Tourism Has Increased So Much Over The Last 50 Years That It Is Having A Mainly Negative Impact On Local Inhabitants And The Environment

Sample essay

According to some people, the growth in tourism has a negative impact on native people and the environment. Others, however, insist that it is good for the economy. In my opinion, tourism definitely promotes economic development and its impact on native people is not particularly bad. However, the development of tourist infrastructure impacts the environment negatively. The advantages and disadvantages of tourism will be discussed in this essay.

On the one hand, tourism is good for economy. The influx of tourists leads to the generation of tens of thousands of jobs in the hospitality industry. Actually, some South Asian countries now depend entirely on tourism. Another advantage of tourism is that it increases demand for local products like handicrafts and is a good source of income for local artisans. Tourists also make a great audience for local art and dance forms. For example, a lot of tourists visiting India are interested in watching classical dance performances. Thus, it has revived many traditional art forms that were on the verge of dying. Thus, obviously, tourism is good for the economy and local people.

On the other hand, tourist activity has a detrimental effect on the environment. In order to cater to the needs of tourists more hotels and resorts have to be built. Most tourist places are in the hills or near the sea and infrastructure development in such eco-sensitive areas is bad for the environment. Tourist activities like jungle safaris disturb wildlife and may even lead to the dwindling of their population. Littering is another issue. It is common for wild animals to choke on plastic cans and bags that tourists leave behind in hill stations. Even aquatic life is not spared because plastic floating in the oceans is a choking hazard for fish.

In short, tourism is certainly good for the environment and it has no real negative impact on local residents. However, excessive tourist activity and the thoughtless infrastructure development that accompanies it is certainly bad for the environment.  

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Manjusha Nambiar

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