Tourism Benefits The Country

International tourism in particular may increase short-term returns, but at the cost of a dependence on the vagaries of fashions. A single climatic disaster, such as a hurricane, or a crime wave (as in South Africa), or terrorist attack (such as that at Luxor in 1997, where 58 tourists were attacked) will mean the market quickly collapses. Even without this, changing trends will mean tourist tastes shift every few years.

Often large sums of money are needed to attract tourists, so significant capital investment may be wasted (as in Jeju in South Korea, which is spending $3.6b over ten years). The spending is concentrated in resorts rather than spread across the country, or being put into providing for basic needs.

Many hotels are part of large international chains, choosing to exploit local labour purely because it is cheap. It is hard to get banks to lend money to set up smaller hotels as the investments are seen as too risky, and so artificially high interest rates deter investment or competition.

So-called ‘ecotourism’ is as unsustainable as other forms, given the lack (apart from in Australia) of an accepted system of accreditation. ‘Ecotourism’ can entail anything from a sincere attempt to maintain the ecosystem to a packaged imitation of ‘real wildlife/culture’. Ironically, the attractions of unspoilt countryside are ruined by ever more visitors: tourism is a good example of classic market failure, where the social costs are paid by those receiving few, if any, of the benefits.

It is not purely ecosystems which are damaged by the pressure of consumption (e.g. by sewage output or pressure on water resources), but also ancient monuments or heritage sites. Millions of feet have eroded paths in the Peak District and the Great Wall of China. Cheaply constructed concrete hotels are unsympathetic to the architectural vernacular. Furthermore, noise pollution derives from clubs and bars provided for tourists.

Tourism demands that an area conform to a certain stereotyped image, often preventing modernisation or development, or requiring the local inhabitants to make a caricature of their own culture. Local hostility is already turning to litigation over the issues of access to private beaches, diving areas, water and grazing land.

The increased size of the industry is currently unsustainable. Infrastructure, and in particular airspace, is already unable to cope with the amount of journeys demanded – so ways must be found by which to reduce tourists artificially.