The Social Impacts Of Tourism That We All NEED To Know About!
Summary
TLDRDr. Haley Stainson from tourismteacher.com explores the dual nature of tourism's social impacts, highlighting both its potential to alleviate poverty, preserve culture, and strengthen communities, and its risks of causing cultural erosion, crime, and social disruption. The video delves into concepts like globalization, authenticity, and standardization, urging viewers to consider their role in sustainable tourism practices and the importance of respecting host communities.
Takeaways
- 🌏 The tourism industry has the potential to bring about positive change globally, such as alleviating poverty and preserving cultural heritage.
- 🏥 Tourism can contribute to local communities by providing income for necessities like food and medical care.
- 🎨 It has the power to revitalize culture and art, supporting the maintenance of religious buildings and ancient cultures.
- 🚫 However, tourism can also have negative effects, including the erosion of local culture and heritage, and the promotion of crime and other social ills.
- 🌱 Sustainable tourism management involves balancing environmental, economic, and social impacts to ensure long-term viability.
- 🤝 Tourism inherently involves interactions between hosts and guests, which can lead to significant social and cultural impacts.
- 🏰 One of the positive impacts is the preservation of local culture, as tourists often seek authentic experiences, encouraging destinations to protect their heritage.
- 🏗️ The development of tourism infrastructure can benefit local communities by providing new facilities and services.
- 🎉 Tourism can strengthen communities by rejuvenating local events and festivals, creating a vibrant social atmosphere.
- 💼 Employment opportunities created by tourism can improve the quality of life for locals and foster a sense of community.
- 🌐 Globalization in tourism can lead to a loss of cultural individuality as destinations become more homogenized to cater to tourists' expectations.
- 🔄 The concept of authenticity in tourism is complex, with some cultures seemingly remaining unchanged for the sake of tourism, raising ethical questions about what constitutes true authenticity.
- 📉 Standardization in tourism can lead to a loss of local character as multinational corporations and chains replace independent businesses.
- 🤔 Cultural clashes can occur due to differences in values, lifestyles, and prosperity between tourists and local populations, potentially leading to resentment and increased crime.
- 🚨 The growth of tourism can unfortunately contribute to issues like sex tourism, gambling, and a rise in crime rates in certain areas.
Q & A
What is the potential positive impact of tourism on local communities?
-Tourism can help bring people out of poverty, provide income for necessities like food and medical bills, preserve ancient cultures, maintain religious buildings, revitalize culture and art, and strengthen communities.
What are the three pillars of sustainable tourism management mentioned in the script?
-The three pillars of sustainable tourism management are the environment, the economy, and society.
How does tourism contribute to the preservation of local culture?
-Tourism often leads to efforts in preserving and protecting local culture because it is often the local culture that attracts tourists. This contributes to the conservation of natural resources and the promotion of indigenous cultures and arts.
What is the potential negative impact of tourism on the local culture and heritage?
-Tourism can lead to the destruction of culture and heritage, encourage people to abandon their native language and traditional dress, and may even promote crime, gambling, and drug use.
How can tourism help in strengthening communities through events and festivals?
-Tourism can rejuvenate and develop local events and festivals, making them more attractive to tourists. This can lead to increased participation from local residents and can boost community spirit.
What is the concept of globalization in the context of tourism?
-Globalization in tourism refers to the interconnectedness of the world, leading to a loss of individuality and a sense of global being. It is often seen through the interaction between tourists and hosts from different backgrounds, which encourages cultural convergence.
Why might the preservation of local culture for tourism purposes be seen as unnatural?
-The preservation of local culture for tourism might be seen as unnatural because social settings and cultures naturally evolve over time. Forcing a culture to remain static for the sake of tourism can be viewed as artificial and contrary to the natural process of cultural evolution.
How can the growth of tourism lead to crime in an area?
-The presence of tourists with money to spend and valuable possessions can attract criminals, leading to an increase in activities such as robbery, theft, and drug dealing.
What is the ethical dilemma posed by the expectation of authenticity in tourist destinations?
-The ethical dilemma is that some cultures may be pressured to remain unchanged for the sake of providing an 'authentic' experience for tourists, which can hinder their natural development and modernization.
What is the potential impact of tourism on local language and communication?
-Tourism can lead to locals adopting the language of the tourists, often English, to facilitate communication and business, which may result in the decline of the use of their native language.
How can tourism contribute to the rise of sex tourism and its associated issues?
-While tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation, it can provide easy access to it, such as through prostitution, leading to an increase in the number of sex workers in tourist areas.
Outlines
🌏 The Dual Impact of Tourism on Society
This paragraph discusses the transformative power of tourism, highlighting both its potential to alleviate poverty, support local economies, and preserve cultural heritage, as well as its risks of eroding local culture, language, and promoting negative behaviors. Dr. Haley Stainson introduces the concept of sustainable tourism management, emphasizing the balance between environmental, economic, and social aspects. She also touches on the inevitability of host-guest interactions and their social and cultural implications, both positive and negative.
🏰 Preservation and Commercialization in Tourism
The second paragraph delves into the positive social impacts of tourism, such as the preservation of local culture and heritage, which are often reinforced by tourist interest. It raises questions about the authenticity of cultures that remain static for tourism purposes and contrasts this with the natural evolution of societies. The paragraph also explores how tourism can strengthen communities through events, festivals, and job creation, leading to improved local infrastructure and quality of life. However, it also introduces the negative aspects of tourism, such as globalization leading to a loss of cultural individuality and the potential for undesirable social changes.
🌐 Globalization, Standardization, and Their Pitfalls
This paragraph examines the negative social impacts of tourism, focusing on globalization and standardization. It discusses how tourism can lead to a loss of cultural identity and authenticity as destinations adapt to tourist expectations, sometimes at the expense of their unique traditions and practices. The paragraph also addresses the ethical implications of maintaining cultural practices solely for touristic purposes, questioning whether this is truly authentic. Additionally, it touches on the phenomenon of culture clashes, where differences in values and behaviors between tourists and locals can lead to resentment and crime, and the rise of sex tourism and gambling as associated issues.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Tourism industry
💡Sustainable tourism management
💡Social impacts
💡Cultural preservation
💡Globalization
💡Authenticity
💡Standardization
💡Culture clash
💡Economic inequality
💡Sex tourism
💡Crime
Highlights
The tourism industry has the power to do a lot of good, including bringing people out of poverty, preserving ancient cultures, and revitalizing art.
Tourism can also cause harm, such as destroying culture and heritage, and encouraging crime, gambling, and drug use.
Sustainable tourism management consists of three pillars: the environment, the economy, and society.
The social impacts of tourism, also known as socio-cultural impacts, are the effects on host communities that result from interactions with tourists.
Positive social impacts of tourism include the preservation of local culture, the strengthening of communities, and the creation of jobs.
Tourism can help to conserve natural resources, protect local heritage, and rejuvenate indigenous cultures, arts, and crafts.
Developments in tourism infrastructure often benefit local residents by providing new roads, sewage systems, playgrounds, and bus services.
Negative social impacts of tourism include globalization, which can lead to the loss of individuality and cultural homogenization.
Tourism can cause culture clashes due to differences in culture, values, lifestyles, and economic disparities between locals and tourists.
The growth of mass tourism is often accompanied by increases in crime, such as robbery and drug dealing.
Sex tourism and gambling can increase with the rise of tourism, contributing to social problems in the host community.
Standardization in tourism can dilute local culture and traditions, leading to a loss of authenticity.
Tourism can lead to resentment from locals when they see tourists with expensive items that they cannot afford themselves.
Education about local customs and values can help tourists avoid unintentionally offending the host community.
Sustainable tourism planning and management are crucial to minimizing the negative social impacts of tourism while maximizing the positive ones.
Transcripts
the tourism industry
has the power to do a lot of good in
fact
it has the power to change the world it
can help to bring people out of poverty
to put food on the table and to pay the
medical bills it can help to preserve
ancient cultures
maintain religious buildings and
revitalize culture and art
it can help to support and strengthen
communities
but the travel and tourism industry can
also cause a lot of harm
it can cause people to stop speaking
their native language to alter
the way that they dress to destroy
culture and heritage
and to encourage people to turn to crime
gambling and drugs
these are the social impacts of tourism
if you've ever studied sustainable
tourism management you will know that it
consists of three
pillars the environment the economy and
society
in order to ensure that we have a
long-lasting and sustainable
tourism industry throughout the world we
must ensure
that we minimize the negative impacts of
tourism and maximize
the positive impacts of tourism my name
is dr haley stainson from
tourismteacher.com and today
i'm going to teach you all about the
social impacts of tourism
and if you do want to learn a little bit
more about the social impacts of tourism
i have provided a recommended reading
list down in the description below
the social impacts of tourism also
commonly referred to as
social cultural impacts are the effects
on host communities
that have direct or indirect relations
and interrelations with tourists
and the tourism industry in other words
is the way that the business of tourism
impacts society tourism is at its core
an interactive service this means that
host guest interaction is inevitable
this can have significant social or
social cultural impacts
these social impacts can be seen as
benefits or costs
so they can be good social impacts or
bad social
impacts travel and tourism can do some
great things around the world
and it can have really positive social
impacts
so let's start off this video by looking
at the good things that can come
from tourism one of the biggest social
benefits of tourism
is the preservation of local culture it
is the local culture that the tourists
are often coming to visit when they
travel
tourists visit beijing to learn more
about the chinese dynasties
tourists visit thailand to taste
authentic thai food
tourists travel to brazil to go to the
rio carnival just to mention a few
as a result many destinations will make
a special effort to preserve and protect
the local culture this often contributes
to the conservation and sustainable
management of natural resources
protection of local heritage and a
renaissance of indigenous cultures
cultural arts and crafts in one way this
is absolutely great
but i can't help wondering is it natural
our social settings have changed
tremendously over the years
in the uk we don't walk around in
corsets and victorian dresses anymore do
we
we have evolved socially over the years
and this is completely natural
so i can't help but wonder is it right
that destinations stay in one place for
tourism they don't
evolve they don't change like the rest
of us i don't have the answer but it's
something for you to ponder on
anyway i digress another positive social
impact of tourism
is the ability for the travel industry
to help strengthen communities
events and festivals of which local
residents have been the primary
participants and spectators are often
rejuvenated and developed in response to
tourist interest
i certainly felt this myself when i went
to the running of the balls festival
known as san fermin in pamplona spain
the atmosphere there was just
explosive it was an incredible
experience
and the jobs created by tourism can also
be a great boost for the local community
aside from the positive economic impacts
created by enhanced employment prospects
people with jobs are happier and more
social than those without a disposable
income
local people can also increase their
influence on tourism development
tourism can help to increase their
prospects in terms of their job and how
much they might earn
and it can help them to undertake
professional training and development of
business and organisational skills the
tourism industry requires many
facilities and
infrastructure to meet the needs of the
tourist this often means that the
developments in an area as a result of
tourism will be available for use by the
locals too
local people often gain the use of new
roads new sewage systems
new playgrounds bus services and lots
more
all as a result of tourism and this can
only be a good thing right
this can provide a great boost to their
quality of life and is a great example
of a positive
social impact of tourism tourism can see
rise to many commercial businesses
which can be a positive social impact of
tourism this helps to enhance the
community spirit
as people tend to have more disposable
income as a result
these businesses may promote the local
culture and arts whether it's a museum
exhibiting artifacts from throughout
egyptian history a traditional dance
show in thailand
or an art gallery in new york
attractions such as these are popular
with tourists
and they help to promote and profit from
the culture and art that the destination
has to offer and some destinations will
encourage local cultures and arts to be
revitalized or reborn
today there are some fantastic virtual
tours that allow tourists to time travel
in order to see how ancient monuments
would have once looked there are
destinations that will put on shows to
demonstrate
ancient practices and traditions that
may since have died out and been
forgotten about
this type of tourism is great because it
helps to promote traditions
and histories that may otherwise have
become distant and lost
many tourists will visit a destination
especially to see its local heritage
it is for this reason that many
destinations will make every effort to
preserve its heritage
this could include putting restrictions
in place or limiting tourist numbers if
necessary
this is a great example of careful
tourism planning and sustainable tourism
management
but unfortunately there are also a lot
of negative
social impacts of tourism and it's
really really important that we take
note of these and try to mitigate these
where we can whilst some people will
argue that social change is inevitable
and natural
there is no disputing that travel and
tourism has helped to fuel this in many
parts of the world
and unfortunately there are many changes
that come about as a result
of tourism that are not desirable there
are many examples throughout the world
where local populations have changed
because of tourism
african tribal people have exchanged
their traditional dress for football
shirts
almost everyone on the island of bali
now speaks english
there are people in jamaica who choose
to make a living by stealing from the
tourists
these are all examples of negative
social impacts of tourism let's start
off by looking at the issue of
globalization
globalization is the way in which the
world is becoming increasingly
interconnected we are losing our
individuality and gaining a sense of
global being
whereby we as people are becoming more
and more alike than ever before
globalization is inevitable in the
tourism industry because of the
interaction between tourists
and hosts which typically come from
different geographical and cultural
backgrounds
it is this interaction that encourages
us to become more alike
let me give you a couple of examples
that i have experienced personally
a few years ago i went on a trip to the
going jungle as part of this trip we
were given a tour of a local village
where many of the tourists offered candy
to the local children
these children had rarely been exposed
to areas outside of the jungle
and had it not been for the tourists
they would never have been exposed
to these suites that were absolutely not
going or
indian i'll give you another example
when i went to the gambia a few years
back
i met a young boy who was working with
the tourists he was wearing a manchester
united football shirt and i asked him
where did you get the shirt from he told
me he was donated that t-shirt from a
tourist the year before
so had that tourist had never visited
gambia he would never have had that
football shirt and in thailand one of my
favorite countries of the world
people are uprooting and leaving their
traditional homes in the countryside
to go and work in the cities they want
to work with the tourists that's where
the money's at they learn to speak
english they start eating western food
and their culture changes as a result
had these people never have relocated to
the city to work with the tourists
they may never have been exposed to some
of the foods and some of the language
and some of the behavior that they are
many people believe globalization to be
a bad thing but
there are also some positives think
about this do you want an authentic
squat toilet in your hotel room
or do you want a western toilet are you
happy to eat rice and curry for
breakfast or would you really just
prefer your bowl of cornflakes
do you want to struggle to get by when
nobody can communicate in english
or are you just desperate to have just
that one english-speaking person to help
you along the way
when we travel most tourists want that
sense of familiar to some extent
and globalization helps us along the way
authenticity is essentially something
that is
original or unchanged it's not fake it's
not reproduced in any way in the western
world many people believe that a tourist
destination is no longer authentic
when their cultural values and
traditions change but i would argue is
this not natural
are we not supposed to evolve and change
take a look at the likes of the longneck
tribe in thailand
or the maasai tribe in africa these are
two examples of cultures which have
remained
unchanged for the sole purpose of
tourism they appear not to have changed
in the way that they dress
the way that they speak or the way that
they act for generations
all for the purposes of tourism to me
however this begs the question
is this actually authentic in fact is
this not the exact
opposite of authentic the rest of the
world have modern electricity and
iphones
they watch tv they buy their clothes in
the nearest shopping mall
but because tourists want an authentic
experience
in inverted commerce these people have
not moved on with the rest of the world
but instead have remained the same
i also think there is an ethical
discussion to be had here but we can
leave that for another day
in fact i think authenticity is a great
topic to study
and it can really get your mind working
and it can be quite mind-boggling
so i have written a couple of articles
on authenticity and i'll put the links
down below for you
many destinations risk standardization
in the process of satisfying tourists
desires for familiar facilities and
experiences
whilst landscape accommodation food
drinks etc
must meet the tourists desire for the
new and the unfamiliar they must at the
same time not be
too strange because few tourists are
actually looking for completely new
experiences
just like that toilet example that i
told you before do you really want to
squat in your toilet in your hotel room
tourists are often on the lookout for
recognizable facilities
in an unfamiliar environment like
well-known fast food restaurants
and hotel chains tourists like some
things to be standardized like the
toilet
their breakfast speaking english but
they want other things to be different
we like to try different food we like
different weather we like to listen to
different music
visit different tourist attractions but
do we want everything to become
standardized
i know i certainly miss seeing the small
independent shops on the high street
they will be in exchange for
multinational corporations and chains
i personally think the tourism industry
stakeholders need to proceed with
caution when it comes to standardization
sure give the tourists that sense of
familiar that they're looking for
but don't dilute the culture and
traditions of the destination that
they're coming to visit because if it
feels too much like home
well they might just stay home on a less
philosophical note
another negative social impact of
tourism that can have significant
consequences
are culture clashes because tourism
involves the movement of people from
different geographical locations
cultural clashes can take place as a
result of differences in culture
ethnic and religious groups values
lifestyles
languages and levels of prosperity the
attitude of local residents towards
tourism development
may unfold through the stages of
euphoria where visitors are welcome
through apathy irritation and
potentially antagonism when anti-tourist
attitudes begin to grow among local
people this is represented through
doxy's irritation index
and this is a theory that i will teach
you more about in a future video
culture clashes can also be exasperated
by the fundamental differences in
culture between the hosts
and the tourists there's likely to be
economic inequality between locals and
tourists
who are spending more money than they
usually would at home this can cause
resentment from the local population
towards the tourists
and when locals see tourists wearing
expensive jewelry or using fancy cameras
that they know they can't afford
themselves this can cause resentment
and even lead to increases in crime
further to this
tourists often out of ignorance or
carelessness
fail to respect local customs morals and
values think about it
is it right to go topless on a beach
when the local population don't even
show their shoulders
there are many examples of ways that
tourists offend the local population
often unintentionally did you know that
you should never put your back to a
buddha
or show the soul of your feet to a thai
person or show romantic affection in
public in the middle east
a little education in this regard can go
a long way
but unfortunately many travelers are
completely unaware of the social impacts
that their actions might have on the
host community crime rates typically
increase with the growth and
urbanization of an area
and the growth of mass tourism is often
accompanied by increases in crime
the presence of a large number of
tourists with lots of money to spend
who often carry valuables such as
cameras and jewellery increases the
attention for criminals
and it brings with activities like
robbery and drug dealing and then
there's sex tourism
although tourism is not the cause of
sexual exploitation
it provides easy access to it through
for example prostitution therefore
tourism can contribute to rises in the
number of sex workers in a given area
i've seen this myself
in places such as thailand and the
gambia and lastly
gambling is a common occurrence as a
result of tourism the growth of casinos
and other gambling facilities can
encourage not only tourists
to partner their cash but also the local
population too
so as i have explained throughout this
video there are many
social impacts of tourism some are good
some are not so good
whether you're a student an avid
traveller or somebody who works in the
travel and tourism industry i hope that
this video has helped you to think a
little bit more about how your actions
might have an impact on the host
community that you are visiting
i also hope i've encouraged some deeper
or more critical thinking
in terms of issues such as globalization
and authenticity
and if you are keen to learn more about
these things i will be posting weekly
videos so make sure you subscribe to my
channel and hit the notification button
and don't forget to check out the
reading list that i've put below too
Ver Más Videos Relacionados
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)