The Impacts of Tourism and Hospitality

The rapid growth of tourism and hospitality in the twentieth century has produced both problems and benefits for
destination countries. It has had visible impacts on the sociocultural and socioeconomic environment. Although tourism and
hospitality can bring economic 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 other industry, tourism and hospitality affects the economy of those areas in which it takes place. The area
affected may be a resort, a region, or the entire nation. Notwithstanding the size of the affected area, the economic effects of
tourism and hospitality may be classified into four groups, namely:
● effects on 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.
Tourism 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 on tourism and hospitality businesses such as interests 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. Example of indirect taxation.
Tourism and hospitality is both an income generator and an income redistributor. Most of the tourist receipts go to the
developing nations of the world such as in East Africa and the Pacific. Because of the flow of capital from 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 tourists. 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 flowers for the resort areas; local
crafts for the tourists to buy; local cafés and restaurants; tour guides and interpreters; local travel services; local cultural
events; shops for tourists’ needs; and specialized local housing such as pensions and small inns.

The sum of all income in a country is called the national income. The nation 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 local to national, benefits as well from tourism and hospitality. In general, the tourist industry offers
more employment opportunities than other economic sectors. Generating employment is perhaps the greatest advantage of
tourism and hospitality in a developing economy. 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 tourists in hotels, restaurants,
bars, nightclubs, and the like.
● Indirect employment consists of those positions that are associated with other tourism-related activities but are
used by both the local resident and the tourist. Shops and food wholesalers 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. If a country pays or agrees to
pay more money than it receives, it has a deficit in its balance of payments. If it receives more money than it sends or
exports, it has a surplus in its balance of payments.
 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 payments account. They therefore
take steps to maximize their tourist receipts through the development of new attractions, promotions, subsidized exchange
rates, and other measures. They also try to keep their own residents within the country by taxation on outgoing tourists,
limitations on 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 be influenced to
invest in tourism and hospitality and other industries in that area. This is known by economists as an accelerator concept.

Negative Economic Aspects 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 residents. They can afford to pay higher rents and taxes which are passed on to the customers through
higher prices. 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 estate agents, and landowners, but local
residents are forced to pay more for their homes because of the increased value of land.

High Leakages
Leakage occurs from a variety of sources. 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 demands 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 interest payments, rents, or profits may have to be paid to the 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 visit 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 because of seasonal fluctuations in demand. the
seasonality of demand is reflected in hotel occupancy rates. Many hotels experience greatly reduced revenues during the
season Nevertheless, most hotels prefer to remain open all year round to secure as much revenue as possible.
Accommodation investments 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 vulnerable to changes in tourist demand by becoming overdependent 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 in demand for a destination results in underutilization of services, unemployment, and loss
of income.
Impact Control Measure

There are a number of ways to maximize the benefits of tourism and hospitality to the destination area. Edward
Inskeep (1991), a consultant for the United 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 properly plan, organize, and monitor tourism and hospitality,
2. Maintain a scale of tourism and hospitality development that is appropriate for the local as well as national
environment. If possible, develop other economic sectors so that there is a balanced economy and employment
structure. In some areas, 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 participate in determining
the future of this sector;
 4. Apply the concepts of tourism development zones;
5. Make certain that residents 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 preempted by
tourism;
6. Provide incentives to local ownership, management, and operations of hotels 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
substitution, 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 order 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 destinations. The
objective of social tourism is to ensure that tourism is accessible to all people.

Host-Visitor Interactions
Tourism and hospitality causes more interaction between peoples particularly between the tourists or visitors and the
local residents or hosts. To understand the social impact tourists have on an area, the characteristics of various types of
visitors and the level of 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 by 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 adapts well to simple accommodations and services provided for the occasional guest;
4. Unusual Tourist - This tourist loves sub-exotic cultural sites, and the unusual or primitive sites as long as he can
quickly and safely return to more familiar surroundings and group;
5. Incipient Mass Tourist - This is a visitor who looks for the amenities of Western Mass Tourist - This is her travel-
related facilities. He is a mixture of both pleasure seeker and business traveler;
6. Mass Tourist - He comes from the middle class. He arrives at a destination with other tourists. There in diversity of
tastes among them and their attitude 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 products. The interaction between the
visitors and the hosts is limited and impersonal.

Types of Tourists No. of Tourists 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

source: Smith, Velene L. “Hosts and Guests” The Anthropology of Tourism, 1997
 The level of interaction between the hosts and guests 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 travelers. With
the increase in number, and greater expectations and demand for special facilities and services, a corresponding change in
the local area 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 f 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 works toward improving the host country's environment
and lifestyle options;
3. It promotes knowledge and use of foreign languages; 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 Pius XII touched on this aspect of tourism and hospitality when he spoke of "subjecting
oneself, joyfully or sorrowfully, to the inconveniences, great or small, which can with difficulty be avoided." The United Nations
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) considers tourism as an encounter between a person and a destination in its natural
setting. Above all, the UNWTO believes it is an exchange or encounter between individual groups of people as well as
between social groups. Thus, it becomes an encounter between nations and an exchange of values. The impact 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 promotes progress and modernization through exposure to other attitudes and values. It brings
about improvements in facilities and services as well as improvements in the lifestyles 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 destinations 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 improvement of
those facilities in destination areas and provide additional sources of 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 health 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 enabled different people to strengthen the social structure, mass tourism has
brought with it expenses and problems. Among these are: social saturation; changes in the social structure, behavior, and
roles; community problems; and negative demonstrative effects.
Social Saturation
The presence of large numbers of tourists in particular places at specific times results 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 destinations that attract a large number of tourists, public transportation is so crowded with tourists that there is
hardly any room for local residents. Shops are full of travelers, forcing the locals to change their shopping patterns. Streets
are full of visitors resulting in traffic jams. 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 changes the traditional forms of employment which results 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 areas leads to other social problems in the family. Some wives who work in tourism
and hospitality establishments have higher salaries than their husbands. This often leads to the loss of self confidence among
their husbands. In addition, their improved way of dressing and grooming causes their husbands to be jealous and
suspicious. This has led to a higher divorce rate.
This disruption in the kinship 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 destinations.

The following are some of the reasons for the increase of prostitution in tourist resorts:
1. The processes of tourism and hospitality have created locations and environments 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 morals.

The use of erotic pictures and suggestive slogans in an advertisement leads some tourists to anticipate sun, sea,
sand, and sex as part of their vacation experience.
An increase in visitors increases criminal activity. Wealthy tourists present tempting targets. Lin and Loeb (1977)
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.

Demonstrative Effects
Negative demonstrative effects consist of tourist behaviors which can be considered socially and economically
inappropriate. One of the major results of negative demonstrative effects is the polarization of the hosts from the tourists,
which happens in a number of ways. First, tourists often demand commodities and facilities beyond the economic capacity of
local residents. Rich tourists frequently eat in fine restaurants 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 tourists that are very different from the local customs give rise to social problems.
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 compete more favorably for goods and services than the locals. Thus, the
locals begin to resent the foreigners. The opposite is 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.
There are changes in the consumption patterns in some tourist areas. In some places, the importation of foreign
foods has little impact on their life, while in others, a considerable change has occurred. The people almost abandon their
local foods in favor of imported foods such as fast food from Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and
the like.

Impact Control Measures

A number of control measures can be adapted to decrease the negative change in an 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 the hosts and the tourists within tourist enclaves;
3. Designing community education and citizen involvement programs centered on tourism and hospitality development,
policy, and regulatory issues; and
4. Expanding human resource development and training programs in all components of the tourism and hospitality
system to include social skills (interpersonal relations and networking referral tactics).

Impact of Tourism and Hospitality on Culture

Tourism and hospitality increases the acculturation process as well as the cultural convergence of people.
Acculturation is defined as those changes that occur in a culture through 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 change 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 tourists. Tourism and hospitality is a vital force in acculturation since it causes more interaction between
peoples. People who change the least are the isolated ones-those who live in regions of extreme environmental conditions
such as deserts, jungles, and polar regions.

Positive Effects of Tourism and Hospitality on Culture

The two most important positive effects of tourism and hospitality on culture are the promotion 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 tourists and their
hosts may promote changes in local culture while preserving or revitalizing local ethnic and cultural identity. The quality of
cross-cultural communication is of prime importance if it contributes to the promotion of understanding between tourists and
their hosts.

Renaissance of Native Culture

Tourism 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 tourists. Folk culture
festivals are organized to attract visitors. Model cultural centers in both developed and developing countries have been highly
profitable and have helped maintain interest in their cultures.
Traditional art forms have been revived in several countries. Tourism and hospitality has stimulated the preservation
of traditional art including traditional songs and dances.
The establishment of the model culture villages (living museums) has contributed largely to the renaissance of native
traditions 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 aspects 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, Tiiijan 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 residents resent tourists who think they have the right to the
country's art whether bought or stolen. Several tourists persuade the natives to sell traditional objects which have been used
for generations. The greed for money which induces people to part with family heirlooms explains the destruction of the
archeological sites or the desecration of monuments in Egypt, Bali, India, or Central America.

Moreover, the increasing demand for artifacts has led to changes in its form and functions as art objects. The artifacts
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;
2. The impersonal nature of the tourist market has decreased the spiritual relevance of the artist's 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, require shorter and therefore less authentic activities. Thus, entertainment loses its
cultural value. Cultural villages and large hotels giving floor shows may manipulate authentic host traditions 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 advantage leads to commercialism, thus, prostituting the values of the local residents.
The architectural designs of most international hotels 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 measures may be adapted to reduce the negative impact of tourism and hospitality on culture:
1. Develop programs which enhance tourism and hospitality contribution to intercultural communication and interaction
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. Incorporate 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 hospitality. The term "environment" connotes both human and physical characteristics. Speakers and writers
often refer to it as the 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 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 be upset 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 tourist 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
2. Environmental awareness has been heightened by mass tourism which caused direct and indirect destruction.

In developed 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, the
desire to preserve their national monuments have increased. In developed countries, unspoiled natural attractions are
becoming more and more rare. Hence, people travel to developing nations where nature is still unspoiled or where the
remains of ancient civilizations are located. Developing nations realize that their historical sites or traditional towns and
neighborhoods untouched by progress are economic assets. Lighthouses, harbors, 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 of rapid tourist growth.

Conservation
Conservation and preservation of the environment not only benefit the local area but they also determine the future of
tourism and hospitality. First, the local residents benefit from the preservation. Second, tourism and hospitality, for as long as
it draws tourists, 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 than it was in the past. The national parks in East Africa, Kenya, and
Tanzania were founded to protect wildlife.
In some places, 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 which led to the conservation movement:
1. There was a social concern to which the park movement owes its 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 and urban living;
2. There was an emphasis on the efficiency of resources being used, particularly on nonrenewable resources. Early
expectations stressed maximum utilization but with a minimum of environmental degradation;
3. Conservation 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 irresponsible human manipulation.

Mathieson and Wall (cited by Landberg, 1995) identified four ways in which tourism and hospitality has been important to
conservation. These 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 the impetus for the conservation of natural resources; and
4. Bringing about the introduction of administrative and planning controls necessary to maintain the quality of the
environment to ensure a satisfying and rewarding experience for the tourists.

It can be concluded that tourism and hospitality provides 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 the 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 attract tourists. Examples are
Intramuros or Walled City in the Philippines, Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, USA., Mont. St. Michel
in France, and the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, USA. This restoration and rejuvenation process is
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 a variety of nature's wonders and outdoor activities to both
local residents and visitors.
Another benefit which results from tourism and hospitality development can be seen in coastal areas. The
development of a coastal resort allows free access to tourists and local residents.

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, mountain,
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 skills, and lack of financial resources needed to implement
plans.

Environmental Conflicts
Some of the problems affecting the quality of the environment are destruction of 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
trample 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 the
natural habitats for birds and 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, aircrafts, 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 springs.
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 motorcycles,
motorboats, and aircrafts cause a lot of noise.

Problems associated with wildlife result from killing of animals such as birds and the disruption of the normal habits of
feeding and breeding. A very good example is the killing of elephants for tusks, zebras for hides, antelopes for their heads,
lion claws for necklaces, monkeys for skin throw-rugs, gazelles for hoof key-rings, 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.

Geological Conflicts

Burns conflict hospitality affects geological formations. Some tourists collect minerals, rocks, fossils, and corals from
tourist attractions; others destroy natural formation by vandalizing.

Residents Conflicts

A number of conflicts frequently occur between residents and developers. In cities, hotels are built at the expense of
residential accommodations. The increasing value of land often forces residents to move away from the 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 whe now compete with the tourists as well as with each other.
Conflict between tourists and the local residents may also arise because of damage to the area brought about by
littering, vandalism, and traffic congestion. In rural areas, the damage to crops, farm buildings, and livestock are common
complaints of farmers, 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 and second, regulation and control
of tourist development. The protective measures are designed to safeguard the various aspects of the
environment-endangered animals and plants, beaches, and forests through the creation of national parks and
wilderness areas.
The man-made environment is included in the conservation and restoration of historical or archaeological
monuments, valuable buildings, and neighborhoods. These measures have two objectives-to protect the environment and 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 tourist development.

SUMMARY
With the growth of tourism and hospitality, the economic, social, cultural, and environmental impact of tourism and
hospitality on the host community may be both positive and negative.

Tourism and hospitality positively affects the economy which is reflected in the income, employment, the area's
balance of payments with the outside world, and investment and development. Its negative effects can be seen in high
leakages, low returns on investment because of seasonal fluctuations in demand, and overdependence on tourism and
hospitality.

The positive social effects of tourism and hospitality are classified into four groups, namely: social change and
multicultural understanding, adaptation to the realities of modern life and improvement of the host country's lifestyle, use of
foreign language, and improved health conditions and disease control. The negative social effects, on the other hand, are
evident in social saturation, changes in the social structure, behavior and roles, community problems, and negative
demonstrative effects.

The two positive effects of tourism and hospitality on culture are the promotion of intercultural communication and the
renaissance of native culture. The most important negative cultural impact of tourism and hospitality is the loss or
deterioration of traditional art and culture.

The positive environmental impact of tourism and hospitality consists of conservation of the environment,
development of attractions, historic preservation, and resident benefits, while the negative environmental impact of tourism
and hospitality shows in environmental conflicts, geological conflicts, and resident conflicts.

With proper planning, controlled development, and the implementation of appropriate guidelines, the negative
impacts of tourism and hospitality can be greatly reduced. It is imperative that policymakers and planners understand the
advantages and disadvantages of tourism and hospitality and seek better tools to evaluate them. A comprehensive cost and
benefit information is very much needed. The host community must be able to look at tourism and hospitality from a balanced
perspective, and in planning for the future, weigh the expected benefits against expected risks.