Tourism has increased so much over the last 50 years that it is having a mainly negative impact on local inhabitants and the environment. However, others claim that it is good for the economy. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and give your own opinion.

According to some

people

, the growth in

tourism

has a negative impact on native

people

and the

environment

. Others,

however

, insist that it is good for the economy. In my opinion,

tourism

definitely promotes economic

development

and its impact on native

people

is not particularly bad.

However

, the

development

of

tourist

infrastructure impacts the

environment

negatively. The advantages and disadvantages of

tourism

will be discussed in

this

essay. On the one hand,

tourism

is good for the economy. The influx of

tourists

leads to the generation of tens of thousands of jobs in the hospitality industry. Actually, some South Asian countries now depend entirely on

tourism

. Another advantage of

tourism

is that it increases demand for local products like handicrafts and is a good source of income for local artisans.

Tourists

also

make a great audience for local art and dance forms.

For example

, a lot of

tourists

visiting India are interested in watching classical dance performances.

Thus

, it has revived many traditional art forms that were on the verge of dying.

Thus

, obviously,

tourism

is good for the economy and local

people

.

On the other hand

,

tourist

activity has a detrimental effect on the

environment

. In order to cater to the needs of

tourists

more hotels and resorts have to be built. Most

tourist

places are in the hills or near the sea and infrastructure

development

in

such

eco-sensitive areas is bad for the

environment

.

Tourist

activities like jungle safaris disturb wildlife and may even lead to the dwindling of their population. Littering is another issue. It is common for wild animals to choke on plastic cans and bags that

tourists

leave behind in hill stations. Even aquatic life is not spared because plastic floating in the oceans is a choking hazard for fish. In short,

tourism

is certainly good for the

environment

and it has no real negative impact on local residents.

However

, excessive

tourist

activity and the thoughtless infrastructure

development

that accompanies it is certainly bad for the

environment

.