the national income. The importance of tourism
and hospitality to a country’s economy can be measured through the national income created by
tourism and hospitality. The most common method for estimating the income generated from
tourism and hospitality is by determining the multiplier for a destination. Multipliers are means
of estimating how much extra income is produced in an economy as a result of the initial
spending or injection of cash.

Employment

Employment, from the local to national, benefits as well from tourism and hospitality. In
general, the tourist industry offers more employments opportunities than other economic sectors.
Generating employments is perhaps the greatest advantage of tourism and hospitality on a
developing country. Tourism and hospitality generates employment faster for developing nations
than for the developed ones. In general, tourism and hospitality employees in developed nations
are usually paid less. In developing countries the opposite is true.

There are three types of employment generated by tourism and hospitality. These are the
direct, indirect and induced employment. Direct employment is generated as a result of providing
goods and services directly to tourist in hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclub, and the like. Indirect
employment consists of those positions that are associated with other tourism-related activities
but are used by both the local residents and the tourist. Shops and food wholesaler are considered
to be sources of indirect employment. Induced employment refers to people working in positions
only peripherally related to tourism and hospitality, but generated because of it. Examples are
construction workers, merchants, and professionals such as doctors and accountants who service
the employees working directly in tourism-related positions.

Balance of Payments

Tourism and hospitality has a major influence on the country’s balance of payments. Balance
of payments is an accounting of flow of goods, services, and funds in and out of the country
during a given period. In a country pays or agrees to pay more money than it receives, it has a
deficits in its balance of payments. If it receives more money than it sends or exports, it has a
surplus in its balance of payment.

Most countries, particularly those with good tourism and hospitality facilities but little industrial
or agricultural export potential, appreciate the contribution that incoming tourists can make to
their balance of payment account. They therefore take steps to maximize their tourist receipt
through the development of new attractions, promotions, subsidized exchange rates, and other
measures. They also try to keep their own resident within the country by taxation on outgoing
tourists, limitations of foreign exchange availability, or refusal to grant exit permits (as in many
communist countries).

Investment and Development

Once an area has become economically successful, businessmen and government agencies
may influence to invest in tourism and hospitality and other industries in that area. This is known
by economist as an accelerator concept.

Negative Economic Aspect of Tourism and Hospitality

While most countries encourage tourism and hospitality for its economic benefits, there are
some negative economic aspects of tourism and hospitality that have to be identified and
discussed.

These are high inflation and land speculation destination, high leakages from the economies
of developing countries, low returns on investments because of seasonal fluctuations in demand,
and overdependence on tourism and hospitality.

Inflation and Land Values

The inflationary effects of tourism and hospitality can arise in different ways. Rich tourists
can afford to buy items at high prices. Retailers, realizing that their profits can be greatly
increased by catering to tourists, increase their prices on certain products and provide more
expensive goods and services. Such stores can compete more successfully with those catering to
local resident. They can afford to pay higher rents and taxes which are passed on to the
customers through higher price. Thus, local residents have to pay more for their goods.

Inflation within destination areas is also caused by increasing land values. Growth in the
tourist trade creates additional demand for land, and competition from potential buyers increases
the price of land. The demand for more hotels, vacation homes, and tourist facilities may bring
more income to builders, real state gents, and landowners, but local residents are forced to pay
more for their homes because of the increased the value of land.

High Leakages

Leakage occurs from a variety of source. It occurs from the cost of goods and services that
must be imported to satisfy the needs of tourists. Examples of these are developing countries
which have to import cars, buses, manufactured materials, and technology from developed
nations to meet the demand of tourists. Another source of leakage is the remittance of profits and
wages to outside sources. If foreign capital is invested in the country’s tourism and hospitality
industry, plant inters payment, rents, or profits may have to be paid by foreign country; thereby
reducing profits in the destination country. A third source of leakage is the expenditure for
promotion and publicity to encourage tourists to visits a certain destination. The cost of
advertisement is a large expense that reduces the earnings of a destination area.

Seasonality

Many tourist regions experience low returns on investment of seasonal fluctuation in

demands. The seasonality of demand is reflected in hotel occupancy rates. Many hotels
experience greatly reduced revenues during the off season. Nevertheless, most hotels prefer to
remain open all year around to secure as much revenue as possible. Accommodation investment
are not the only ones with a low rate of return; tour operators also face similar problems.

Overdependence on Tourism and Hospitality

Some destinations have made themselves on tourism and hospitality for their livelihood.
Tourism is highly susceptible to changes from within and outside the industry. Examples of
changes from within are price and fashions; while global economic trends, political situations,
and energy availability are examples of outside changes. Many tourists avoid destinations which
are politically unstable but they usually select an alternative. The decrease of demand for a
destination results in underutilization of services, unemployment, and loss of income.
Impact Control Measures

There are a number of ways to maximize the benefits if tourism and hospitality to the destination
area. Edward Inskeep (1991), a consultant for the Unite Nations World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO), has suggested the following:

1. Develop tourism and hospitality gradually so that local residents can have sufficient time
to adapt to it and understand it. It would also allow the government to property plan,
organize, and monitor tourism and hospitality;
2. Maintaining a scale of tourism and hospitality development that is appropriate for the
local as well national environment. If possible, develop other economic sectors so that
there is a balanced economy and employment structure. In some area, small-scale and
dispersed forms of tourism are more suitable than concentrated mass tourism
development.
3. Involve residents and their spokesmen in planning and decision-making so that they can
appreciate in determining the future of this sector;
4. Apply the concepts of tourism development zones;
5. Make certain that resident have easy access to tourist attractions, facilities, and services
including reduced admission fee if necessary, and that important amenity features have
public access and are not pre-empted by tourism;
6. Provide incentives to local ownership, management, and operations of hotel and other
tourist facilities and services so that residents can receive direct economic benefits;
7. Develop strong linkages between tourism and hospitality and other economic activities
such as agriculture, fisheries, handicrafts, and manufacturing to help develop these
sectors, reduce leakage of foreign exchange through import substitutions, and spread the
economic benefits of tourism and hospitality;
8. Plan, develop, and organize tourism and hospitality so that no area becomes too
congested with tourists, and residents can easily use community facilities and services;
and
9. Train local people to work effectively in all levels of tourism and hospitality, including
managerial and technical positions, in other to reduce the number of imported employees
and to lessen possible misunderstanding between tourists and local employees.

Social Impacts of Tourism and Hospitality

The social impacts of tourism and hospitality should not be confused with the popular term
“social tourism”. The social impacts of tourism and hospitality refer to the changes in the quality
of life of residents of tourist destination. The objective of social tourism is to ensure that tourism
is accessible to all people.
Host-Visitor Interactions

Tourism and hospitality cause more interaction between peoples particularly between the
tourists or visitors and the and local residents or hosts. To understand the social impacts tourists
have on an area, the characteristics of various types of visitors and the level interaction with the
hosts should be clarified. Smith (1997), categorized tourists into several types and outlined her
views on the intensity of interaction between the tourists (visitors) and the local residents (hosts).
Her classifications are as follows:

1. Explorer – this type of visitor is interested in being an active participant observer among
the population. The explorer easily adapts to local lifestyles and does not need special
tourist accommodations;
2. Elite – this type of tourist is few in number. He can afford to pay well for unusual
vacations. He is well-traveled and usually known as “the jet-setter.” He differs from the
explorer in his attitude. His arrangements are either made a travel agent or may be pre-
planned. Although he is willing to sample the local lifestyle, he requires some degree of
comfort;
3. Offbeat – this tourist adapt well to simple accommodation and services provided for the
occasional guest;
4. Unusual Tourist – this tourist love sub-exotic cultural site, and the unusual or primitive
sites as long as he can quickly and safely returns to more familiar surroundings and
groups.
5. Incipient Mass Tourist – this is a visitor who looks for the amenities for western societies
in hotel and other travel-related facilities. He is a mixture of both pleasure seeker and
business traveller;
6. Mass Tourist – he comes from the middles class. He arrives in a destination with the
other tourists. There is a diversity of tastes among them and their attitudes is “you get
what you pay for.” And
7. Charter Tourist – the charter tourist comes “en masse” with others of his kind creating an
extremely high amount of business and receiving a high degree of standardization in
services and product. The interaction between the visitors and the hosts is limited and
impersonal.

Table 1. Frequency and types of tourists and Their Adaptation to Local Norms
Types of Tourist Number of Tourist Adaptation to Local Norms
Explorer Very limited Adapts fully
Elite Rarely seen Adapts fully
Offbeat Uncommon but seen Adapts well
Unusual Occasional Adapts slightly
Incipient Mass Steady flow Seeks western amenities
Mass Continuous influx Expects western amenities
Charter Massive arrivals Demand western amenities

The level of interaction between host and guest is illustrated in table 1 for each type of tourist.

The impact increases with each level of tourist. The explorers and elite tourists usually have
little impact on the local culture because of their limited number. The offbeat and unusual
tourists generally use the same hotels, and services as the local travellers. With the increase of
number, the greater expectation and demand for special facilities and services, a corresponding
change in the local are occurs.

Against this background, it is possible to discuss the positive and negative social impacts of
tourism and hospitality on a tourist destination.

Positive Social Effects of Tourism and Hospitality

Some of the positive effects of tourism and hospitality are the following;
1. It creates a new medium for social change and multicultural understanding;
2. It encourages adaptation to the realities of modern life and work toward improving the
host country’s environment and lifestyle options;
3. It promote knowledge and use of foreign language; and;
4. It improves health conditions and disease control.

Social Change and Multicultural Understanding

One of the most important benefits of tourism and hospitality is the bringing together of
diverse people to help them understand one another. Pope Puis XII touched on this aspect of
tourism and hospitality when he spoke “subjecting oneself, joyfully or sorrowfully, to the
inconveniences, great or small, which can with difficulty be avoided,” the United Nations World
Tourism Organization (USWTO) considers tourism as an encounter between a person and a
destination in its natural setting. Above all, the USWTO believes it is an exchange of encounter
between individual groups of people as well as between social group. Thus, it becomes an
encounter between nations and an exchange of values. The impacts of this exchange is
significantly different between industrialized nations and developing agricultural nations. The
more isolated the country visited, the more significant the social changes are likely to be.

Adaptation to the Realities of Modern Life and Improvement of the Host Country’s Lifestyle
 This positive social benefit is the result of the following:

1. The quality of life improves in places where tourism and hospitality is being developed
by bringing both the urban infrastructure (water, housing, sewerage) and population
benefits (medical care, social assistance, schools) together;
2. The changes that occur in occupation and income patterns create a middle class with its
different attitudes, values, and social concerns;
3. Increased social mobility results in new employment opportunities in tourism and
hospitality; and
4. Changes in family relations occur through the employment of women outside the home.
This increases the family income and gives the worker’s children more opportunity for
higher education.

Thus, tourism and hospitality promote progress and modernization through exposure to other
attitudes and values. It brings about improvements in facilities and services as well as
improvements in the lifestyle and quality of life of the residents of the host country.

Use of Foreign Language

Use of a foreign language brings people in contact with those of other language groups. The
need and the desire to communicate increase interest in both the host and visitors to learn another
language.

Visitors to other destination often want to learn a language to improve the quality of future
experiences. They may rent tapes or buy books to assist them in learning a language. Many
popular tourist destinations have developed short-term language courses to assist visitors.

Improved Health Conditions and Disease Control

The desire of tourists for high quality public health facilities can contribute to the
maintenance and improvements of those facilities in destination areas and provide additional
sources and revenue which, in turn, can be invested in upgrading water and sewage disposal
facilities.

Through tourism and hospitality, local residents can become aware of both problems and
good hygiene. This awareness can lead to a change in the health infrastructure of a destination.
Improvement in one community then paves the way for improvement of the whole region.

Negative Social Effects of tourism and Hospitality

 While tourism and hospitality has enables different people to strengthen the social structure,
mass tourist has brought with it expenses and problems. Among these are; social saturation;
changes in the social structure, behaviour, and roles; community problems; and negative
demonstrative effects.

Social Saturation

The presence of large number of tourists in particular places at specific time result in
saturation or congestion of facilities and services and competition for limited resources. The
local residents frequently resent having to share their facilities and services with visitors.

In destination that attract a large of number of tourists, public transportation is so crowded

with tourists that there is hardly and room for local residents. Shops are full of traveller, forcing
the local to change their shopping patterns. Streets are full of visitors resulting to traffic jam.
Thus, saturation or congestion brought about by tourism and hospitality is often cited as a social
cost.

Changes in the Social Structure, Behavior, and Roles

Tourism and hospitality change the traditional forms of employment which result in the
lowering of the status of agricultural workers, migration of the population, and the breaking up
of families. Many young people demand freedom from their families. They also disregard social
norms such as respect for elders and close family ties. Young women who enter the workforce
have changed their traditional dress to tourist clothes.

Tourism and hospitality in some area leads to others social problems in the family. Some
wives who work in tourism and hospitality establishment have higher salaries than their husband.
This often leads to the loss of self confidence among their husband. In addition, their improved
way of dressing and grooming causes their husband to be jealous and suspicious. This had led to
a higher divorce rate.

This disruption in the kindship system reduces cohesiveness in the whole community, thus
changing the population characteristics.

Community Problems

Prostitution, often called the “oldest profession”, certainly existed before the growth of mass
tourism. It is difficult to say how responsible tourism and hospitality has been for the rise of
prostitution in tourist destination.

The following are some of the reasons for the increase of prostitution in tourist resorts:
 1. The processes of tourism and hospitality have created location and environment which
attract prostitutes and their clients;
2. By its very nature, tourism and hospitality means that people are away from the
puritanical bonds of normal living, anonymity is assured away from home, and money is
available to spend hedonistically. These circumstances are conducive to the survival and
expansion of prostitution.
3. As tourism and hospitality affords employment for women, it may upgrade their
economic status. This, in turn, may lead to their liberalization and eventually to their
involvement in prostitution to maintain or acquire new economic levels; and
4. Tourism and hospitality may be used as a scapegoat for the general loosening of moral.

The use of erotic picture and suggestive slogans in an advertisement leads some tourists to
anticipate sun, sea, sand, and sex as part of their vacation experience.

Culture while preserving or revitalizing local ethnic and cultural identity. The quality of cross
– culture communication is of prime importance if it contributes to the promotion of
understanding between tourist and their hosts.

Renaissance of Native Culture

Tourist and hospitality may be important to the host country to remind its people of its history
and culture. In Eastern and Western Europe, many traditional folk customs and costumes are
preserved for the benefits of tourist. Folk culture festivals are organized to attract visitors. Model
culture enters in both developed and developing countries have been highly profitable and have
helped maintain interest in their cultures.

Traditional art form have been revived in several in several countries. Tourism and hospitality
has stimulated the preservation of traditional art including traditional song and dances.

The establishment of the model culture villages (living museums) has contributed largely to
the renaissance of native traditional and crafts. Model culture villages create historical and ethnic
environments designed to perpetuate tradition and stimulate awareness of the local area. There
are two main purposes for cultural model villages. The first is to provide a location where
visitors may observe and participate in a particular culture without disrupting the everyday life
of the people who live in the area. The second is to portray the past history of the area. An
example of a cultural model village is the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii which was
designed to keep the traditional art forms and practices alive, giving the visitors a chance to view
some limited historical aspect of lifestyle as it once was.

As a cultural living or museum, the center concentrates on certain dynamic and tangible
aspects of culture. In order to make the visit meaningful, each of the villages developed a
specific activity such as husking a coconut, learning to play a percussion instrument,
involvement in a game of skill, or performing a dance that encourages tourist participation. Some
museums that are designed to display culture are Bangkok`s Rose Garden, tiijan Orchid Island,
and Alaska`s Nana Museum of the Arctic.

Negative Cultural Impact of Tourism and Hospitality

While tourism and hospitality has enabled different people to restore and maintain interest in
their own cultures, it has also led to the destruction of a country`s work of art. The local resident
tourists who think they have the right to the country`s art whether bought or stolen. Several
tourists persuade the natives to sell traditional object which have been used for generation. The
greed for money which induces people to part with family heirlooms explains the destruction of
the archaeological sites or the desecration of monuments in Egypt, Bali, India, or Central
America.

Moreover, the increasing demand for artefacts has led to changes in its form and function as
art objects. The artefacts may no longer be represented as traditional arts due to the following
reasons:

1. Mass production due to increase in demand result to losing the careful and precise
product workmanship artist`s work;

2. The impersonal nature of the tourist market has decreased the spiritual relevance of the
artist work;

3. Art is produced according to the taste of tourists which, in Africa, means carving
animals, grotesqueness, and gigantism; and

4. The increased demand has led to the misrepresentation of the age or authenticity of
objects resulting in a large number of imitations.

Even model cultural villages may be encouraging the loss of culture. Tourists who want to
keep up with their schedules, as well as entertainment loses its cultural values, require shorter
and therefore less authentic activities. Thus, the entertainment loses it cultural value. Cultural
villages and large hotels giving floor shows may manipulate authentic host traditional and events
to conform to the time schedules and taste of tourists. This effort to turn folklore, religious or
secular ceremonies, and artistic productions to material advantages leads to commercialism,
thus, prostituting the values of the local residents.

The architecture designed of most international hotel are of Western styles and often exhibit
little knowledge and appreciation of the social traditions of the local inhabitants.
Impact Control Measures

The following control measure may be adapted to reduce the negative impact of tourism and
hospitality on culture:

1. Develop programs which enhance tourism and hospitality`s contribution to

intercultural communication and interactional such as matching tourist types with
destination characteristics and designing programs for the interaction of local residents
and guests promoting goodwill “ambassador” tourist education; and

2. Incorporation local indigenous features within western-style structures such as

decorating hotel interiors with local paintings, murals, and sculpture, and encouraging
porters, maids, and waiters to dress in native costumes.

Environmental Impact of Tourism and Hospitality

The history of tourism and hospitality closely shows that the environment has contributed to
the birth and progress of tourism and tourism and hospitality. The term “environment” connotes
both human and physical characteristics. Speakers and writers often refer to it as human
environment, physical environment, or a combination of both. A term that describes the human
and physical characteristics of an area is pre-existing forms.

It is expected that some change in pre-existing forms will be necessary to accommodate mass
tourism. However, tourism and hospitality can either be carefully controlled by the government
to maximize economic and employment opportunities while reducing its social, cultural, and
physical impact; or it can be changed as to enhance the physical environment and make it more
attractive to both the guests and the local residents.

An analysis of the positive and negative aspects of tourism and hospitality indicates a need to
encourage wise resources management, particularly of water and energy, and the problems of
noise and pollution, as well as the problem of garbage and fire hazards which may arise from
tourism activities. The environmental benefits and negative impacts of tourism and hospitality
need to be recognized.

Positive Environmental Impact of Tourism and Hospitality

Tourism and hospitality has created environmental awareness in two ways:

1. Contact with scenic areas has raised man’s awareness of the earth’s beauty and made it
easier for him to see and enjoy it with minimum damage; and

Environmental awareness has been heightened by mass tourism caused direct and indirect
destruction.
 In development countries, several national parks and monuments have been created to
preserve the natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the land for the enjoyment,
appreciation, and education of present and future generations. The development of parks was
intended to open up areas for viewing as well as to control the flow of traffic within the park.

Tourism and hospitality has provided reasons for the preservation of historical buildings and
the creation of museums. At present, many developing nations are realizing that their monuments
mean tourists and income. Thus, desire to preserve their national monuments have increased. In
development countries, unspoiled natural attractions are becoming more and rarer hence, people
travel to developing nations where nature is still-unspoiled or where the remains of ancient
civilization are located. Developing nations realized that their historical sites or traditional towns
and neighbourhoods untouched by progress are economic assets. Lighthouse harbours, and
fishing piers are ideal tourist attractions.

Tourism and hospitality has created appreciation of the environment by bringing scenic
attractions to the attention of the public. In Switzerland for example, mountain sports and
vacations, both in winter and summer, have mushroomed as a result rapid tourist growth.

Conservation

Conservation and preservation of the environment not only benefit the local area but they also
determine the future or tourism and hospitality. First, the local residents benefit from the
reservation. Second, tourism and hospitality, for as long as it draw tourist, will continue to be a
socioeconomic and cultural asset. The aim of the national park service, with the inclusion of
conservation, is much broader now that it was in the past. The national parks in east Africa,
Kenya, anf Tanzania were founded to protect wildlife.

In some place, bird sanctuary is one of the major attractions for tourists who want to seek a
change from their sun, sea and sand experiences. Natural trails and bird-watching areas have
been established to help the visitors enjoy the area and to maintain the quality of the
environment.

Gunn (cited by Valene, 1995) gave the following factors with led to the conservation
movement:

1. There was a social concern to which the park movement owes it beginnings. The
growth of industry and commerce and their associated ills stimulated a demand for the
parks and open space. The provision for public lands was seen as an antidote to the
immoral values of urban society and as an escape from the routine work urban living.

2. There was an emphasis on the efficiency of resources being used, particularly on non-
renewable resources. Early expectations stressed maximum utilization but with a
minimum of environmental degradation.
 3. Conversation also incorporated aesthetic enhancement. This is particularly significant
as one major tourist activity is sightseeing which depends heavily on the qualities of the
natural environment; and

4. Protecting the natural environment from the irresponsible human manipulation.

Matheson and wall (cited by Lundeberg, 1990) identified four ways in which tourism and
hospitality has been important to conversation. There are:

1. Stimulating the rehabilitation of existing historic sites, buildings, and monuments.

2. Stimulating the transformation of old buildings and locations into new tourist facilities.

3. Creating impetus for the conversation of natural resources: and

4. Bringing about the introduction and administrative and planning controls necessary to
maintain the quality of the environment to ensure a satisfying ad rewarding experience
for the tourist.

It can be concluded that tourism and hospitality provide incentives and the economic means
and incentives for the conservation and preservation of natural and historic sites. Many
monuments, historic houses, villages, and old churches cannot be maintained without the tourist
income.

Development of Attractions

Several countries around the world are identifying areas which have the potential to attract
tourists. In the Caribbean island of St. Croix the us national park service has established and
developed an underwater national park. This unique site attracts snorkelers and those interested
in corals. It helps preserve the area and creates an awareness of the character of the coral reefs
and the sea floor.

High mountain areas have been developed. A very good example is Jungfran in Switzerland
which boasts of having the highest railway in Europe. Other examples are Banaue Rice Terraces
and Baguio City in the Philippines.

A. Historic Preservation

Many historical sites in both urban and rural areas have been preserved to attraction tourists.
Examples are Intramuros or walled city in the Philippines, Jamestown and colonial Williamsburg
in Virginia, USA. This St. Michel in France and the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, USA
This restoration and rejuvenation process in occurring throughout the world and serves as major
characteristics of an area intended to impress tourists.
B. Resident Benefits

Tourism and hospitality benefits the local residents in a number of ways. The first benefit is
that the results of conversation and preservation can be enjoyed by the local community as
well as by the tourists. The creation of national parks and monuments provides quick access to
variety of natures wonders and outdoor activities to both local residents and visitors.

Another benefit which results from tourism and hospitality development can be seen coastal
areas. The development of a coastal resort allows free access to tourists and local resident.

Negative Environmental Impact of Tourism and Hospitality

Exceeding the carrying capacity and saturation levels of an area will negatively affect that
area. The term “carrying capacity” is the degree of development a certain area can take without
having detrimental effects on the environment. If the tourist development becomes saturated, the
very attractions which draw visitors to a place may be destroyed, causing the decline in quality
and popularity of a certain tourist destination.

The saturation levels and the types of environment between developed and developing
countries are different.

Some environments with significant differences in their saturation levels are wilderness, rural,
coastal, urban, and the developed versus the developing areas. The difference between developed
and developing areas lies in the cultural dissimilarities and the measure of control used to handle
the development. In developing countries, there is a lack of control measures because of cultural
differences, lack of technical skill, and lack of financial resources needed to implement plans.

Environmental Conflicts

Some of the problems affecting the quality of the environment are destruction of the
vegetation, pollution (air, water, and noise), and the destruction of wildlife. The destruction of
the vegetation occurs because of the large number of tourists who tramples on the vegetation. In
many parks, campers have cut branches of trees and completely cut down small trees. In areas
such as ocean fronts and islands, many visitors going to and from the area destroy the vegetation
cover, thus changing that natural habitats for birds or animals and, in some cases, even changing
the temperature of the area. Sometimes, the loss of vegetation leads to soil erosion and the
further debasement of the environment.

Air pollution results from the gas fumes emitted by automobiles, taxis, buses, aircraft, and
factories. Areas with large numbers of vehicles usually suffer from air pollution.

Water pollution is the result of the discharge of untreated waste from resorts or boats into
seas, rivers, lakes, and spring. The lack of an effective sewerage system in some areas has led to
the widespread pollution of the inshore waters making fish consumption inadvisable and
swimming unhealthy. Moreover, such diseases as cholera, typhoid, viral, hepatitis, and dysentery
are caused by seafood from polluted waters.

Noise pollution is associated with traffic congestion on land and on air. Many recreational
vehicles such as motorcycle, motorboats, and aircrafts cause a lot of noise.

Problems associated with wildlife results from killing of animals such as birds and this
disruption of the normal habits feeding and breeding. A very good examples is the killing of
elephants for tusks, zebras for hides, antelopes for their heads, lion claws foe necklaces, monkey
for skin throw-rugs, gazelles for hoof key-ring, and the like. The prevalence of many tourists in
an area changes the breeding habits and living patterns of much of the wildlife. The animals are
forced to move to a less traditional habitat.

An increased in visitors increases criminal activity. Wealthy tourists present tempting targets.
Lin and Loeb (1997) identified the following three factors in the relationship between crime and
tourism and hospitality.

1. Population density during the tourist season increases, creating the availability of a
large number of targets and congestion;

2. The differences in income between hosts and tourists encourage robbery; and

3. The proximity of resorts to an international border may attract undesirable migrants,

resulting in increased expenditures for law enforcement and monetary losses for
businesses that become targets. Negative Demonstrative Effects

Negative demonstrative effect consists of tourist behavior which can be considered socially
and economically inappropriate. One of the major results of negative demonstration effects in the
polarization of the host from the tourist, which happen in a number of ways. First, tourist often
demands commodities and facilities beyond the economic capacity of local residents. Rich
tourists frequently eat in fine restaurant and live in luxurious hotels in areas characterized by
hunger, unemployment, and limited economic opportunity. This disparity has led, in some cases,
to militant revolutionary action by the local residents.

Second, the social norms of the tourist that are very different from the local customs give rise
to social problem. Also, the values and materialism of young travelers are copied by the young
local people. Examples are nude bathing, inappropriate manner of dressing, and irresponsible
behavior.

A third factor which initiates polarization is the importation of foreign workers from more
developed countries. These workers who are more skilled than the local people generally get
better – paying jobs and are usually supervisors of the less- skilled local people. These foreign
workers also complete more favorably for goods and services than the locals. Thus, the locals
begin to resent the foreigners. The opposites are true in the case of some of the developed
countries where less- skilled immigrants take lower- paying jobs, thus, forming a lower social
and economic group. This association sometimes creates social problems since the immigrants
are not aware of the norms and standards of the host country.

These are changes in the consumption pattern in some tourist areas. In some places, the
importation of foreign foods has little impact on their life, while other, a considerable change has
occurred. The people almost abandon their local foods in favour of imported foods such as fast
food from Kentucky fried chicken, Burger King, Wendy`s, and the like.

Impact Control Measures

A number of control measures can be adapted to decrease the negative change in area. Some of
these are.

1. Reducing the contact between hosts and guests by limiting the carrying capacity of the
destination and by regulating the tourist flow;

2. Separating community the hosts and tourists within tourist enclaves;

3. Designing community education and citizen involvement programs cantered on tourist

and hospitality development, policy, and regulatory issues; and

4. Expanding human resource development and training program in all components of

the tourists and hospitality system to include social skills (interpersonal relation and
networking referral tactics).

Impact of Tourism and Hospitality on Culture

Tourism and hospitality increase the acculturation process as well as the cultural convergence
of people. Acculturation is defined as those changes that occur in a culture though borrowing
from other cultures. These changes may include technology, language, and values. Cultural
convergence is the tendency of world cultures to become more alike. A very good example of
this is the adoption of many European ways by people of less- developed countries because of
their exposure to European culture and technology.

The urban areas of the world are becoming more and more alike. Modernization and changes
from an agricultural society to an industrialized one bring about changes in people`s attitudes
beliefs, and way of life. Part of this change occurs through contact with tourist. Tourism and
hospitality is a vital force in acculturation since it causes more interaction between peoples.
People who change the last are the least are the isolated ones- those who live in regions of
extreme environmental conditions such as deserts, jungle, and Polar Regions.
Positive Effects of Tourism and Hospitality on Culture

The two most important positive effects of tourism and hospitality, on culture are promotions
of intercultural communication and the renaissance of native culture.

Intercultural Communication

Mobility, which is a prerequisite of tourism and hospitality, is necessary for different social
groups, nationalities, and cultures to meet and interact. Such interaction may contribute to the
removal of social or national prejudices and the promotion of better understanding and positive
social change. Cross- cultural communications between tourist and their hosts may promote
changes in local.

Geological Conflicts

Tourism and hospitality affect geological formation. Some tourists collect minerals, rock fossils,
and coral from tourist attractions; on theirs destroy natural formation by vitalizing.

Resident Conflicts

A number of conflicts frequently occur between residents and tourist or tourism developers.
In cities, hotels are built at the expense of residential accommodations. The increasing value of
land often forces residents to move away from area. Hotel development also brings traffic
congestion and air pollution. In fishing and hunting areas, the increasing demand creates
problems for local fishermen and hunters who now compete with the tourists as with each other.

Conflict between tourists and the local residents may be also arise because of damage to the
area brought about by littering, vandalism, and traffic congestion. In rural areas, the damage to
crop, farm buildings, and livestock are common complaints of farmer, together with the
increasing value of lands, competition for labor and land erosion.

Impact Control Measures

Two measures which will reduce the negative impact of tourism and hospitality have been
identified, thus, creating a quality environment for both residents and tourists. First, the general
protective measures are designed to safeguard the various aspect of the environment- endangered
animals and plant, beaches, and forests through the creation of national part and wilderness
areas.

The man-made environment is included in the conservation and restoration of historical or

archaeological monuments, valuable buildings, and neighbor hoods. These measures have two
objectives- to protect the environment ant to maintain its attractiveness as a tourist destination.
 Regulation and control refers to zoning and land use, and planning specifications on the
facilities being built as to height, appearance, open space, and overall design, among other
things. These are rapidly done in some countries like Switzerland where builders must follow
certain architectural styles before permission is given for development. These are done to prevent
unattractive tourists’ development.