Tourism is one of the major source of income in the economy of some countries. However, there is a growing concern among the locals about the negative aspects of tourism that have detrimental effects on culture and society.
On the one hand, there are many positive aspects of international tourism considering the foreign reserves it generate and how it uplifts the outlook of a country in the global platform. However, the negative impacts of this cannot be ignored. Specially, people who agree with this opinion highlight the detrimental effects it have on the culture. For instance, when visiting some sacred places in Sri lanka, people are expected to follow a modest dress code. However, there are tourists who do not follow such practises, which also set a bad example for local young community. Moreover, there are many instances where the local tourists have been given secondary treatments by local bussinesses in favor of international tourists.
Therefore, striking a balance between the perspectives of locals and promoting tourism should be done in a strategic manner. For instance, the local tour guides have a great responsibility in educating travellers on the cultural and religious significance of some locations and religious sensitivity of the local community. In addition to that, government also should be keen on sharing as much as information about the local community and their practices through official websites, so that the people who visit have a prior understanding on what to expect. Moreover, enforcing rules like price concessions for local tourists and awareness programs about the importance of local tourists can be conducted to alleviate the concerns of locals.
In conclusion, admittedly prioritizing tourism definitely have positive effects on the economy and the image of a country, people and the government have a great responsibility in encouraging international tourism while providing solutions for the agitations of locals.