The Positive Effects Of The 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.

INTRODUCTION

Impacts arise when tourism brings changes in value systems / behaviour, threatening indigenous identity. Changes often occur in community structure, family relationships, collective traditional life styles, ceremonies and morality.

One effect is that local people that come in contact with these tourists may develop a sort of copying behaviour, as they want to live and behave in the same way. Especially in less developed countries, there is likely to be a growing distinction between the 'haves' and 'have-nots', which may increase social and sometimes ethnic tensions. In resorts in destination countries such as Jamaica, Indonesia or Brazil, tourism employees with annual salaries of US$ 1,500 spend their working hours in close contact with guests whose yearly income is well over US$ 80,000.

• Irritation due to tourist behaviour

Tourists often, out of ignorance or carelessness, fail to respect local customs and moral values. When they do, they can bring about irritation and stereotyping. They take a quick snapshot and are gone, and by so acting invade the local peoples' lives.

•In many Muslim countries, strict standards exist regarding the appearance and behaviour of Muslim women, who must carefully cover themselves in

Gudigwa Camp, Botswana

• Facilities developed for tourism can benefit residents

As tourism supports the creation of community facilities and services that otherwise might not have been developed, it can bring higher living standards to a destination. Benefits can include upgraded infrastructure, health and transport improvements, new sport and recreational facilities, restaurants, and public spaces as well as an influx of better-quality commodities and food.

• Revaluation of culture and traditions

Tourism can boost the preservation and transmission of cultural and historical traditions, which often contributes to the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, the protection of local heritage, and a renaissance of indigenous cultures, cultural arts and crafts.

• Tourism encourages civic involvement and pride

Tourism also helps raise local awareness of the financial value of natural and cultural sites and can stimulate a feeling of pride in local and national heritage and interest in its conservation. More broadly, the involvement of local communities in tourism development and operation appears to be an important condition for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.