The tourism industry has grown tremendously over the last fifty years, and there are few places which are unaffected by it. However, tourism rarely benefits the countries which tourists visit. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Recent decades have witnessed a significant increase in people traveling for both business and leisure reasons, which, in turn, has resulted in a boom in the tourism industry. Tourism, however, has been criticized by people who believe that it does not provide any benefits to the host countries. I do not agree with this statement, as I believe that tourism contributes to the economic growth of the country visited, including an increase in its workforce as well as facilitates the improvement of infrastructure of the country. The main argument in support for tourism is that it offers numerous work opportunities for individuals who may not otherwise be employed, such as tour guides, hotel staff, and those that work in the hospitality sector. This, consequently, increases the living standards and purchasing power of the workers as well as the country. A second reason is that it adds to the GDP of the country and brings welfare to its people. Finally, it results in governments allocating funds to improve the country’s infrastructure, transport, medical, and other facilities, so as to appear more hospitable and attractive to tourists. It is not surprising that these networks and facilities will be enjoyed by the citizens as much as by those visiting their country. The opponents of tourism shed light on the problems that come with it, most important of which is littering. However, if proper waste disposal and management measures are taken by local officials and the federal government, then this issue can be resolved. Moreover, to blame only the tourists for pollution is unfair, as locals may be equally responsible of improperly disposing off their garbage. Another issue that is raised is that tourists get preferential treatment by hotels and restaurants and the locals are not provided the same facilities as them. I would argue that this is not a universal issue of tourism, and that it could be tackled by introducing regulations that prohibit any form of discrimination and which guarantees similar treatment to everyone, be it citizen or visitor. In conclusion, as evident by my arguments above, I strongly believe that tourism brings more benefits than problems by bringing in foreign revenue to the country, creating the need for jobs, and by facilitating the improvement of infrastructure networks.