Essay 24: International Tourism – Merits & Demerits

International tourism has become a huge industry in the world. Do the advantages of international tourism outweigh its disadvantages?

Undoubtedly, international tourism has emerged as a thriving industry over the past few decades. Although there are some problems attached to it like the violation of laws unknowingly by tourists, there is a multitude of advantages it offers for the host country such as the promotion of local culture and economy.

Foreign tourists sometimes violate the rules and principles of the country being visited. This is because they are usually not aware of the majority of the laws prevalent there. For instance, in UAE, it is forbidden to drink alcohol in public places and violations of this rule can lead to the deportation of offenders. Yet a lot of foreigners offend this law unintentionally and land in trouble. So, before visiting a country, one should equip himself with basic information of all forbidden things and activities to save himself from landing in a problematic situation.

However, there are many benefits of foreigners visiting a country for the purpose of tourism. One such big advantage is to the local economy through the inflow of cash brought by tourists. That is to say, the cash spent on their accommodation, travel, food, and shopping not only keeps the domestic economy vibrant but also strengthens foreign exchange reserves. For instance, in the Maldives, the tourism sector alone contributes about 60% of the country’s GDP.

Similarly, international tourism helps to promote the culture of a country. The visitors get to know about how the natives live, eat, dress, socialize, and interact. When they visit historical sites and monuments, they also get to know about the local history. All this useful information is instrumental to promote better understanding between people of different origins, leading to cultural harmony in the long run.

To conclude, it is irrefutable that tourism has developed into a vibrant industry, and it has more to offer in the coming years. Despite a few demerits of global tourism like violations of the local laws due to lack of awareness, its benefits in the promotion of local culture and economy are so enormous that they surpass any or all negatives.