Tourism and Poverty Alleviation - Coursework Example

TOURISM AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION due: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Tourism and poverty alleviation 3 The role of the government in the success of the tourism sector 3 The Role of the citizens in developing a sustainable tourism sector 5 The part of NGOs in the success of a sustainable tourism sector 6 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 11 Tourism and poverty alleviation Tourism is an activity that involves traveling to either locally or internationally for various reasons such as education, leisure, business or religion. International tourism has been on the rise in the past half a century. People flock to different parts of the world, each for their reasons. The main grounds for tourism today are recreation and business. Most countries in the world benefit from both international tourism and local tourism. Tourism generates revenue for the host state. Most developing countries in the world today have tourism as one of the primary sources of income. Some of the tourism attraction sites and activities include The sandy beaches, game parks and game reserves, unique physical features, unique cultures, sports among others (Scheyvens 2012: 145). Tourism is one of the most changing sectors of any countries economy, because it requires the cooperation of all the stakeholders involved for it to be successful. Given the large benefits that are associated with the sector, the stakeholders involved need to play their parts effectively to make this sector a success. The interested parties in this sector include the government, the residents, NGOs and the private investors. All the participants play a role in the success of the tourism sector. The role of the government in the success of the tourism sector In the developing countries, it is the part played by the government that is crucial in the development of tourism; that mostly helps eradicate poverty in the society. The government can achieve this goal through the following activities: • The government can ensure the tourism industry thrives for the benefit of the locals by instituting policies and developing a legal framework that favours the development of the industry. It involves easing up the immigration procedures for the tourists and ensuring fewer restrictions on the movement of the tourists within the country (United Nations 2003: 28). • Offering financial support to people who want to invest in the tourism industry to encourage the locals to invest in the sector. In the process, this will help eradicate poverty in the country. • Developing the infrastructure of the country such as roads, railway lines, airports and sea ports and information technology infrastructure, the government ensures efficient movement of people and good. It is critical to the tourism sector. • The government is charged with providing social amenities such as hospitals, schools, water, electricity and recreational facilities such as stadiums and sports grounds. Tourists will be attracted to a place only when they are sure they can access these services quickly (Hinch & Higham 2011: 48). • Tourists are attracted to countries that enjoy peace, political stability and are free from epidemic outbreaks. The government is responsible of ensuring these conditions prevail for the benefit of the tourism industry. • The government is expected to maintain good international relations through their ministries concerned. It is crucial as far as marketing of the industry in the international market is concerned (Wodon 2007: 47). • Marketing of the tourism sector is majorly the role of the government. The goal can be achieved through participation in international trade fares among other methods of advertisement. Marketing the tourism sector will help grow the industry to benefit the citizens as well (International Monetary Fund, & International Development Association 2003: 3). • The government is also responsible for maintaining environmental sustainability. It involves adhering to international environmental sustainability standards. The government can do this by developing environmental regulations and law that govern industries and locals as far as environmental standards are concerned. It is relevant to the tourism sector. • The government needs to develop a program that helps train the local communities and tourism officials on ways of using tourism as a poverty reduction tool (KöNig 2008: II). The Role of the citizens in developing a sustainable tourism sector The citizens of a country have a part to play in the development and success of a sustainable tourism industry by doing the following: (1) the local communities are charged with maintaining their unique cultures as these are some of the tourist attractions, (2) citizens have a collective responsibility of keeping their environment clean and free from pollution by preserving their environments. It can be achieved by planting and preserving trees. They can also achieve this goal by adhering to the environmental laws set by their respective governments, (3) peace in the country has been noted as one of the things that enable the tourism sector to thrive. The citizens of a country have the responsibility of living in peace with one another so as to uphold peaceful coexistence, (4) the citizens need to have an entrepreneurial culture. They need to take advantages of the incentives provided by the government and invest in the tourism sector so as to make it grow. In the process, they benefit economically and reduce the level of poverty (Hottola 2009: 158), (5) the local communities ought to take part in the decision-making process in the tourism development sector. The tourist attraction sites are in the communities, and it is the members of the communities who can best take care of them. Bringing the local communities into the decision-making process will help improve the conservation of tourist sites (Uysal & Perdue 2012). The part of NGOs in the success of a sustainable tourism sector NGOs can participate in developing a sustainable tourism industry by empowering the local communities to take part in the tourism related business activities. They can accomplish this by training the locals in entrepreneurship skills, starting projects that involve the local communities and providing financial aid to groups and individuals who have good business ideas. NGOs can also participate in environmental and tourism resources conservation programs to help maintain the tourist attraction sites (Scherl 2004: 26). The NGOs can also organize conventions and international conferences to discuss the ways of improving the tourism sector and making it relevant for poverty reduction and sustainable development (International Monetary Fund 2003: 37). Sustainable tourism is the tourism that involves traveling to various parts of the world either locally or internationally for different reasons and leaving a positive impact in those places economic wise, social wise and environmentally (Telfer & Sharpley 2007: 30). Sustainable development involves managing the available limited resources to benefit the future generations as well. Sustainable tourism is a sure way to sustainable development. One of the surest ways of how tourism can be used for sustainable development in the economic sense is by using tourism as a poverty reduction tool. Developing countries can benefit from this. Tourism is a sure way to reduce poverty in the developing countries. These benefits are as follows: 1. As the tourism sector grows in a developing country, the government puts in place the necessary infrastructure such as airports, seaports, road networks and railway lines. The infrastructure is useful to the poor in the developing countries as it increases the ease of movement of the residents hence increasing the level of business activity. It improves the quality of living of the people hence reducing poverty levels in the country (Fund, 2008: 84). 2. As tourists flock into the country, the poor locals find a ready market for their goods and services as they directly sell their goods and services to the tourist. The availability of market for their products and services increases the level of business activity hence changing living standards for the better. In the process, the levels of poverty are reduced (Wishitemi, Spenceley & Wels 2007: 110). 3. The government receives tax from all the tourism organizations. As the tourism activities increase, so the government revenue also increases. The increase in the government revenue leads to the growth of the country’s economy. The growth in country’s economy results in the growth of the citizen’s economy, and in the process poverty is eradicated. 4. Tourism and its associated activities ensure social amenities are brought closer to the people and at an affordable price. They include hospitals, schools and sports and recreational facilities. These services not only help improve the quality of living of the people, they are also sources of income to the community. The schools, colleges and universities that are developed are a source if knowledge to the people. As ignorance flies out the window, so does poverty (Fund 2007: 131). 5. Most developing countries are faced with high levels of unemployment. With a thriving tourism sector, the people find avenues for employment and in turn, their quality of lives is improved significantly (Tajikistan, & International Monetary Fund 2009: 12). 6. One of the main methods of poverty eradication in the world today is the sharing of information. With increasing tourism activities, the government and other stakeholders have improved the information technology infrastructure in the developing countries. It has helped in sharing much useful information which has contributed to improving the economy of the poor in the developing countries (Donaldson 2011: 160). 7. There are various organizations and enterprises that are involved in the tourism industry such as hotels, tourism and travel agencies, airports and other companies participating in this sector. They receive supplies such as agricultural products from the local producers of these products. In the process, the local producers can meet their needs. This helps reduce the level of poverty in the country (Kuuder 2012: 150). 8. The poor people in these developing countries can also come up with this tourism related enterprises by forming groups, pooling resources and investing. It helps them grow economically either individually or as a group and in the process reducing the levels of poverty (Mitchell & Ashley 2010: 27). 9. As tourists tour an area stricken by poverty, some of them take the initiative to start projects that help reduce the poverty in these areas and changing the quality of living of the people for better. Some of the contributions made by these tourists include starting schools that educate people on the importance of entrepreneurship. Other activities involved starting farming projects such as cattle rearing, poultry farming and cash crop farming. In the process, the people learn better ways of farming and increase their productivity. It has helped significantly in poverty eradication (Fund 2007: 39). 10. As the tourists move around the developing countries, they notice opportunities for business and in the end they decide to make investments in these countries. The investments they make boost the economy of these countries through the taxes they pay to the government and a growth in the GDP of the country. The growth of the country’s economy leads to the growth of the economy of individual citizens. It helps alleviate the poverty levels of the people in these countries (World Tourism Organization 2004: 27). 11. The governments of countries that benefit from tourism have to ensure political stability and security in their countries so as to attract tourists all year round. Such an environment is conducive to business activities and thus attracts investors from all over the world. As the locals enjoy peace and stability in their country, they also benefit from a thriving economy. In the process the poverty levels of the people are reduced (International Monetary Fund 2006: 80). 12. As tourist move about the developing countries, the locals can make business connections with them. This increases the level of business activities between the locals and the countries of origin of the tourists. In the process, the poverty levels of the people are reduced (International Monetary Fund 2010: 58). Sustainable tourism can also be used for sustainable development in the social sense and the conservation of the environment. These goals can be achieved as follows: sustainable tourism ensures the culture of the local communities is conserved. The culture of these communities is a tourist attraction hence, with the aim of attracting the tourists; the communities preserve their cultures (Mauritania, & International Monetary Fund, 2003: 16), tourism brings new ideas into the local communities enabling the local communities to find new ways of solving their problems (International Monetary Fund Staff, 2009: 48), tourism creates employment opportunities for the local communities, tourism brings about a sense of community and enhances local pride. It develops a sense of unity among the local communities, the local communities find an opportunity to appreciate their local diets leading to the development of the local markets, tourism encourages the embracing of other cultures, tourism assists the local communities to preserve their heritage sites hence preserving their culture (Mccool & Moisey 2008: 195), tourism encourages peaceful coexistence between communities, and the government, the NGOs, and the local communities strive to keep the international environmental standards so as to encourage tourism. In the process, they benefit from the conserved environment (Ingram, Declerck, & Del Rio 2012: 156). Managing tourism to ensure it is sustainable has not been done as required especially in the developing countries. The governments of these countries have not put in place the required framework to regulate the tourism sector (Otoole 2005: 13). For this reason, tourism has had many adverse effects and is far from being sustainable (Egmond 2007: 2). Some of these adverse effects are (1) erosion of the local culture as the local communities are influenced and transformed by the culture of the tourists. This is seen in the music movie industry, the food industry, and the fashion industry. Tourists are usually attracted to this destination due to the uniqueness of their cultures; hence an erosion of these cultures repels the tourist’s away (Nagle, 1998: 96); (2) Sex tourism and drug peddling are some of the things that bedevil the tourism industry. The quick spread of HIV/AIDs has been associated to drug abuse and prostitution in these tourist destinations. Poverty is the main course of these vices (Onrady, Buck, Viehl & Tittel 2011: 161); (3) some cultural values are repackaged and used for commercial value hence losing its meaning (Gelbard 2005: 30); (4) tourism has an adverse impact to the environment. The places that receive large numbers of tourists, the pressure on the environment is too much leading to soil erosion (Jones, & Phillips 2011: 90). The cutting down of trees to build hotels and entertainment sites lead to destruction of forests, and this has an impact on the environment (Archer,Cooper & Ruhanen 2005: 79). Conclusion In conclusion, sustainable tourism requires an active involvement of all the stakeholders. The current growth in the tourism sector in developing countries can be attributed to the cooperation between all the stakeholders involved. With this growth, come the benefits and the negative impacts of tourism (Burns & Novelli 2008). For the tourism sector to be considered sustainable, the governments need to develop a framework to regulate the tourism industry so as to reduce the negative effects of tourism and maximize the benefits thereof. Tourism is one of the most competitive economic sectors in the world today. Countries the world over are fighting to improve their tourism sectors so as to be competitive in the international market (Hall 2007: 1). Even so, current research reveals something negative about the effectiveness of tourism in economic development. From an international angle, it can be noted that, most of the developing countries that also have the highest populations have the least number of international arrival of tourists. It is different for the most developed countries with lower populations. The ratio of the country’s population to that of the international tourist arrivals is critical to the economic development of that country. Bibliography ARCHER, B., COOPER, C., & RUHANEN, L. (2005). 5 The positive and negative impacts of tourism. Digitally signed by TeAM YYePG DN: cn= TeAM YYePG, c= US, o= TeAM YYePG, ou= TeAM YYePG, 79. BEETON, S. (2006). Community development through tourism. Collingwood, VIC, Land Links. BURNS, P., & NOVELLI, M. (2008). Tourism development growth, myths, and inequalities. Wallingford, UK, CABI. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781845934255.0000. DONALDSON, J. A. (2011). Small works: poverty and economic development in Southwester China. Ithaca, N.Y, Cornell University Press. EGMOND, A. N. F. V. (2007). Understanding Western tourists in developing countries. Wallingford, UK, CABI Pub. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781845931957.0000. FUND, I. M. (2007). The Gambia. Washington, International Monetary Fund. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1607569. FUND, I. M. (2008). Niger. Washington, International Monetary Fund. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1607876. FUND, I. M. (2007). Kyrgyz Republic. Washington, International Monetary Fund. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1607446. GELBARD, E. (2005). Growth and poverty reduction in Armenia: achievements and challenges. Washington, D.C., International Monetary Fund. HALL, C. M. (Ed.). (2007). Pro-poor tourism: who benefits?: perspectives on tourism and poverty reduction (Vol. 3). Channel View Publications HINCH, T., & HIGHAM, J. E. S. (2011). Sport tourism development. Bristol, Channel View Publications. HOTTOLA, P. (2009). Tourism strategies and local responses in Southern Africa. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, U.K., CABI. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781845935085.0000. INGRAM, J. C., DECLERCK, F., & RUMBAITIS DEL RIO, C. (2012). Integrating ecology and poverty reduction. New York, Springer. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. (2010). Kenya Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. Washington, D.C., International Monetary Fund. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1586933. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. (2006). Union of the Comoros Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. Washington, D.C., International Monetary Fund. http://proxy.library.carleton.ca/login?url=http://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/IMF002/07662-9781451809145/07662-9781451809145/07662-9781451809145.xml. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. (2003). Albania Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Progress Report. Washington, D.C., International Monetary Fund. http://proxy.library.carleton.ca/login?url=http://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/IMF002/00206-9781451800739/00206-9781451800739/00206-9781451800739.xml. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND STAFF. (2009). Regional Economic Outlook Western Hemisphere Stronger Fundamentals Pay off, May 2009. Washington, International Monetary Fund. http://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/IMF086/10014-9781589068438/10014-9781589068438/10014-9781589068438.xml. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, & INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION. (2003). Islamic Republic of Mauritania joint staff assessment of poverty reduction strategy paper progress report. Washington, D.C., International Monetary Fund. http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/37138/2003/cr03317.pdf. JONES, A. L., & PHILLIPS, M. R. (2011). Disappearing destinations climate change and future challenges for coastal tourism. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, CABI. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781845935481.0000. KÖNIG, D. (2008). Linking agriculture to tourism in Sierra Leone - a preliminary research. München, GRIN Verlag GmbH. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-20100829997 KUUDER, C.-J. W. (2012). Potentials of Tourism to Poverty Reduction In the Upper West Region of Ghana. Saarbrücken, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2012042010735. MAURITANIA, & INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. (2003). Islamic Republic of Mauritania poverty reduction strategy paper progress report. Washington, D.C., International Monetary Fund. http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/37138/2003/cr03316.pdf MITCHELL, J., & ASHLEY, C. (2010). Tourism and poverty reduction: pathways to prosperity. London, Earthscan. MCCOOL, S. F., & MOISEY, R. N. (2008). Tourism, recreation, and sustainability linking culture and the environment. Wallingford [England], CABI. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781845934705.0000. NAGLE, G. (1998). Development and underdevelopment. Walton-on-Thames, Nelson. OTOOLE, T. (2005). Historical Dictionary of Guinea. Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Group. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=467262. ONRADY, R., BUCK, M., VIEHL, P., & TITTEL, K. (2011). Trends and issues in global tourism 2011. Heidelberg, Springer. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=372821. SCHEYVENS, R. (2012). Tourism and poverty. Routledge SCHERL, L. M. (2004). Can protected areas contribute to poverty reduction?: opportunities and limitations. Gland, Switzerland, IUCN--The World Conservation Union TAJIKISTAN, & INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. (2009). Republic of Tajikistan poverty reduction strategy paper. [Washington, D.C.], International Monetary Fund. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1586729. TELFER, D. J., & SHARPLEY, R. (2007). Tourism and development in the developing world. Routledge. UNITED NATIONS. (2003). Poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism development. New York, United Nations. UYSAL, M., & PERDUE, R. R. (2012). Handbook of tourism and quality-of-life research: enhancing the lives of tourists and residents of host communities. Dordrecht [etc.], Springer. WISHITEMI, B., SPENCELEY, A., & WELS, H. (2007). Culture and community: tourism studies in Eastern and Southern Africa. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Rozenberg. WODON, Q. (2007). Growth and poverty reduction case studies from West Africa. Washington, D.C., World Bank. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=459751. WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION. (2004). Tourism and poverty alleviation recommendations for action. Madrid, World Tourism Organization Read More