In some places, money earned from tourism has become an important part of the economy. What are the advantages and disadvantages of relying on tourism as a major source of revenue?

Many cities all around the world depend on tourism to attract foreign revenue. This is a double-edged sword, and there are both benefits and drawbacks to this situation. The first and foremost advantage of tourism for a place is the boost it gives to the local economy. Tourism means that more facilities, roads and constructions will be built. Hence, it enhances the quality of life. In addition, tourism provides numerous job opportunities both in production and service terms. For instance, weaving handicraft has been promoted as a main source of revenue in Lahijan city due to the great market potential that tourism has created there. Furthermore, tourism helps better socializing with people with different backgrounds. Dealing with people from other parts of the country opens the native people's minds and brodens their horizens. This is especially helpful for children because they learn to appreciate other ways of living, rather than to fear them or be ignorant of them. Tourism industry has some disadvantageous aspects as well. Firstly, most of the created jobs are temporarily, only for tourism seasons. Thus, there are a lot of jobs for part of the year and then nothing for the rest of the year. Secondly, prices are almost always higher in a tourist area. While visitors tourist attraction centres, local people probably can not afford it. Therefore, many facilities do not necessarily benefit native people. Additionally, tourism can have adverse environmental effects too. Excessive building may destroy natural habitats and spoil the landscape. In conclusion, dependence on tourism as the main part of the economy can be beneficial in some ways, but can be detrimental at the same time.