In today’s world, one of the biggest industries in existence is tourism. This industry is a major contributor of revenues to the country that has the tourist attraction. This industry is said to generate a lot of revenue in a country and also contribute to lessening the effects of unemployment. In developing nations, like those of Asia and Africa, tourism plays a very important role in national and regional growth. Therefore, many efforts from the government and the private sector are ensuring that this industry thrives because of its benefits. Nonetheless, the various developments made and benefits mentioned above do not imply that this industry has no negative effects during its operation. The negative impacts on culture of the host countries and societies have been far and wide. These cultural impacts of tourism are the things that are negative to the communities hosting tourists when they come into contact with the industry and the tourist they serve (Richards & Hall, 2002). These consequences often come up when the industry is responsible for the altering of behavior, value systems and the way of life of the community where the tourist attractions are. It can be seen that tourism brings about adverse negative effects to these societies in ways such as change or loss of identity and values which are “indigenous” to the people of a certain region (UNEP, 2015). There are also various ethical issues like crime and other vices that are associated with tourism and finally the clash of classes.
Tourism, even though beneficial to the society, has a number of ethical issues that are associated with it especially in the tourist destination sites. One such ethical issue is crime generation which is common in regions where there are many tourist attractions. Tourism brings about massive growth and urbanization of an area. This attracts many people which results to high levels of crime. Another factor that makes crime thrive is the factor that tourists possess lots of money and other expensive goods such as jewelry and electronic gadgets. This is a very attractive venture for criminals and gangs as tourists make “easy targets” (Hall, & Brown, 2006). For instance, in a tourist destination like Rio de Janeiro, the beaches in which many hotels are situated are in close proximity with the slums and this increases the risk of tourists being exposed to various crimes and even being victims. In many tourist prone areas, instances of drug dealing and abuse are higher than in other regions. This is because the tourists offer a ready market for the vice. Prostitution and sex tourism is a prevalent issue when it comes to discussing the effects of tourism to the society. It can be seen that these practices are greatly encouraged by tourism (Harrison, 1994). As tourism continues to witness high levels of growth worldwide, so has sexual exploitation of children and young women. As tourism grew, many shifted from their regions to urban centers where the hotels are and “engaged in prostitution” (Harrison, 1994). It is important to note that the causal factor of prostitution is not tourism but it “offers an easy way to be involved in the vice” (Harrison, 1994). Many young men and women “sell their bodies” for money or goods of value (Anders, et al 1999).
One of the ways in which tourism contributes to the loss of culture and changes in indigenous values is through commodification. This massively leads to the massive loss or change of “native values and uniqueness” of a region (KOKKINOS, &KAPARDIS, 2014).Through various influences, the industry has largely contributed to the altering of values and individuality of the host communities. The communities in which these tourist attractions are, have various customary rituals, rreligion and of festivals that form their culture and define their way of life. However, the tourism industry has led to the fabrication of these practices so that they can be packaged for the tourists and thereby giving in to the demands of the tourists instead of leading their customary way of life (UNEP, 2015). This leads to a state known as “reconstructed ethnicity” which is the diminution and sanitization of various practices so that they can be the same as the expectations of the tourists (UNEP, 2015). When these tourist destinations are sold as a product, the demand for souvenirs, entertainment and other art forms exerts pressure on the human values leading to change and eventually loss. Commodification also contributes the loss of sanctity of sites or objects which have religious significance to the communities that host the tourists (UNEP, 2015). In order to meet the desires of the tourists and thus retain them, communities are facing massive commodification of their cultures. Another negative cultural effect of tourism is standardization. It can be seen that various regions in the world have different cultures, facilities and even food and drinks they consume. However, there is massive pressure on this diverse tourist attraction sites to satisfy the desire of visitors for “common amenities” (UNEP, 2015). Thereby, these sites lose their individual cultures and way of life in order to meet the wants of the tourists they host. Thereby we end up having sites that have the same facilities and things to offer globally. Even though tourists go to these sites looking for new adventures to explore, aspects such as accommodation, foods and drinks are always prone to standardization. For instance, tourists may look for familiar hotel chains or restaurants in the new environments they are in. As a result, the tourist sites may be forced to incorporate these “familiar features” leading to cultural identity and value loss (Tosun, 2002).
Tourism may also bring about the clash of cultures in the regions that have tourist activities taking place. The tourism industry is making it easy for people to meet easily. People from different parts of the world with different cultures are meeting and this can lead to the clash of cultures. This is due to the “cultural differences” that are present in the cultures of various people (Látková & Vogt, 2012). There are various aspects in culture which may differ between the host communities and the visitors that come to their land to see various tourist attractions that are in offer. Each, the host and the visitor, have different economic statuses and religions. This may lead to the clashes between these two cultures. Sometimes, tourists are seen as a nuisance and their influx leads to the discomfort of the locals. For instance, they bring about vices like alcoholism and drug use, congestion and even an increase in crime (Simm, 2016). Therefore, tourists and the host communities may not co-exist in any way and thus the practices of one group may be seen as a violation of the other’s cultural practices. Tourists may be tolerated for a while for they bring economic growth but this tolerance may be short-lived.
In conclusion, from the text above we see that tourism is a major boost to the economic growth of a region and even the country as a whole. Despite this, it is evident that this industry is also becoming a problem to the cultures and the way of life of the people who host the industry (Chafey et al., 2012). The cultures and the institutions that are indigenous to the people are being eroded so as to conform to the needs of the tourism industry. This is leading to the loss of important cultural items and the commodification of a people’s way of life. There are also the issues of cultural clashes that occur when people of diverse cultures meet. This has been made very easy by tourism. There are also ethical issues that are linked to tourism like the rise of child prostitution, drug abuse and trafficking and even the rise in crimes that occur in a region due to the influx of tourism. Therefore, it is important for communities in areas that host tourists to come up with long lasting solutions that they can use to tackle the various impacts mentioned above.
References
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