Impact of Tourism on Society: Sociological Theories and Practices

This essay critically examines the impacts of tourism on society, focusing on both positive and negative consequences within the context of Italy. It utilizes sociological theories and principles to analyze socio-cultural, economic, and political influences. The essay explores how tourism impacts sustainability, highlighting the interconnectedness between the tourism industry and societal operations. The study investigates tourism's influence on communities, resource usage, and tourist behavior, concluding that the future of tourism requires sustainable strategies to mitigate negative environmental and societal effects while capitalizing on its economic and cultural benefits. The essay emphasizes the importance of understanding customer expectations and motivations to ensure a sustainable and beneficial tourism sector.

Sociology and Tourism
Word count (2000 words)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sociology and Tourism....................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
FIRST SECTION.............................................................................................................................3
SECOND SECTION.......................................................................................................................5
THIRD SECTION...........................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
The tourism is considered as an integrated aspect of the contemporary society and along
with this it has been often considered as the area of interest across social science. Tourism and
society are inter-linked with each other, there is a strong relationship exist between the tourism
and society and both of them creates impact on each other. Tourism leads to generate the wealth
and jobs in society (Irimiea, S.B., 2018). Also, tourism brings people together from the different
culture and traditions. It initiates the peace and harmony among different cultures. It helps in
strengthening the communities within creating effective interaction among the people in the
society. The major aim of the current essay is to critically analyse the impacts of tourism on the
society. Tourism provides vital impact on the society which is being categorized in positive and
negative elements.
The positive and negative impact of the tourism on society will be highlighted in context
of Italy. Also, appropriate sociological practices, principles and theories will be used in order to
identify the socio-cultural, economic and political influences. Along with this, the essay will
discuss the ways in which tourism impacts sustainability. The operations which are being
performed in the tourism industry impacts the society and the operations of the society provides
impact on the tourism industry.
The rationale behind conducting the study is aligned within analysing the extent up-to
which tourism in creating impact on the society. The impacts are being created on positive and
negative note. However, it is highly mandatory to analyse the negative impacts so, the correct
measure can be taken. Therefore, the current study will perform the critical analysation and
impacts will be highlighted. The tourism industry will get benefit from the analysation as the
outcomes will act as a guidance for tourism industry in relation of performing operations in
society.
FIRST SECTION
Tourism has been determined as the social, economic and cultural phenomenon that is
entitled with the movement of the people from one place to another for the personal and
professional purpose. On the other hand, society has been determined as the group of people who
are concerned with the common traditions and interest. Tourism and society are the major two
phenomena that are linked with each other. Leisure industry is one of the most important

attribute in the global economy as it generates the higher revenue and job in the society. Tourism
dependent countries such as, Italy is one of the biggest example which can be taken for
analysing the impact of tourism on the society (Wood, 2018). It has been found from various
studies that, tourism is being determined as the important sector in Italy as it brings large amount
of money and trade in the Italy. Along with this, it is helping in developing the jobs for the
people who are living in the Italy. Thus, the major contribution of tourism is society is that it
helps in generating the higher rate of income which is beneficial for the economy. Furthermore,
tourism enable people to move from one place to another which creates effective interaction
among the economies (Erdoğan, 2020). Thus, it can be said that tourism impacts the society
within impacting the people who are part of the society. Any operation that takes place in the
tourism industry creates the impact on society. For example- In Italy, an event is being organized
which has been attended by the number of people from different countries.
The people from the different culture comes together and this results in strengthen the
community. Thus, in this manner tourism creates impact on the society within performing
operations. The tourism sector has been grown on a fast rate within increasing the demand of the
customers (Cohen and Cohen 2019). Consumers likes to go to the new places an attends the
event in order to have the effective level of satisfaction. Experience economy describes that
tourism industry is all about offering unique experience to the tourist. The tourist destinations are
focusing on creating effective level of satisfaction for the people and developing the integration
among the economies (Movassaghi, 2022). The tourism life cycle model is the widely used
model which enable in studying about the evaluation of a tourist destination. Italy’s tourism
industry has adopted this model and it has been found from the studies that, approximately 65
million of the tourist per year comes to visit Italy.
The stages of tourism life cycle model involves- exploration, involvement, development,
consolidation, stagnation and decline. The tourism destination is being explored along within
increasing the involvement if the people, development of the destination place is being done.
Consolidation is the stage in which visitors becomes high in comparison of the residents,
stagnation stage is the start of declining in rate of tourism and at last declining starts happening
(Moscardo, 2020). Thus, this is the scenario of every tourist destination that when they are in at
the starting stage higher revenue is earned in the economy and at the declining stage resources of
the destination is also start declining. Italy has welcomed tourism in effective manner within

performing effective stakeholder management. it has been done within protecting local
communities who are facing the issues due to the increasing extent of tourism.
SECOND SECTION
Tourism creates the positive and negative impact on the society along with this, the societal
impacts influences the tourism destination. The tourism industry in Italy has stretched the sea
side and mountains. However, at the same side there is an exploitation of natural resources which
is being made by the tourism industry (Wiltshier, 2020). The major factors which has created
impacts are- political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental. In context of
political factor, it has been witnessed that, government corruption is one of the biggest negative
impact. Government earns large revenue from the tourism industry however, this revenue is
being used for personal purpose rather than development of the society. Thus, in this manner
same is being happened in Italy. When it comes to economical factor, multiplier effect is the
major element as it causes change in the GDP. In Italy tourism creates positive impact on the
economy within increasing the rate of GDP.
When the GDP of the country has been increased then, it automatically creates impact on
the development level of particular country. The seasonality in tourism is the part of social
factor, seasonality in the tourism industry refers to the fluctuation takes place in the tourism
industry (Gu and et.al., 2018). In Italy, due to seasonality factor rate of tourism keeps increasing
or decreasing. Thus, there is no consistency in tourism industry which supports the rate in
continuous form. Customers are becoming highly digitalised and due to this tourism industry
needs to become more digitalised (Senbeto and Hon, 2020). Also, it is important for tourism
industry to perform their operation in legal framework so, the government does not make
interference. Thus, increasing the demand by the customers in tourism industry is creating the
influence by the society on tourism industry.
The one of the biggest factor is environmental factor which is getting impacted by the
tourism industry. People who come from different nation visits same place. In this manner, the
resources of the particular country start vanishing. In Italy, there are large number of tourist who
comes to visit the places (Herrer and et.al., 2022). However, it leads to create the impact on the
local communities as well. The rate of the tourist is being increased in comparison of the local
community and the resources is being used by the tourist rather than local people. This is one of
the biggest negative factor in the tourism industry which impacts the society. Due to the

activities of tourist environment gets impacted the negative effect on the sustainability is being
created. Thus, in this manner tourism is creating impact on the society and the demands of the
customers is influencing the tourism industry (Jackson, 2018). Thus, it can be depicted that
tourism and society creates impact on each other.
THIRD SECTION
Tourist behaviour has been referred as the context associated with the consumer behaviour
in the purchase, abandonment and uptake of the tourist services. The expectation of the tourists is
high in in context of travelling which is being derived from the tourist behaviour. Thus, it can be
witnessed that, expectation of the customers in tourism industry has created pressure over
tourism industry in terms of adopting the high standards (Pearce, 2020). The expectation of the
visitors has impacted tourist destinations on a negative note. For example- In Italy, tourist comes
from different places, the expectations of the customers are so high that, it leads to create the
pressure over local people. The destinations in the Italy are filled up with the visitors more in
comparison of the local visitors (Šimková and Holzner, 2020).
The typology of tourist behaviours can be understood with the three main categories and
those are- social, economic and environmental. The tourism creates impacts on the economic,
social and environmental aspects. Within increasing the tourism, the economy of Italy has been
also increased (Larsen, S., 2018). The expectation of the visitors in regards to getting effective
services is creating pressure on the Italy’s tourism industry in order to create quality services
within using the resources in best possible manner. Along with this, the major pressure is being
creates on the public. The resources get exploit on a fast note and its creates negative impact on
the environment. However, the biggest irony is that rather than local people visitors are making
contribution in the exploitation of resources.
The motivation of travel in people also plays vital role in creating the impact of tourism on
society. Motivation is further of two types such as- Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation
comes within the person whereas extrinsic motivation comes from the surroundings. Effective
services assured by the tourism industry in Italy is working as one of the biggest motivation
element for the visitors (Yuan and et.al., 2018). The cultural events that is being organized at
Italy attracts the number of visitors and it provide opportunities in terms of increasing social
interaction. In this manner, positive impact on the society has been created. Thus, expectation of
visitors creates the major impact on the society. In order to assure the satisfaction level to

customers, tourism industry performs the best practice which can often results in impacting the
environment and society on negative note. Thus, it can be said that tourism impacts the society
is both manner positive and negative.
CONCLUSION
The final conclusion that is being arrived from the essay is that, practices of tourism creates
the major impacts on the society. These impacts are in both form which are positive and negative
as well. The future of tourism is needs to be sustained as in the tourism dependent countries,
local communities are the major communities that are getting impacted due to the activities of
tourism. Also, the resources are getting decreased on a high note which is creating impact on the
environment. The future of travel needs to be managed as current operations in travel industry
are creating the threats for environment. The travel and tourism can be sustained within making
some required strategies. Along with this, it has been witnessed that, tourism creates positive
impacts on the society as well.
It helps in increasing connectivity among the different countries within creating events and
cultural events. Furthermore, the has been reviewed that expectations of the customers in tourism
industry in increasing on a high note which is creating major challenge for the industry. It has
become highly important to assure focus over the satisfaction level of the customers within
focusing over their different behavioural pattern. The motivation in the consumers also plays
essential role in increasing the operations in the tourism industry. It can be inner or outer, both
type of motivation is creating an urge in the customers for travelling. Thus, the final conclusion
that is being arrived from the stud is that there are major factors that contributes in the
expectation level of the customers while travelling. Due to these factors, operations in tourism
needs to be changes which creates the positive and negative both the impacts on society. The
positive impacts need to be retained while negative impacts need to be reduced.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Cohen, S.A. and Cohen, E., 2019. New directions in the sociology of tourism. Current Issues in
Tourism. 22(2). pp.153-172.
Erdoğan, Ç., 2020. The Relationship Between Tourism and Sociology, Psychology, and Social
Psychology. In Routledge Handbook of Social Psychology of Tourism (pp. 21-30).
Routledge.
Gu and et.al., 2018. Local tourism cycle and external business cycle. Annals of Tourism
Research. 73. pp.159-170.
Herrer and et.al., 2022. Tourism under a life cycle thinking approach: A review of perspectives
and new challenges for the tourism sector in the last decades. Science of The Total
Environment, p.157261.
Irimiea, S.B., 2018. The relationship between the language of tourism, tourism and
sociology. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research. 5(2). pp.128-141.
Jackson, L.A., 2018. Residents' perceptions of the impacts of special event tourism. Journal of
Place Management and development.
Larsen, S., 2018. Aspects of a psychology of the tourist experience. Scandinavian Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism. 7(1). pp.7-18.
Moscardo, G., 2020. The story turns in tourism: forces and futures. Journal of Tourism
Futures. 7(2). pp.168-173.
Movassaghi, H., 2022. Evaluation of Tourism Social Effects from Sociology View. Sociological
studies. 14(53). pp.91-109.
Pearce, P.L., 2020. Psychological studies of tourist behaviour and experience. Australian Journal
of Psychology. 39(2). pp.173-182.
Senbeto, D.L. and Hon, A.H., 2020. The impacts of social and economic crises on tourist
behaviour and expenditure: an evolutionary approach. Current Issues in Tourism. 23(6).
pp.740-755.
Šimková, E. and Holzner, J., 2020. Motivation of tourism participants. Procedia-Social and
Behavioral Sciences. 159. pp.660-664.
Wiltshier, P., 2020. Religion and tourism: crossroads, destinations and encounters.
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Wood, R.E., 2018. Tourism, culture and the sociology of development. In Tourism in South-East
Asia (pp. 48-70). Routledge.
Yuan and et.al., 2018. A model of wine tourist behaviour: A festival approach. International
Journal of Tourism Research. 10(3). pp.207-219.
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