Health, Culture, Economics and Politics in Tourism - Case Study Example

Health, culture, economics and politics in tourism By + Introduction The government may wish to protect the local population or the natural environment from the effects of tourism, but the local population has the right to boost their economy through tourism. In the context tourism has contributed to boost in any sectors of the economy through the foreign exchange that is earned from the sectors and the practises in tourism industry. Tourism is able to bring about economic growth and also social benefits when well managed. The benefits are always great in developing countries and rural areas. Mass tourism on the other side is also associated to negative effects on the environment, health, culture and economics (Barwick and Barwick, 2001). Proper management of tourism should be maintained so that the potential negative effects of tourism not to overweigh the positive effects. Tourism and the environment Tourism has increased preservation of the environment through several activities. The activities have promoted conservation of the environment. The conservation has been through protection of the environment as they are mainly regarded as tourism assets (Cerveny, 2004). Tourism has generated income used in maintaining and funding for maintenance of reserves. Through creation of other alternative sources of employment in tourism sector, there has been reduction in environmental problems such as deforestation and overfishing (Cerveny, 2007). Tourism brings about threats to the environment through the activities that tourists engage in in the areas that they visit. The problems are associated with the supply of water and overuse of the sources that are available to the tourists. There is also increment in pollution in areas visited by the tourists. Tourism and health Health tourism involves traveling of people from one country or region to another with the aim of obtaining medical treatment. The tourism in the past has occurred mainly from less developed countries to the more developed countries. The main reason for the travel is due to the cost of treatment that exists in the other countries. Even though there is medical tourism, the traditional patterns still continue in the field. The most common treatments that encourage health tourism include dentistry, organ transplantation, elective cosmetic surgery, cardiac surgery and orthopaedic surgery. Apart from the services that are offered in health tourism, there are a wide range of services that can be obtained from the practice. Reproductive practises have been a practise that is in the field. Governments discourage the travel to seek medical attention in other countries though the people in the country still insist due the benefits and other factors. Medical tourism still remain to be practiced due to factors such as high costs of medical attention in their parent countries, long waiting hours and procedures that may be involved in acquiring medical attention in their country, ease and affordability of tourism and improvement of technology and care that occur in other countries Medical tourism also occur due to illegality of some medical practices in other countries which people in the country still think to be important. The government tends to discourage medical tourism due to the factors that have been involved in the operations. Risks that are associated to medical tourism include acquiring of some diseases and poor post care practises. Health tourism has encouraged improvement in economy in many countries, both the parent country and the destination countries. With medical health, the destination is able to earn from the services that are provided to the visitors. The destination country is also able to improve the health care services due to the increment in those that visit the country for medical attention. In the parent country, the government through the movement of people outside the country to seek medical attention may encourage the development in the health sectors. This improves the economy as people in the country have good health enabling them to work. Health is a major factor in an economy of a country and can be boosted through health tourism. Tourism and culture Cultural tourism is traveling from one country to another with the aim of learning of the culture that is associated with the region. The traveling also aims in exploration of the lifestyle of people in the geographical region. The main aspects that are learned in the cultures include the religious background, the art, and the religion. Quality of cultural tourism and destination does not only depend on cultural heritage but more on the cultural environment. The government tend to restrict cultural tourism due the factors and influences that are created by tourisms on the regions that they visit. Though there is restriction of government. The effects that the government try to avoid in cultural tourism are the effects that reduce the quality of life of those that live in the region where tourism is carried out. The issues that are associated to these are drugs and substance abuse, crowding and congestion in some parts of the country, prostitution and increase in the level of crime in the area (Cerveny, 2007). Cultural tourism also can lead to displacement of people in the environment that they live to crat6e space to be used in building tourist facilities. Despite the effects that are caused in cultural tourism, there are positive aspects that improve the economy of the country and thus lifestyle improvement in the areas. Tourism has led to improvement of infrastructure in the places that are visit as more leisure amenities are created that also benefits the local community (Davies, 2002). Cultural tourism encourages preservation of culture and traditions that are in a community. This results to civil pride in the community. Interchanges between parent country and tourists create a better understanding on culture and can also help raise global awareness of issues such as human right abuses and poverty. Some practises that are associated to tourism in culture are sustainability in the communities. In the practise, it aims in satisfying the needs of the tourism with the existing cultures and at the same time taking into consideration the environmental issues that occur in the areas. This increases the economy of a country as the services that are provided to the tourists are done by those that live in the local (Dhaliwal, 2006). There are other activities that can be done to tourists when they visit the areas. Sale of cultural goods is done to those that visit the areas. Through this, cultural tourism has increased life of those that live in the areas. Tourism and economics Government restricts tourism to some extent due to the effects that are cost to the economy of the country. Success in tourism requires the provision of basic infrastructure that allows for smooth operation of the government. The provisions include good roads, centres and hotels to accommodate the visitors. The cost of provision of these facilities mostly falls to the government which increases tax revenues to the public. Jobs that are available in tourism sector are always seasonal and poorly paying. Tourism in a country can also push up the cost of goods and services in a country. Destinations reliant on tourism can be unfavourably affected by events such as natural disasters terrorism and economic recession (Dhaliwal, 2006). Despite the problems that are associated to tourism in a country, there are several positive effects that it causes to the economy of the country. Tourism in a country creates job opportunities. The creation is through indirect activities that are done in the industry through retail and transportation. Direct job creation is in the tourism industry. There is multiplier effect when people earning from tourist activities spend their wages on goods and services. This creates more jobs in the economy. Tourism industry also provides opportunities for small scale business enterprises which is much important to the rural communities. Those that are in the community are able to improve their lifestyle through the incomes. There is generation of extra tax revenues in activities such as airport and hotel tax. These revenues can be used in building of more schools, improvement of housing and expansion of health care in a country (Page and Connell, 2010). Economics is improved in a country through the comprehensive consideration of employment, wages, tourism-generated sales, production, employment and tax that is obtained from the activities. Politics and tourism Politics and tourism are related as politics is concerned with the exercise of power and influence that tourism has in the policies of the government. Politics in the government are to do with the purpose of actions that are taken by the government, the goals that are to be achieved through the tourism. Tourism public policies are created by the government that dictated what happens in the tourism sector. The approaches dictate what the government is able to do and not able to do in respect to tourism. The state actions that are always taken by the government depend on several factors. The factors that are associated to tourism include improvement on economic competitiveness, enabling of government through bits officials to take account of economic and social externalities, amending property rights, provision of widely available public benefits, reducing the risks that are able to occur in investment in a country and support to project5s that are linked to tourism. Tourism policy is therefore an important aspect in consideration to revenue that is earned from the sector and activities that are involved in the sector. The decisions that are made by the government include those to do with infrastructure and facilities that are put in support of tourism. This creates competitive aspect on tourism on some parts of the county. Politics in tourism describe the person to get and the amount that is entitled to the sector. Politics in tourism allows the access to all areas that one feels to visit. There are policies that are formed making one able to visit all destinations. Politics have formed policies that deny the access of some places and activities in a country. This restricts the tax that is earned from the places. The policies reduce job opportunities in the areas making the local people jobless (Page and Connell, 2010). Political policies are important in improving the lifestyle of those in a country. The government through its politics should consider the economic benefits of tourism to the local community before forming and implementation of the policies. Conclusion Success in tourism requires the provision of basic infrastructure that allows for smooth operation of the government. The provisions include good roads, centres and hotels to accommodate the visitors. Tourism brings about threats to the environment through the activities that tourists engage in in the areas that they visit. With medical health, the destination is able to earn from the services that are provided to the visitors References Barwick, J. and Barwick, J. (2001). Tourism. 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