In this day and age, tourism has become an important industry in many countries. As a result, more and more countries are investing in this field. There are some factors that have led governments to focus much of their spending on expanding their tourism sector, but in my opinion, that is a negative trend.
There are several reasons behind increased government spending on tourism. First, many developing countries have plenty of tourism potential that is yet to be exploited, including areas of natural beauty, clean beaches and national parks with high biodiversity. By way of illustration, Vingroup, which is one of the biggest conglomerates in Vietnam, regards tourism as its primary source of profit. Furthermore, tourism promotes mutual cultural understanding. If a country welcomes millions of visitors per year, it can adopt aspects of cultures and traditions from all over the world. By the same token, the tourists themselves learn about that country’s culture as well as interact with tourists from other countries.
However, this unchecked growth in international tourism may lead to some adverse effects. First, although tourism can boost a nation’s economy, a majority of locals do not benefit from it. It is usually the big companies and hotels who earn the most, not the underprivileged, who can only make a modest profit from selling souvenir and small gifts. Moreover, tourism can also be detrimental to the environment. As tourists grow in numbers, they are likely to put a greater pressure on the local environment, for example by dumping waste on beaches or disfiguring the surface of ancient caves.
In conclusion, an increasing number of countries are investing in tourism because of its financial benefits, but I think this trend may cause adverse effects on the environment, and it may only benefit a select few.