It is believed that governments should highly invest in tourism as it brings a lot of benefits to a country, especially by promoting economic growth. However, some people think that there are other aspects that require more investment from governments. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why government spending should prioritize public services over tourism promotion.
On the one hand, there are two significant advantages of tourism industry to the development of a country. Firstly, the fact that more international and domestic tourists visit an area creates job opportunities in related sectors as they need to use different services, such as accommodation, means of transportation. As a result, more local people are employed and their average incomes may increase, which boosts local economic growth. Another benefit of developing tourism is that it encourages cultural exchange among people coming from different backgrounds, as they have opportunities to interact and communicate with each other. Therefore, tourism fosters mutual understanding, strengthens international relationships and cooperation. For example, tourists visiting Vietnam during Tet Holiday have a chance to try local food and immerse themselves in traditional customs, while locals may practice foreign languages and understand new lifestyles.
On the other hand, despite some advantages of tourism development, public services should be prioritized and received more investment from governments. One of the most significant public services is healthcare, including hospitals, medical equipment, and healthcare workers, etc. As these sectors have been improved, workers stay healthier and can work more productively, which directly helps businesses operate effectively and eventually fosters economic prosperity. Another important public service is education. By funding schools and teachers, updating learning materials, rewarding talented learners, students are strongly motivated to concentrate on learning. For instance, the Vietnamese government has recently invested heavily in free education for students from grade one to grade twelve, as well as offered scholarships to undergraduates with outstanding academic results. When all children have the opportunity to acquire knowledge regardless of their backgrounds, they are likely to become skilled labour in the future.
To sum up, in spite of undeniable benefits of tourism on a country’s development, I strongly believe that governments’ spending should be increased on healthcare and education, as these public services have strong impact on the future of a country in the long term.