Main Issues Affecting the International Tourism Sector - Essay Example

? International Tourism Outline Section Introduction – This section introduces the topic international tourism and the main issues affecting it. Section 2: Economic Factors Affecting International Tourism – This section discusses the economic factors affecting international tourism. Section 3: Political Factors Affecting International Tourism – This section discusses the political factors affecting international tourism. Section 4: Environmental Factors Affecting International Tourism – This section discusses the environmental factors affecting international tourism. Section 5: How These Factors Are Being Addressed – This section discusses how governments are trying to tackle these issues. Section 6: Conclusion – This section gives a summary of the issues affecting international tourism. Section 7: References – This section states the sources that were used to come up with the findings of this paper. International Tourism Introduction International tourism is to a situation where individuals travel globally outside of their home country and region (Beaver, 2012). This refers to a short movement of individuals from their residential place to another region for diverse reasons such as recreation, business, health or other reasons (Beaver, 2012). Tourism is significant to the world due to the volume of income it brings to nations, and it enhances international relations the world over. International tourism offers tourists great services in the nations they decide to tour while they boost their economy. It aids in providing jobs to the local residents of the nations being toured not just in the tourism, as well as the service industry, but also in the manufacturing industry because many individuals return home with local keepsakes in hand. Tourists are more inclined to have disposable income, which they use in the nations they are touring (Lennon & Foley, 2000). They, on the whole, have more free time with which they spend on plentiful, shorter holidays all through the year, as well. A majority of tourists are well learned with classy preferences that have led to the demand for better products and service (Ineson, 2005). A number of tourists also travel with their entire family, creating the need for more family-oriented holiday spots and niche destinations for other demographics, such as spa resorts and water sports vacations (Beaver, 2012). Even with all the natural disasters, which have overwhelmed the world of late, as well as the tragedy of 9/11 and the 2005 London Bombing among others, individuals are still traveling the entire world to see tourist attractions and see what other nations have to offer. Other major issues affecting this field can be divided into economical factors, technological factors, political factors, demographic factors and cultural factors (Ineson, 2005). This paper will reflect on the main issues affecting the international tourism sector and how they have challenged conventional forms of tourism activity. The paper will also discuss to what extent responsible tourism presents an opportunity for addressing some of these issues. Economic Factors Intentional tourism can cost local governments, as well as local taxpayers, loads of money (UNEP, n.d). Developers might require the government to develop the roads, airport, railways and other infrastructure such as enhancing their water transport system, and perhaps grant tax breaks and other financial benefits, which are expensive events for the government. Public resources used on support tax breaks or infrastructure might decrease government investment in other vital areas such as health and education (Lennon & Foley, 2000). This, therefore, makes a country oppose international tourism. Raising the demand for basic goods and services from tourists will normally lead to price hikes, which disapprovingly affect locals whose proceeds do not rise proportionately (UNEP, n.d). International tourism and its associated rise in real estate demand have radically increased land values and building costs. Not only does this make it harder for locals, particularly in developing states, to meet their basic needs, it can also lead to supremacy by foreigners in the migration department and in land markets, which wears down financial opportunities for the locals, ultimately disempowering them. In a nation such as Costa Rica, almost 65% of all hotels are owned by foreigners (UNEP, n.d). Long-term tourists residing in second homes and the alleged amenity migrants (retired or wealthy people and liberal experts shifting to eye-catching destinations so as to enjoy the environment and quiet rhythms of life) make prices hike in their fresh homes when they rise to a certain critical mass. Finally, when a nation is receiving a high number of international tourists, they tend to be reliant on the industry for financial earnings. Therefore, when international tourism drops, the nation’s economy drops, as well (UNEP, n.d). Political Factors Political factors such as political unrest can go a long way to affect the image of a country, and image is everything when it comes to international tourism (Neumayer, 2004). This has mostly been witnessed in African states. Whenever there is political unrest in any state, we hear major tourists-contributing nations giving travel advisories to these states. Some tourists end up being hurt during these unrests, as well. Even when a nation’s traits are greatly valued and not simply substitutable, assaults on tourists can considerably injure the nation’s tourism sector as Egypt faced in the 90s (Neumayer, 2004). For many reasons, actions of violence are prone to influence tourism both contemporaneously, as well as with lagged effects. Tourists can be locked into bookings previously made, and it takes time to understand the entire scope of the unsteadiness. Since tourists are receptive to the downbeat image of a country, violent events can influence a country long after the event has subsided and stability has, effectively, been restored. International tourism will only recover to its prior level if the negative reflection is removed from the tourists’ perception (Neumayer, 2004). Relying on how sustained the time of the unrest and the unenthusiastic media coverage has been, this may take years to recover. Nations with a pessimistic image because of historical events of violence normally try to enhance their reflection with aggressive advertising campaigns to depict themselves as safe destinations. For instance, Fiji has always endeavoured to advertise itself in many platforms as possible in order to elevate the wrong image sent by the country after the 1987 military coup (Neumayer, 2004). Environmental Factors Climatic analysts mainly concur that the Earth’s surface temperatures has rise gradually in recent years due to an in the alleged greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which traps the sun’s heat. International tourism is directly associated to climate change (The Sustainable Tourism Gateway, n.d). Tourism accounts for nearly 50% of traffic movements, quickly expanding air traffic. Therefore, tourism is a considerable contributor to the growing concentration of greenhouse gases. Air travel itself is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. Passenger jets are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. The number of global travelers is anticipated to rise from 594 million to 1.6 billion as from 1996 to 2020, contributing significantly to the difficulty unless steps are taken to lessen emissions (The Sustainable Tourism Gateway, n.d). International tourism not only contributes to global climate change but is also affected by it. Climate change is liable to enhance the sternness and occurrence of storms and harsh weather events, which can have catastrophic impacts on tourism in the affected areas. Other consequences, which the world risks due to global warming, are diseases, drought and heat waves. These negative impacts can keep tourists away from the holiday destinations. Global warming might cause fewer snowstorms at ski resorts, signifying shorter skiing spells in the region. In already hot temperate areas such as the Mediterranean and Asia, tourists will keep away due to immense heat, heat-caused diseases, as well as water shortages. Global warming might also harm helpless ecosystems such as coral reefs and rainforests due to rising less rainfall and temperatures. The main risk to coral reefs is bleaching. It occurs when coral reefs are harassed by temperature raises, lower water quality, low or high degrees of salinity and a raise in suspended sediments (The Sustainable Tourism Gateway, n.d). How These Factors Are Being Addressed Regimes are coming up with improved methods of enhancing the image of their nation such as intense advertising, improvement of their security levels, improvement of technology, maintaining a clean environment or clean scenery and also easing the expense of tourists. Nations such as Egypt and regions like the Middle East are always experiencing constant political unrest. Nigeria, DRC Congo and Sudan among others also fall under that category (Ineson, 2005). The countries, however, are stepping up to ease their unrests such as ensuring that their citizens are safe, as well as visitors. This can be seen in the way they channel a significant amount of their annual budget to security. Egypt still records as the major tourist destinations in African ahead of peaceful states such as South African and Kenya (Theobald, 2012). Nations are also improving their technological infrastructure by making modernising their tourism sector. They are staring websites which showcase what they have to offer and tourists can also book for reservations through these websites (Lew, 2008). Nations are also starting hygienic programs of keeping their states clean, which also improves the scenery of their environment. For instance, they are reducing pouring wastes into their waters shores and rivers in order to enhance the experience of the tourists who opt to tour their nation (Theobald, 2012). Such nations include Dubai and Malaysia, which always advertise the clean and well organised side of their nations. Dubai is a desert country yet the nation has made itself appear beautiful that everyone wants to tour the nation. This is in the midst of all the political unrest being experienced in the Middle East (Theobald, 2012). Other methods used by nations to elevate themselves from these factors are holding trade fairs, starting partnerships with foreign states to advertise their states and sponsoring global events (Easterly & Sewadeh, 2002). This method could be used by others willing to enhance their tourism sector. Conclusion International tourism is to a situation where individuals travel globally outside of their home country and region. This refers to a short movement of individuals from their residential place to another region for diverse reasons such as recreational, business, health or some other reasons. Major issues affecting this industry include economic factors, technological factors, political factors, demographic factors and cultural factors. It is vital for regimes to look into methods of resolving these issues in order to improve the scenery of international tourism. References Beaver, A 2012, A dictionary of travel and tourism terminology, CAB International, Wallingford. Easterly, W & Sewadeh, M 2002, Global development network growth database, World Bank, Washington, DC. Ineson, EM 2005, Current issues in international tourism development business, Business Education Publishers, London. Lennon, J & Foley, M 2000, Dark tourism, Continuum, London. Lew, A 2008, 'Long tail tourism: new geographies for marketing niche tourism products,' Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 409-419. Neumayer, E 2004, 'The impact of political violence on tourism,' Journal of Conflict Resolution vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 259-281. The Sustainable Tourism Gateway n.d, Environmental impacts of tourism, accessed 27th November, 2013 at http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/envi/two.html Theobald, WF 2012, Global tourism, 2nd edn, Oxford Publishers, Oxford. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) n.d, Negative economic impacts of tourism, accessed 27th November, 2013 at http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/Business/SectoralActivities/Tourism/FactsandFiguresaboutTourism/ImpactsofTourism/EconomicImpactsofTourism/NegativeEconomicImpactsofTourism/tabid/78784/Default.aspx Read More