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Socio- cultural impact of tourism

Socio- cultural impact of tourism

Introduction

There are many factors that affect the social-cultural elements of host countries when tourists visit them. There has been geographical transformation which is taking place which acquires new dimensions and directions in the society they exist in. Today's social scientists have come across process of changes in the new cultural economy of the world which is profit oriented to a larger extent (Terkenli, 2002). The socio-cultural factors that are affected in tourism industry are the relations direct or indirect of the guests with the host community. These relations are not apparent and mainly are attributed to the judgments made through the life experiences of the tourists. The main impacts that arise due to tourism are mainly changes in value systems and behaviours. This way the original identity of the country may be threatened. The changes that occur are mainly in the structure of the community, family relationships, and life styles and in the longer run traditions. However, at the same time there are many positive effects too of tourism industry which can he avoidance of urban relocation by creation of jobs domestically in that area. This paper will give a summative review of the socio-economic factors of tourism.

Discussion

The socio-cultural impacts of tourism measures the positive and negative effect that tourism has on the cultural heritage, traditions and social lifestyles of the host societies. Further, creation of jobs due to economic activity brought by tourism and that ultimately has an effect on the standard of living of individuals. The development of infrastructure such as the airport, boarding and lodging facilities and other entertainment benefits from which the local communities benefit. This way social and cultural lives of local communities changes as their living style has changed due to presence of such infrastructure. There are negative impacts on communities as well due to tourism; however benefits against cost should be measured to judge the tourism acceleration in a country. Many at times the major concern is that tourism development leads to evaporation of the cultural identity of the host country by fulfilling the needs of tourists. One argument for this suggests that tourists mostly travel to experience other kinds of places and cultural heritage which is different from their country or origin. In order to sustain proper tourism activities it is vital for the industry to develop means by planning and implementing ways that bring a positive impact on tourism. These way immense profits can be reaped through positive development in the tourism industry.

Negative Socio-cultural Impacts of tourism

There are certain negative effects of tourism as well such as the overcrowding and poor sanitation of the area. There are many outsiders and thus intrusion is felt by many hosts. There is an increase in the crime rate as well as tourists from better developed countries are robbed off their belongings. To a certain degree there is loss of native culture as well. There is the decline of ethics in the society, interventions of family ...