Tourism - The Benefits?

In the interests of balance I decided to write this although I'm not the BBC so I'm allowed to be biased!

The main benefits of tourism I can see are the increase in GDP for the destination country & the increase in jobs for local people.

The economic & general benefits of income from tourism could be:-

• Generating foreign exchange.
• Creating new employment opportunities & growing the service sector.
• Stimulating trade and entrepreneurship – especially in small business sectors.
• Developing infrastructure and services e.g. new roads and airports.
• Increasing regional development – particularly in isolated areas.
• Generating greater collection of taxes and revenues.
• Investing income in developing education, health, clean water, sanitation & recreational facilities.
• Protecting natural attractions & local culture.
• Providing opportunities for recreation.
• Encouraging better international relations & cultural exchange. 

The trick is to ensure that income from tourism provides these benefits without the destructive downside in my last Blog. This requires properly elected, democratic, Governments with the best interests of their people at heart to utilise the income properly. Sadly in my experience in Africa, the Middle East & Asia those Governments are thin on the ground. Corruption is rife. The people benefit relatively little from the influx of hoards of tourists & their cash. Most tourists are pitifully unaware of the best way to ensure that their sterling & dollars get into the hands of the people who need it.

So, when you get down to it, we, the relatively wealthy tourists, need to make sure we are better informed. We need to make the effort to support small local businesses directly. For example, instead of staying in your huge "all inclusive" hotel, stay in a small local one. There's nothing wrong with 3*. Don't stay ghettoised eating every meal in 4 or 5*  internaltional restaurants. Be brave, leave your big hotel & eat in the delightful local restaurant where you will get fresh, proper, local food,. which is also usually very cheap.

You watch all the travel documentaries - So put what you learn into practice.