Contemporary Tourism: Economic, Environmental & Socio-Cultural Impact

This essay explores the multifaceted impacts of tourism, focusing on its economic, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions. It highlights tourism's role in supporting the UK economy, generating employment, and fostering economic growth through increased investment and GDP contributions. However, it also addresses negative economic impacts such as leakage effects and high infrastructure costs. Environmentally, tourism can fund conservation efforts but also contributes to pollution, habitat destruction, and wildlife disruption. Socio-culturally, tourism promotes heritage preservation and community strengthening while potentially leading to increased crime rates and the erosion of traditional values. The essay concludes by advocating for sustainable tourism practices to balance economic development with environmental protection and cultural preservation.

ESSAY

Table of Contents
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD OF TOURISM......................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD OF TOURISM
Tourism and Tourism industry plays an important role in respect to supporting the economy
of the nation and at the worldwide level too. Tourism industry can be defined as a total of all the
business that provide goods and services to facilitate the business, leisure and pleasure activities
which would be taken away from home environment. The Tourism of Britain make contribution
of £106 billion towards the economy of UK (UK TOURISM Statistics 2020-2021, 2022). Along
with contributing towards the economy it also plays a major role towards the generation of
employment opportunities. the tourism industry supports around 3.8 million jobs which has
further a huge impact towards the economy of UK. This is an important industry in respect to
UK and thus support its economy and the functioning of economy. This essay will discuss about
the development in respect to contemporary tourism along with analysing the positive as well as
negative impact towards the environmental, economic as well as socio cultural aspects.
Development of tourism and its associated factors
Tourism industry drive people for leisure and recreation. The growth in respect to
Tourism has an impact in respect to economic, social as well as environmental impact in various
countries. the growth of tourism is fast in various countries and economies of the world. The
spending of money by the tourism would lead to have a direct impact in terms of support towards
the GDP and wealth maximisation. Likewise, with the growth and development of tourism
destination and its associated activities would further be associated with the strengthening of
economy and the nation in terms of wealth generation and growth. With such growth it is also
analysed that an expected growth rate of 3.8% in a year up to 2025 is also forecasted with respect
to tourism growth. Likewise, with respect to the Inbound tourism statistics a number of 37.9
million inbound visit in UK in 2018 is recorded (UK TOURISM Statistics 2020-2021, 2022).
This shows that with a rise in number of visit and tourism movement the growth of the industry
is assisted and justified.
The growth and development of tourism has been associated with various factors. With a
rise in greater disposable income of people the spending of people towards the tourism activities.
Likewise, with an easiness in respect to travel and tourism activities in respect to the raising
interest as well as low cost of travel and development of agencies and companies who provide
various tourism packages would also be counted as an important factor that may lead to assist the
growth of tourism activities (Tourism, 2022). The changing and complex lifestyle of the people

also lead to raise the tourism activities and thus development of tourism sector. this shows that
the social aspect along with the changing lifestyle also lead to play an important role in respect to
the development and growth of the concerned sector.
Economic impact:
The tourism industry is directly associated with the economy and the economic impact.
With the aspect of tourism industry more investment as well as job creation would take place.
This will be counted as positive aspect with respect to the economic factor. With reference to the
tourism activities more funds will be brought towards the economy and thus assist the GDP of
the country (Brauer, Dymitrow and Tribe, 2019). Likewise, tourism also generate a large
proportion of employment opportunities and thus play an important role in terms of job creation.
Tourism is also associated with the multiplier effect that shows how many time money
which is spend by the tourist circulates in the country’s economy. In the same way with respect
to tourism sector the growth and development of primary as well as secondary sector of the
economy would also be assisted.
On the other hand, the tourism sector is further related with the leakage effect under
which the generated money in the host country will be spend in some other country. This will
lead to negatively impact the economy of the host country because with the flow of money in
other country the economy of the host country will be impacted.
Likewise, another negative aspect that is related with the cost of infrastructure which is
usually high in respect to the project and thus negatively impact the economy of the country.
This can further be justified as the development of tourism infrastructure and destination is
associated with a large amount of fund and thus bring negative economic impact (Ghosh, 2019).
Along with the development of destination the cost and expenses is also associated with the
maintenance and preservation of the tourist places and thus require a large amount of funds
which further negatively impact the economy of the concerned nation.
Environmental impact
The tourism sector has a direct and major impact towards the environment. This is
because with respect to the development of tourism sector or the destination the concerned
environment would be positively impacted in terms of using of money from the tourist towards
the protection of natural landscape. As the tourism sector is directly associated with the revenue

building of the economy which would further be used towards the development and the
protection of the natural places and the environment.
Likewise, with the concept of sustainable environment practice the environment can be
more positively impacted and preserved. This is because under sustainable tourism practice an
emphasis would be given towards the preservation of environment along with the performance of
tourism activities (Niñerola, Sánchez-Rebull and Hernández-Lara, 2019). This will lead to raise
tourism activities along with the environment preservation.
On the other hand, with the raising of tourist places the environment has been negatively
impacted in terms of raising of pollution and the pollutant. This is linked with the raising of air,
water pollution along with enhancement of greenhouse gas effect. In the same way with the
raising of tourism activities the environment would be negatively impacted in terms of damage to
natural environment like the carbon footprint and the negative impact in respect to natural
habitat.
Along with the natural environment the tourism activities would lead to have a negative
impact towards the wildlife too (Filimonau and et.al., 2018). This is because with the
development of tourist places the flora and fauna is directly impacted and thus lead to create a
negative impact towards the wildlife and animals. As the development of tourism destination is
related with the development of infrastructure and thus associated with the activities of
deforestation. Hence it would be right to states that the tourism activities lead to negatively
impact the environment and its activities.
Socio cultural impact:
The tourism has also a direct impact towards the socio-cultural aspect. This may include
the preserving of heritage places along with a focus towards the strengthening of communities.
This may also involve the commercialisation of art and culture along with revitalisation of
customs. This means with the conduction of tourism activities the social and cultural aspect
would be positively impact in terms of preservation of the heritage and the ancient places (Orea-
Giner, De-Pablos-Heredero and Vacas Guerrero, 2021). The funds that will be created with the
tourism activities would further be used towards the strengthening of communities and working
for the society.
As the performance of tourism activities is directly associated with the society so it would
be right to state that the tourism and its associated activities will lead to develop an insight

towards the rejuvenation of life and enabling refreshment to the society and the people. The
activities of tourism would also work towards the strengthening of family relationship. Likewise,
it plays an important role towards the change in value system and living of traditional
ceremonies.
On the same way the tourism and its related activities would have also had a negative
impact towards the socio cultural aspect in terms of increased rate of crimes and gambling along
with the change in moral values and societal concepts (Gidebo, 2021). The changing form of
tourism-host relationship would also have counted as a negative impact in respect to the tourism
and related activities.
Likewise, with the aspect of tourism activities the negative impact in terms of racism,
relocation of traditional communities, proposition in terms of adoption of the western lifestyle is
also counted as a major and negative impact of tourism towards the aspect of socio-cultural
norms. With the occurrence of such changes the societal norms and values has been majorly and
negatively impacted that may also be associated with the raising rate of crime and an affection
towards the society.
Conclusion
From the above essay it can be concluded that tourism and its activities would have a
major impact in respect to economic, environmental as well as towards the social and culture of
the country. The development of tourism activities would lead to building up of the economy but
at the same time would also affect in terms of investment of large proportion of funds. Likewise,
the social and cultural aspect would also be impacted positively and negatively in terms of
preserving of ancient heritage but at the same time would have an impact in terms of raising of
crime. likewise, the sustainable tourism on the one side lead to preserve the natural environment
but at the same side also affect the environment in terms of deforestation and raising of pollution.
Recommendation:
For the conduction of tourism activities and preservation of natural environment an
emphasis towards the sustainable tourism practice is highly recommended. This will preserve the
environment along with development of tourism.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Brauer, R., Dymitrow, M. and Tribe, J., 2019. The impact of tourism research. Annals of
Tourism Research. 77. pp.64-78.
Filimonau, and et.al., 2018. National culture as a driver of pro-environmental attitudes and
behavioural intentions in tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 26(10). pp.1804-1825.
Ghosh, S., 2019. Uncertainty, economic growth its impact on tourism, some country
experiences. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 24(1). pp.83-107.
Gidebo, H.B., 2021. Factors determining international tourist flow to tourism destinations: A
systematic review. Journal of Hospitality Management and Tourism. 12(1). pp.9-17.
Niñerola, A., Sánchez-Rebull, M.V. and Hernández-Lara, A.B., 2019. Tourism research on
sustainability: A bibliometric analysis. Sustainability. 11(5). p.1377.
Orea-Giner, A., De-Pablos-Heredero, C. and Vacas Guerrero, T., 2021. Sustainability, economic
value and socio-cultural impacts of museums: a theoretical proposition of a research
method. Museum management and curatorship. 36(1). pp.48-61.
Online reference
Tourism., 2022. [Online]. Available from
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqk7hyc/revision/1>
UK TOURISM Statistics 2020-2021., 2022. [Online]. Available from
<https://www.condorferries.co.uk/uk-tourism-statistics>
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