Tourism is a sector made up of different branches (transport, accommodation, catering, cultural and sports activities, etc.) which also relate to non-tourists. It occupies a growing place in service activities and it has a considerable impact on economies, societies, cultures, countries, territories, concerned.
According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2010, activities related to tourism and travel have contributed to 9.2% of global GDP and revenues from spending by international visitors representing 6.1% of total of world exports. This sector is the cause of more than 235 million jobs worldwide, or 8.1% of total employment. The economy of some states dependent on tourism for over 50% of GDP and it can represent vital foreign exchange inflows. Tourism is therefore the bearer of development, but also contacts between peoples of different cultures and lifestyles. It can contribute to the transformation of societies, to their development and modernization.
But these effects have their counterparts: the alien influences are sometimes brutal and poorly supported by the host societies or implantation of tourist activities, disturbances introduced into their lifestyle and value system can be destructuring.
The economic benefits of tourism are sometimes poorly redistributed or captured by distant interests related to emitters rather than receiving countries. It must also qualify the economic interests of tourism for receivers States because:
- Part of the currency obtained by the sector are used to finance imports needed for tourism, variably depending on the degree of dependence of the economies concerned,
- The mobilization of resources (eg water) required for operation of tourist activities may be at the expense of other activities, such as agriculture, for example, that better meet the basic needs of people,
- Environmental impacts can generate costs, direct or indirect, more or less consistent.
According to UNCTAD (2007) the "leakage" (the process by which a portion of revenues from foreign exchange is held by the countries of origin or repatriated to them) in the tourism sector would be around 85% for countries least developed in Africa, 80% for the Caribbean, 70% in Thailand, 40% in India. Some of these countries are in a tourist dependent position because of unequal power relations between endogenous and exogenous economic capacities international companies that invest in thei
r territories.
According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2010, activities related to tourism and travel have contributed to 9.2% of global GDP and revenues from spending by international visitors representing 6.1% of total of world exports. This sector is the cause of more than 235 million jobs worldwide, or 8.1% of total employment. The economy of some states dependent on tourism for over 50% of GDP and it can represent vital foreign exchange inflows. Tourism is therefore the bearer of development, but also contacts between peoples of different cultures and lifestyles. It can contribute to the transformation of societies, to their development and modernization.
But these effects have their counterparts: the alien influences are sometimes brutal and poorly supported by the host societies or implantation of tourist activities, disturbances introduced into their lifestyle and value system can be destructuring.
The economic benefits of tourism are sometimes poorly redistributed or captured by distant interests related to emitters rather than receiving countries. It must also qualify the economic interests of tourism for receivers States because:
- Part of the currency obtained by the sector are used to finance imports needed for tourism, variably depending on the degree of dependence of the economies concerned,
- The mobilization of resources (eg water) required for operation of tourist activities may be at the expense of other activities, such as agriculture, for example, that better meet the basic needs of people,
- Environmental impacts can generate costs, direct or indirect, more or less consistent.
According to UNCTAD (2007) the "leakage" (the process by which a portion of revenues from foreign exchange is held by the countries of origin or repatriated to them) in the tourism sector would be around 85% for countries least developed in Africa, 80% for the Caribbean, 70% in Thailand, 40% in India. Some of these countries are in a tourist dependent position because of unequal power relations between endogenous and exogenous economic capacities international companies that invest in thei
r territories.
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