Impacts of the Growth of Global Tourism (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Global tourism

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.065

• Tourism is one aspect of globalisation

  • It is defined as time spent away from the home environment for leisure, business or professional reasons

• Over the last 50 years, mass tourism has expanded into a major global industry, which is still growing

• An estimated 900 million people become international tourists every year (before the Covid pandemic)

• The main reasons for the rise in tourism are due to:

  • improved pay and leave allowances – most workers now work less than 40 hours a week and have paid annual leave
  • decrease in the relative cost of holidays
  • greater range of destinations
  • increased business travel due to globalisation
  • improved disposable incomes – normally both partners work, and this increases incoming money to the household
  • it is easier than ever to cross borders with agreements between countries
  • transport is faster and cheaper than in the past
  • communication – internet, social media, etc. bring awareness of foreign destinations, booking of last-minute holidays, etc.

Social impacts of tourism

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.065

Social impacts

• Mass tourism has both positive and negative impacts on people, the economy and the environment

Positive social impacts of global tourism

• It can help **revive local skills **and handicrafts
• Cultural tourism values people's heritage
• Tourism brings people together from all over the world
• It can spread the range of social facilities for local people
• Major international events (Olympics) can have a positive effect locally and nationally – improved** infrastructure,** etc.
• Develops foreign language skills
• Ancient sites are brought to global attention, helping to preserve historical legacies
• It might encourage migration to major tourist-generating countries

Negative social impacts of global tourism

• Loss of locally owned land
• Tourist behaviour can offend local people(drinking etc.)
• Tourist centres encourage crime, prostitution, etc.
• Displacement of people
• Abuse of human rights
• Can erode local language and traditional values
• Loss of access to local sites – beaches, forests, etc.
• Visitor congestion at key locations

Economic impacts of tourism

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.065

Economic impacts

• Tourism has a large economic impact on a country – multiplier effect

• Tourism is a service industry which indirectly impacts all other industries

  • Primary - agriculture and providing food or mining of materials to build hotels
  • Secondary- for manufacturing of goods - chairs, beds, towels, gifts, etc.
  • Quaternary- research and development to improve facilities for tourists or management, etc.
  • Tertiary - staff for hotels, planes, buses, restaurants, lifeguards, etc.

Positive economic impacts of global tourism

• Brings money into the country's economy
• Creates jobs for local people
• Brings new infrastructure to the region
• Provides tax revenues
• Provides employment to poorer rural areas
• Can create openings for small businesses and support jobs in the informal sector

Negative economic impacts of global tourism

• Money often goes to big businesses and not locally
• Often low-paid, menial, seasonal work
• Mass tourism causes congestion, pollution affects local businesses
• Economic leakages are high
• Money borrowed to invest in tourism can increase national debt
• Large holiday resorts encourage tourists to spend most of their money in the hotel complexes, excluding the wider community

Environmental impacts of tourism

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.065

Environmental impacts

• Increasing tourism has led to a range of environmental impacts

Positive environmental impacts of global tourism

• Can increase awareness of nature conservation areas
• Money from tourism can be used to protect and repair the environment – better water supplies
• Tourism may help preserve key areas or species and prevent illegal trade and exploitation of nature
• Tourism helps fund conservation activities, therefore improving sustainable practices and environmental legislation - national parks

Negative environmental impacts of global tourism

• The local environment can be bulldozed and concreted over

• Deforestation for development of hotels, etc.

  • The loss of trees can increase soil erosion

• Tourism creates local pollution issues – waste, littering, air, water and soil pollution

• Tourist activity can disturb or damage habitats and wildlife – water skiing damaging coral reefs, ivory poaching

• Increased greenhouse gas emissions from flights

Exam Hint

• Make sure you don't just focus on the negative aspects of tourism, particularly on the environmental or cultural aspects
• You need to balance your discussion or you won't gain full marks