The Reasons Explaining Why Governments are involved in Tourism Development
“The thing about tourism is that the reality of a place is quite different from the mythology of it.” –Martin Parr
The above quotation by Martin Parr illustrates one of the negative attributes of tourism, which is to sell a fantastic presentation of a country rather than the real aspects of it. However, it should be understood that this is done to market and brand the country as an attractive tourism product. However, tourism is not a source of income that can be relied on throughout the year by governments. This is because tourism relies on specific seasons and economic prosperity to do well on a consistent basis. On the other hand, governments have learned to use the benefits of tourism to solve the myriad of economic problems facing their countries. Therefore, it can be argued that although tourism is not always seen as a cure-all for the economic problems of a country, many governments all over the world see tourism as an alternative when considering economic development. This is because tourism is seen as an avenue for employment creation and a means to provide education and training. In addition, governments perceive tourism as a means to earn foreign exchange so as to fund their budgets.
Despite the economic advantages that can be gained from tourism not all governments perceive this industry as a panacea for their economic problems. It should be noted that governments are expected to gain the most benefits economically from tourism during the peak season. The peak season usually occurs in mid-June to August in Europe and mid-December to mid-or late April is peak season in countries with tropical climates (Mawer, F. 2014 & Steves, R. n.d.). This means that persons working in the hospitality industry will have an income that will fluctuate depending on the time of the year. Furthermore, tourism is affected during times of economic hardship, such as a recession. Nevertheless, governments still consider “tourism as an important source of employment, especially for the unskilled and semi-unskilled [labor]-force” (Creaco, S. & Querini, G. 2003, 7).
Tourism is perceived by governments as a means by which they can train and educate their citizens. For instance, Ashley, De Brine, Lehr and Wilde (2007) explain that key stakeholders in tourism, such as hotel chains, at times develop their human capital by providing “effective on-the-job technical and management training programs” (19). These are not only helpful in improving “customer service” but these programs are helpful in developing “transferable skills that can improve their future employability” in the tourism industry (Ashley C. et al 2007, 19). On the other hand, it should be noted that not all stakeholders in the tourism industry would invest in the development of the skills of their workers. This might be the case since they do not want their workers to transfer these skills outside of their company or the industry.
Many governments rely on tourism as a foreign exchange earner so as to fund their budgets. Creaco and Querini (2003) agree with this point. In addition, Fiji considers tourism has its “largest foreign exchange earner” (Fiji Sun Online 2014, para. 4). It was recorded that industry in 2013 earned more than “1.3 billion” (Fiji Sun Online 2014, para. 4). Nevertheless, it should be noted that governments should expect some “reductions” in “net benefits of the balance of payments” because of the “actions of foreign tourist operators” (Creaco, S & Querini, G. 2003, 6).
In conclusion, tourism is perceived by governments as a viable option for economic development since it can provide foreign exchange for their countries, it is an avenue for job creation and as an opportunity to provide education and training to their citizens. On the other hand, tourism cannot be relied on as a consistent income earner for workers in the industry since the industry’s success can be affected by economic hardships and the seasons. The actions of foreign tourist operators can cause the reduction of “net benefits of the balance of payments” (Creaco, S. & Querini, G. 2003, 6). Furthermore, hoteliers do not always desire to train and educate their staff so as to improve their skills.
References
Ashley, C., De Brine, P., Lehr, A., and Wilde, H., 2007. The Role of the Tourism Sector in Expanding Economic Opportunity. Boston, MA: Harvard University.
Creaco, S., and Querini, G., 2003. 43rd Congress of the European Regional Science Association . Jvyaskyla: European Regional Science Association, pp.1–17.
Fiji Sun Online, 2014. Fiji Sun. [online] Economy's Largest Foreign Exchange Earner: Tourism. Available at: <http://fijisun.com.fj/2014/11/08/economys-largest-foreign-exchange-earner-tourism/> [Accessed: 19 Jan. 2016].
Mawer, F., 2014. Caribbean travel guide. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/centralamericaandcaribbean/10334103/caribbean-travel-guide.html> [Accessed: 19 Jan. 2016].
Steve, R., 2016. When to Go to Europe: Timing Your Trip. [online] Rick Steves's Europe. Available at: <https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/timing-your-trip> [Accessed: 19 Jan. 2016].
