Table of Contents
Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism
The socio-cultural impacts of tourism described here are the effects on host communities of direct and indirect relations with tourists, and of interaction with the tourism industry. For a variety of reasons, host communities often are the weaker party in interactions with their guests and service providers, leveraging any influence they might have. These influences are not always apparent, as they are difficult to measure, depend on value judgments and are often indirect or hard to identify.
Impacts arise when tourism brings changes in value systems / behavior, threatening indigenous identity. Changes often occur in community structure, family relationships, collective traditional life styles, ceremonies and morality. But tourism can also generate positive impacts as it can serve as a supportive force for peace, foster pride in cultural traditions and help avoid urban relocation by creating local jobs. Socio-cultural impacts are ambiguous: the same objectively described impacts are seen as beneficial by some groups and as negative by others.
Positive Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism:
It has the potential to promote social development through employment creation, income redistribution and poverty alleviation. Other potential positive impacts of tourism include:
- Brings in outside dollars to support community facilities and services that otherwise might not be developed.
- Encourages civic involvement and pride.
- Provides cultural exchange between hosts and guests.
- Encourages the preservation and celebration of local festivals and cultural events.
- Facilities and infrastructure developed for tourism can also benefit residents.
- Encourages the learning of new languages and skills.
- Tourism related funds have contributed towards schools being built in some areas.
Negative Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism:
- May attract visitors whose lifestyles and ideas conflict with the community’s. An example may be the visitors’ use of drugs and alcohol.
- May change individual behavior and family relationships.
- May lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.
- Loss of traditional values and culture through imitation of visitor behaviour or cultural diffusion resulting from normal, everyday interaction.
- May create crowding and congestion.
- May compete with residents for available services, facilities, and existing recreation opportunities.
- May result in harassment of visitors perceived to be wealthy and an increase in crime.
- Can involve violations of human rights. People have been displaced from their land and beaches have been reserved for hotel guests while access is barred to local people.
