advantages of tourism in modern world

Tourism: The Advantages, Disadvantages and How to Properly Travel

The Advantages

For developing countries, the advantages of tourism tend to be primarily monetary. A large scale tourism industry prevents larger, more harmful businesses from working off the land. Small tourist companies that reign on the land stops large capitalistic corporations from polluting the air or gentrifying people’s homes.

The tourism industry encompasses many different travel areas, which allows the majority of a country’s population to be employed . These employment places include hotels, car rental agencies, restaurants, tour companies, souvenir shops, and equipment shops, among others.

Profit earned from tourism can be reinvested into the country for better infrastructure, education, funding conservation efforts and creating more responsible ways of touring. Without tourism, many countries would not have the same level of access to education and infrastructure. Moreover, tourism allows hosts and visitors to share cultures and meet diverse groups of people. Through respectful interactions, a broader view of the world from both parties can be achieved. By reinvesting the money earned back into the country, tourism and its attractions can grow, creating a positive cycle for the country.

The Disadvantages

With the way the tourism industry is currently run, the disadvantages of tourism may greatly outweigh the advantages in a country. The first factor to take into consideration is environmental damage. When a country has a high tourist attraction, the number of people occupying a space increases immensely. As a result, the release of carbon monoxide gases can increase due to plane and car use affecting the country’s environment. Many countries with ancient ruins or natural attractions are also in danger of destruction or erosion with significant foot traffic and human interaction. Additionally, flora and fauna can decrease in areas or change their growth and migration patterns when there is an overflow of humans interact. Foot traffic and continuous touching can also slowly degrade the stability of ancient structures.

One of the advantages breached upon the sharing of cultures. While this is a great interaction of beliefs and customs, it can become destructive to a host country’s culture. One of the ways cultures can be disrespected is through the commercialization of countries’ cultures . When tourism booms, large industries swoop in and sell figures of the cultures’ icons or traditional wear, disrespecting the countries’ indigenous beliefs and can be harmful to the people living there. Moreover, poor behavior from tourists who don’t respect the spoken or unspoken codes of conduct held by indigenous peoples also undermines the sacred beliefs held within the country.

Also, for many countries, tourism is a seasonal occurrence. For people that work in the tourism industry, their jobs are only viable for a certain number of months, and after the season has ended, many are left without income. Many of these jobs also lack the benefits that other sector jobs supply. Tourism workers are often left without insurance or pension. Not to mention, foreign businesses tend to overtake the companies present in these countries, forcing small businesses to shut down. As a result, foreign businesses keep the majority of profits from tourism, while local businesses lose their income. This hurts small businesses and local economies.

As previously stated, the profit gained from tourism is often reinvested into the industry. However, with unequal infrastructure development, the tourism industry can inadvertently sustain itself without aiding a country’s other vital sectors. As such, many countries end up developing tourism hot spots while the rest of the country suffers. In these countries, there are visible socioeconomic gaps between the wealthy and the poor. Focusing mainly on the tourism industry and places of mass attraction leaves disadvantaged communities at risk of financial instability. Moreover, countries solely invested in tourism are vulnerable to quick economic falls as its working sectors are unevenly balanced. If a natural disaster, political unrest or unprecedented pandemic were to strike, the country would lose a massive income, causing an economic recession that some countries may significantly struggle to bounce back from.

Ways to Respectfully Travel

The most important step to being a respectful tourist is to be an educated tourist. Understanding and respecting the culture and the people of the country is vital. By not undermining tourism countries’ culture and beliefs, the people living there will be more welcoming to tourists, and cultures can flourish without fear of commercialization.

Being environmentally conscious is also important to the survival of these countries. Respecting a country’s land and structures preserve the countries’ beauty and keep the land clean and prepped for further development. Many countries are more environmentally strained, so reducing pollution or your carbon footprint in a foreign country can help ease the strain.

Supporting the small and local businesses found in these countries can help keep local communities employed and support the overall economy.  As local businesses grow, more people will have the opportunity to be employed outside of the tourism sector, and the economy will be able to grow within itself.

By learning the advantages and disadvantages of tourism, and how one can improve the practice of traveling, the tourism industry will be able to change for the better and support the countries that host people from all over the world.

– Marlee Ingram Photo: Flickr

“The Borgen Project is an incredible nonprofit organization that is addressing poverty and hunger and working towards ending them.”

-The Huffington Post

Inside the borgen project.

• Board of Directors

Get Smarter

• Global Poverty 101
• Global Poverty… The Good News
• Global Poverty & U.S. Jobs
• Global Poverty and National Security
• Innovative Solutions to Poverty
• Global Poverty & Aid FAQ’s

Ways to Help

• Call Congress
• Email Congress
• 30 Ways to Help
• Volunteer Ops
• Internships
• Courses & Certificates
• The Podcast

• Net Zero Features
• Conscious Living Essentials
• Geothermal Energy Installers
• Planet Earth
• Climate Policy
• Sustainability

The Pros and Cons of Tourism

We are reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission.

The tourism industry is one of the most lucrative and essential industries for the global economy since it can provide revenue almost year-round. It allows people to spend time in places they want to explore and enjoy. Every year, people from all over the world visit destinations like Paris, Hawaii, Mexico and Japan to experience a new culture through food, sightseeing and adventures. 

Tourism provides thousands of jobs each year and allows people to explore the world at their leisure. It’s excellent for both the people touring an area themselves for happiness and well-being, and it’s great for the country’s population as a whole. 

However, the disadvantages of tourism should be addressed, especially concerning the environment. Tourism industries in some countries often ignore these cons because they want to continue providing revenue for the peoples’ livelihoods. It’s easy to overlook the negative aspects when tourism has brought enormous wealth to developing countries. 

If developing nations only rely on tourism and dismiss other aspects, like the environment, society and infrastructure development, the cons can quickly outweigh the pros. Fortunately, there are ways to be sustainable in the tourism industry. Here are the pros and cons of tourism. 

The Pros of Tourism

From stimulating job growth to bridging cultural divides, tourism has many benefits for people, the economy and the environment. Below are five advantages of tourism. 

1. Creates Jobs

One of the most significant benefits of tourism is creating jobs for people who may have previously been unemployed. Tourism accounts for about 10% of employment worldwide , whether directly or indirectly. 

The tourism industry encompasses retailers, restaurant workers, transportation industries, entertainment facilities and hospitality workers. It can even include medical workers as some people travel for cosmetic surgery or medical advice and medications. This leads to the reduction of unemployment in many countries, which reduces the burden on the government.

2. Develops Countries

As more people get jobs in developing countries, they can further progress. The government can get the funds needed to advance their nation. The tourism industry offers more security and financial stability. Plus, the government can carry out various infrastructure projects to continue its progression by building roads, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment businesses to allow more people to stay, generating more jobs and wealth. 

3. Conserves the Environment

Some of the primary attractions in countries are the historical sights and beautiful landscapes. Often, countries try to conserve these sights and attractions to continue bringing in more tourists. Governments and private entities often use tourism money to maintain historical sight and protect the environment.  

4. Broadens Knowledge and Appreciation of Nature

An airboat ride through the Florida Everglades delivers more than the perfect photo opportunity. Airboat captains share stories about the river’s history, wildlife facts, environmental issues plaguing the ecosystem, and how the average person can make a difference. Travel experiences like this are crucial for broadening one’s knowledge and deepening their appreciation for the natural world. The hope is for tourists to impart their knowledge to someone else and spark an interest in conservation and sustainable habits.

5. Encourages Culture-Learning

Finally, tourism encourages the learning of different cultures. It helps to create a sense of unity among people from various cultures and countries. Tourism encourages people of all backgrounds to visit a particular place, so tourist destinations become a melting pot of other cultures. People can begin to understand one another and may even make friends with people from other countries. 

The Cons of Tourism

While welcoming visitors to explore a particular area has benefits — especially within the eco-tourism subsector — it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Unfortunately, there are some cons of tourism that often get overlooked, such as the following.

1. Damages the Environment

Although countries do their best to conserve the environment, including animals, plants and natural scenes, tourists can still be disrespectful. As people flock to one place, waste and pollution accumulate. Sometimes, tours offer animal experiences as well, which put animals through suffering. Further, land is needed to accommodate tourists, so countries will destroy habitats to build hotels and restaurants. 

2. Puts Pressure on Natural Resources

Another con of the tourism industry is that it puts an immense amount of pressure on natural resources. Anytime someone stays in an area, they inevitably use the area’s natural resources , like water and food. Cities and countries around the world have faced droughts. Additionally, tourism puts stress on the local land use, leading to soil erosion which can cause damage to infrastructure. 

3. Strains Infrastructure

Too many tourists in one location can significantly strain infrastructure, including roadways, water resources and waste disposal. For instance, nearly 30 million tourists visit Venice, Italy, annually, crowding narrow canals and limited roadways. In the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda is among the most frequently vacationed and water-stressed countries, with under 1000 cubic meter of freshwater resources per capita. Without a municipal wastewater treatment center, most households rely on poorly built septic tanks.

4. Encourages Dependence on Tourism

It’s not a good thing to be solely dependent on tourism. Regions known for their tourist destinations learned that lesson once COVID-19 spread throughout the world. When people could no longer travel, the tourism industry in countries that depended on it had a more difficult time recovering and getting the necessary resources that locals needed to survive. Without tourists, those countries would receive no more income, which affects the entire country.

5. Leads to Loss of Cultural Identity

Often, locals in a tourist destination will begin copying the lifestyles of tourists and leave their local and cultural traditions behind. Instead of shops filled with daily necessities for the locals, they are filled with things tourists need, like travel-sized toiletries and souvenirs. Fast-food chains have taken over local cuisine as well. And unfortunately, tourism has led to a growth in prostitution and human trafficking. 

Making Tourism a More Sustainable Industry

Tourism is a necessary part of the economy, but the adverse effects often go unnoticed. Fortunately, there are ways to make it a more sustainable industry. Tourists should support the local economy, avoid single-use plastics, take more eco-friendly modes of transportation and avoid all of the traditional “tourist” excursions. The next time you travel, make sustainability a priority.

This post was last updated on April 9, 2024 to provide more current information.

Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.

Like what you read? Join other Environment.co readers!

Get the latest updates on our planet by subscribing to the Environment.co newsletter!

About the author

Like or Dislike? Social Media and Sustainability’s Influential Relationship

7 Companies Making Waves with Sustainable Investing 

Accessible Ideas for Self-Sufficient Living

The Impacts of Methane Burning and How to Abate Them

How Much Greenhouse Gasses Are Produced Every Year?

What Groups Set Hunting Regulations in Most States?

• Understanding Poverty
• Competitiveness

Tourism and Competitiveness

• Publications

The tourism sector provides opportunities for developing countries to create productive and inclusive jobs, grow innovative firms, finance the conservation of natural and cultural assets, and increase economic empowerment, especially for women, who comprise the majority of the tourism sector’s workforce. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was the world’s largest service sector—providing one in ten jobs worldwide,  almost seven percent of all international trade and  25 percent of the world’s service exports —a critical foreign exchange generator.  In 2019 the sector was valued at more than US$9 trillion and accounted for 10.4 percent of global GDP.

Tourism offers opportunities for economic diversification and market-creation. When effectively managed, its deep local value chains can expand demand for existing and new products and services that directly and positively impact the poor and rural/isolated communities. The sector can also be a force for biodiversity conservation, heritage protection, and climate-friendly livelihoods, making up a key pillar of the blue/green economy. This potential is also associated with social and environmental risks, which need to be managed and mitigated to maximize the sector’s net-positive benefits.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for tourism service providers, with a loss of 20 percent of all tourism jobs (62 million), and US$1.3 trillion in export revenue, leading to a reduction of 50 percent of its  contribution to GDP  in 2020 alone. The collapse of demand has severely impacted the livelihoods of tourism-dependent communities, small businesses and women-run enterprises. It has also reduced government tax revenues and constrained the availability of resources for destination management and site conservation.

Naturalist local guide with group of tourist in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve Ecuador. Photo: Ammit Jack/Shutterstock

Tourism and Competitiveness Strategic Pillars

Our solutions are integrated across the following areas:

• Competitive and Productive Tourism Markets. We work with government and private sector stakeholders to foster competitive tourism markets that create productive jobs, improve visitor expenditure and impact, and are supportive of high-growth, innovative firms. To do so we offer guidance on firm and destination level recovery, policy and regulatory reforms, demand diversification, investment promotion and market access. 
• Blue, Green and Resilient Tourism Economies. We support economic diversification to sustain natural capital and tourism assets, prepare for external and climate-related shocks, and be sustainably managed through strong policy, coordination, and governance improvements. To do so we offer support to align the tourism enabling and policy environment towards sustainability, while improving tourism destination and site planning, development, and management. We work with governments to enhance the sector’s resilience and to foster the development of innovative sustainable financing instruments.
• Inclusive Value Chains. We work with client governments and intermediaries to support Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), and strengthen value chains that provide equitable livelihoods for communities, women, youth, minorities, and local businesses. 

The successful design and implementation of reforms in the tourism space requires the combined effort of diverse line ministries and agencies, and an understanding of the impact of digital technologies in the industry. Accordingly, our teams support cross-cutting issues of tourism governance and coordination, digital innovation and the use and application of data throughout the three focus areas of work.

Tourism and Competitiveness Theory of Change 

Examples of our projects:

• In Indonesia , a US$955m loan is supporting the Government’s Integrated Infrastructure Development for National Tourism Strategic Areas Project. This project is designed to improve the quality of, and access to, tourism-relevant basic infrastructure and services, strengthen local economy linkages to tourism, and attract private investment in selected tourism destinations. In its initial phases, the project has supported detailed market and demand analyses needed to justify significant public investment, mobilized integrated tourism destination masterplans for each new destination and established essential coordination mechanisms at the national level and at all seventeen of the Project’s participating districts and cities.
• In Madagascar , a series of projects totaling US$450m in lending and IFC Technical Assistance have contributed to the sustainable growth of the tourism sector by enhancing access to enabling infrastructure and services in target regions. Activities under the project focused on providing support to SMEs, capacity building to institutions, and promoting investment and enabling environment reforms. They resulted in the creation of more than 10,000 jobs and the registration of more than 30,000 businesses. As a result of COVID-19, the project provided emergency support both to government institutions (i.e., Ministry of Tourism) and other organizations such as the National Tourism Promotion Board to plan, strategize and implement initiatives to address effects of the pandemic and support the sector’s gradual relaunch, as well as to directly support tourism companies and workers groups most affected by the crisis. 
• In Sierra Leone , an Economic Diversification Project has a strong focus on sustainable tourism development.  The project is contributing significantly to the COVID-19 recovery, with its focus on the creation of six new tourism destinations, attracting new private investment, and building the capacity of government ministries to successfully manage and market their tourism assets.  This project aims to contribute to the development of more circular economy tourism business models, and support the growth of women- run tourism businesses.  
• Through the Rebuilding Tourism Competitiveness: Tourism Response, Recovery and Resilience to the COVID-19 Crisis initiative and the Tourism for Development Learning Series , we held webinars, published insights and guidance notes as well as formed new partnerships with Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, United Nations Environment Program, United Nations World Tourism Organization, and World Travel and Tourism Council to exchange knowledge on managing tourism throughout the pandemic, planning for recovery and building back better. The initiative’s key Policy Note has been downloaded more than 20,000 times and has been used to inform recovery initiatives in over 30 countries across 6 regions.
• The Global Aviation Dashboard  is a platform that visualizes real-time changes in global flight movements, allowing users to generate 2D & 3D visualizations, charts, graphs, and tables; and ranking animations for: flight volume, seat volume, and available seat kilometers.  Data is available for domestic, intra-regional, and inter-regional routes across all regions, countries, airports, and airlines on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis from January 2020 until today. The dashboard has been used to track the status and recovery of global travel and inform policy and operational actions.

Traditional Samburu women in Kenya. Photo: hecke61/Shutterstock.

Featured Data

We-Fi WeTour Women in Tourism Enterprise Surveys (2019)

• Sierra Leone  |  Ghana

Featured Reports 

• Destination Management Handbook: A Guide to the Planning and Implementation of Destination Management  (2023)
• Blue Tourism in Islands and Small Tourism-Dependent Coastal States : Tools and Recovery Strategies (2022)
• Resilient Tourism: Competitiveness in the Face of Disasters  (2020)
• Tourism and the Sharing Economy: Policy and Potential of Sustainable Peer-to-Peer Accommodation  (2018)
• Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism  (2018)
• The Voice of Travelers: Leveraging User-Generated Content for Tourism Development  (2018)
• Women and Tourism: Designing for Inclusion  (2017)
• Twenty Reasons Sustainable Tourism Counts for Development  (2017)
• An introduction to tourism concessioning:14 characteristics of successful programs.  The World Bank, 2016)
• Getting financed: 9 tips for community joint ventures in tourism . World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and World Bank, (2015)
• Global investment promotion best practices: Winning tourism investment” Investment Climate  (2013)

Country-Specific

• COVID-19 and Tourism in South Asia: Opportunities for Sustainable Regional Outcomes  (2020)
• Demand Analysis for Tourism in African Local Communities  (2018)
• Tourism in Africa: Harnessing Tourism for Growth and Improved Livelihoods . Africa Development Forum (2014)

COVID-19 Response

• Expecting the Unexpected : Tools and Policy Considerations to Support the Recovery and Resilience of the Tourism Sector (2022)
• Rebuilding Tourism Competitiveness. Tourism response, recovery and resilience to the COVID-19 crisis  (2020)
• COVID-19 and Tourism in South Asia Opportunities for Sustainable Regional Outcomes  (2020)  
• WBG support for tourism clients and destinations during the COVID-19 crisis  (2020)
• Tourism for Development: Tourism Diagnostic Toolkit  (2019)
• Tourism Theory of Change  (2018)

Country   -Specific

• COVID Impact Mitigation Survey Results  (South Africa) (2020)
• COVID Preparedness for Reopening Survey Results  (South Africa) (2020)
• COVID Study  (Fiji) (2020) with   IFC

Featured Blogs

• Louise Twining-Ward and Alba Suris , Bridging the Tourism Data Divide: New Tools for Policymaking
• Fiona Stewart, Samantha Power & Shaun Mann ,  Harnessing the power of capital markets to conserve and restore global biodiversity through “Natural Asset Companies”   | October 12 th  2021
• Mari Elka Pangestu ,  Tourism in the post-COVID world: Three steps to build better forward  | April 30 th  2021
• Hartwig Schafer ,  Regional collaboration can help South Asian nations rebuild and strengthen tourism industry  | July 23 rd  2020
• Caroline Freund ,  We can’t travel, but we can take measures to preserve jobs in the tourism industry  | March 20 th  2020

Featured Webinars

• Destination Management for Resilient Growth . This webinar looks at emerging destinations at the local level to examine the opportunities, examples, and best tools available. Destination Management Handbook
• Launch of the Future of Pacific Tourism. This webinar goes through the results of the new Future of Pacific Tourism report. It was launched by FCI Regional and Global Managers with Discussants from the Asian Development Bank and Intrepid Group.
• Circular Economy and Tourism . This webinar discusses how new and circular business models are needed to change the way tourism operates and enable businesses and destinations to be sustainable.
• Closing the Gap: Gender in Projects and Analytics .  The purpose of this webinar is to raise awareness on integrating gender considerations into projects and provide guidelines for future project design in various sectoral areas.
• WTO Tourism Resilience: Building forward Better. High-level panelists from Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Jordan and Kenya discuss how donors, governments and the private sector can work together most effectively to rebuild the tourism industry and improve its resilience for the future.
• Tourism Watch
• Tourism Factsheets
• [email protected]

Launch of Blue Tourism Resource Portal

• Get Connected
• globalEDGE Blog

The Importance of Tourism on Economies and Businesses

Published: 3/26/2019 12:21:08 PM

Image Source

Tourism is vital for the success of many economies around the world. There are several benefits of tourism on host destinations.  Tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.

The number of jobs created by tourism in many different areas is significant. These jobs are not only a part of the tourism sector but may also include the agricultural sector, communication sector, health sector, and the educational sector. Many tourists travel to experience the hosting destination’s culture, different traditions, and gastronomy. This is very profitable to local restaurants, shopping centers, and stores. Melbourne, Australia ’s population is greatly affected by tourism. It has a population of around 4 million people and around 22,000 citizens are employed by the tourism sector only.

Governments that rely on tourism for a big percentage of their revenue invest a lot in the infrastructure of the country . They want more and more tourists to visit their country which means that safe and advanced facilities are necessary. This leads to new roads and highways, developed parks, improved public spaces, new airports, and possibly better schools and hospitals. Safe and innovative infrastructures allow for a smooth flow of goods and services. Moreover, local people experience an opportunity for economic and educational growth.

Tourism creates a cultural exchange between tourists and local citizens. Exhibitions, conferences, and events usually attract foreigners. Organizing authorities usually gain profits from registration fees, gift sales, exhibition spaces, and sales of media copyright. Furthermore, foreign tourists bring diversity and cultural enrichment to the hosting country.

Tourism is a great opportunity for foreigners to learn about a new culture, but it also creates many opportunities for local citizens . It allows young entrepreneurs to establish new products and services that would not be sustainable on the local population of residents alone. Moreover, residents experience the benefits that come with tourism occurring in their own country.

To learn about the countries earning the most from international tourist arrivals, click on the link below!

Countries Earning the Most from International Tourism

Share this article

• Chronicle Conversations
• Article archives
• Issue archives
• Join our mailing list

Tourism Can Help Lead the World to Recovery

About the author, zurab pololikashvili.

Zurab Pololikashvili is Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

26 September 2020 T he COVID-19 pandemic has hit global tourism harder than any other major economic sector. In an effort to contain the spread of the virus and keep their citizens safe, countries around the world introduced restrictions on international travel, bringing tourism to a standstill almost overnight. Indeed, at the peak of this lockdown, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) found that 100 per cent of global destinations had either closed their borders to tourists completely or introduced strict measures such as compulsory quarantine for new arrivals.

The sudden and unexpected fall in tourist arrivals also placed on hold the many social and economic benefits that tourism delivers. Globally, tourism supports one in ten jobs, and 80 per cent of the sector is made up of small businesses, including family operations. At the start of the crisis, UNWTO set out three possible scenarios for tourism in 2020, depending on when and how widely travel restrictions would be lifted. While it looks like we will avoid the worst-case scenario, we nevertheless expect global tourist arrivals to be down by as much as 70 per cent this year compared to 2019.

The knock-on effect will be significant. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that tourism’s woes will cause global GDP to decline by as much as 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent . Furthermore, the fall in tourist numbers will likely translate into as many as 120 million lost jobs. And, as always, the most vulnerable will suffer the most, including women and youth, for whom tourism is a leading source of opportunity, as well as those working in the informal economy.

Developing countries at greatest risk

No country has been left unscathed by the pandemic, including with regard to tourism. The effects, however, will be most profoundly felt in those destinations that are most reliant on tourism for livelihoods and economic well-being. For the majority of the world’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as well as the least developed countries, most notably within Africa, tourism is a lifeline. On average, tourism accounts for 30 per cent of export revenues for SIDS , and in some cases this is much higher. Indeed, in Palau—the newest UNWTO member State, having officially joined in 2019— tourism generates 90 per cent of all exports .

As the United Nations Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on “ COVID-19 and Transforming Tourism ” makes clear, the true cost of the pandemic’s impact on tourism cannot be measured in GDP or employment figures alone. Due to its unique cross-cutting nature, touching upon nearly every part of modern society, tourism is an essential contributor to the wider mission of the United Nations, including achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Again, as a leading employer of women, tourism leads the way in the journey towards gender equality. At the same time, tourism is a leading contributor to the promotion and protection of cultural and natural heritage, which is in jeopardy, including the ecosystems and wildlife that draw visitors to developing countries.

Building cooperation and a united response

Before the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, UNWTO recognized both the unique vulnerability of tourism and also the sector’s unique potential to drive wider societal recovery once the health crisis had been tackled. The visit of a UNWTO delegation to WHO headquarters in Geneva laid the foundations for the international, multi-organizational cooperation that has defined tourism’s response to an unprecedented challenge.

This, in turn, came on the back of heightened advocacy for tourism at the very highest political level, most notably at the European Commission at the start of the year, to make sure the sector is at the centre of the planned European New Green Deal, as well as at the most recent meetings of the G20 nations. This has allowed UNWTO to become an increasingly prominent voice within the United Nations. When the crisis hit, we were able to make sure that tourism was part of the conversation at both the governmental and United Nations levels.

The Global Tourism Crisis Committee, convened virtually in March and then meeting five times as the crisis evolved, brought together leading voices from member States and from the private sector. Only UNWTO was in a position to unite such a diverse sector. This Crisis Committee channelled these diverse voices and concerns into a clear plan of action, the UNWTO Recommendations for Recovery . These Recommendations have been embraced across the public and private sectors and now inform recovery plans in every global region.

Sustainability takes centre stage

Central to the Recommendations is the principle that sustainability and inclusivity are at the heart of both the recovery process and the tourism sector that emerges out of this crisis. The pause in global tourism presents the global community with a chance to reassess its priorities. It also allows us to put the principles that are central to the work of UNWTO—namely that tourism works for people and planet, and should be open to all and benefit all—front and centre of everything we do.

The number one priority, however, is to build trust and confidence. Only by making people feel safe and encouraging them to travel again will the benefits that tourism offers start to return. UNWTO, as the specialized United Nations agency for tourism, must lead by example. To this end, as soon as it was safely possible, in-person visits to member States resumed: to the Canary Islands and Ibiza in Spain, to Italy, and to Saudi Arabia. The decision was also made to hold a hybrid Executive Council meeting, the first in-person meeting of the tourism sector and the United Nations to be held since the start of the pandemic. This brought together 170 delegates from 24 countries, sending a clear message that safe international travel is now possible in many parts of the world, thus providing a vital confidence boost for the sector.

As tourism restarts in many parts of the world, with growing numbers of countries easing travel restrictions, the sector’s position within the work of the United Nations has never been more relevant. UNWTO leads the restart guided by the principles of the Tbilisi Declaration , signed by our member States in Georgia at the close of the UNWTO Executive Council (15–17 September 2020). The Declaration recognizes the importance of tourism to livelihoods, to economic prosperity and opportunity, and to preserving our shared and unique culture. Signatories also committed to building back better, prioritizing sustainability and equality, and ensuring that, as tourism builds a brighter future, nobody is left behind.

The UN Chronicle  is not an official record. It is privileged to host senior United Nations officials as well as distinguished contributors from outside the United Nations system whose views are not necessarily those of the United Nations. Similarly, the boundaries and names shown, and the designations used, in maps or articles do not necessarily imply endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

Voices for Peace: The Crucial Role of Victims of Terrorism as Peace Advocates and Educators

In the face of unimaginable pain and trauma, victims and survivors of terrorism emerge as strong advocates for community resilience, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.

Sailors for Sustainability: Sailing the Globe to Document Proven Solutions for Sustainable Living

Most of the solutions we have described are tangible examples of sustainability in action. Yet our sailing journey also made us realize that the most important ingredient for a sustainable future is sustainability from within. By that we mean adopting a different way of perceiving the Earth and our role in it.

What if We Could Put an End to Loss of Precious Lives on the Roads?

Road safety is neither confined to public health nor is it restricted to urban planning. It is a core 2030 Agenda matter. Reaching the objective of preventing at least 50 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030 would be a significant contribution to every SDG and SDG transition.

Documents and publications

• Yearbook of the United Nations 
• Basic Facts About the United Nations
• Journal of the United Nations
• Meetings Coverage and Press Releases
• United Nations Official Document System (ODS)
• Africa Renewal

Libraries and Archives

• Dag Hammarskjöld Library
• UN Audiovisual Library
• UN Archives and Records Management 
• Audiovisual Library of International Law
• UN iLibrary 

News and media

• UN News Centre 
• UN Chronicle on Twitter
• UN Chronicle on Facebook

The UN at Work

• 17 Goals to Transform Our World
• Official observances
• United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)
• Protecting Human Rights
• Maintaining International Peace and Security
• The Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
• United Nations Careers

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

• THE BIG IDEA

Why travel should be considered an essential human activity

Travel is not rational, but it’s in our genes. Here’s why you should start planning a trip now.

In 1961, legendary National Geographic photographer Volkmar Wentzel captured two women gazing at the surf off Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. This and all the other images in this story come from the National Geographic image collection.

I’ve been putting my passport to good use lately. I use it as a coaster and to level wobbly table legs. It makes an excellent cat toy.

Welcome to the pandemic of disappointments. Canceled trips, or ones never planned lest they be canceled. Family reunions, study-abroad years, lazy beach vacations. Poof. Gone. Obliterated by a tiny virus, and the long list of countries where United States passports are not welcome.

Only a third of Americans say they have traveled overnight for leisure since March, and only slightly more, 38 percent, say they are likely to do so by the end of the year, according to one report. Only a quarter of us plan on leaving home for Thanksgiving, typically the busiest travel time. The numbers paint a grim picture of our stilled lives.

It is not natural for us to be this sedentary. Travel is in our genes. For most of the time our species has existed, “we’ve lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers moving about in small bands of 150 or fewer people,” writes Christopher Ryan in Civilized to Death . This nomadic life was no accident. It was useful. “Moving to a neighboring band is always an option to avoid brewing conflict or just for a change in social scenery,” says Ryan. Robert Louis Stevenson put it more succinctly: “The great affair is to move.”

What if we can’t move, though? What if we’re unable to hunt or gather? What’s a traveler to do? There are many ways to answer that question. “Despair,” though, is not one of them.

In this aerial view from 1967, wall-to-wall seaside sunbathers relax under umbrellas or on beach towels in Ocean City, Maryland .

A 1967 fall festival in Guadalajara, Mexico , starred traditionally costumed musicians and dancers.

We are an adaptive species. We can tolerate brief periods of forced sedentariness. A dash of self-delusion helps. We’re not grounded, we tell ourselves. We’re merely between trips, like the unemployed salesman in between opportunities. We pass the days thumbing though old travel journals and Instagram feeds. We gaze at souvenirs. All this helps. For a while.

We put on brave faces. “Staycation Nation,” the cover of the current issue of Canadian Traveller magazine declares cheerfully, as if it were a choice, not a consolation.

Today, the U.S. Travel Association, the industry trade organization, is launching a national recovery campaign called “ Let’s Go There .” Backed by a coalition of businesses related to tourism—hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, airlines—the initiative’s goal is to encourage Americans to turn idle wanderlust into actual itineraries.

The travel industry is hurting. So are travelers. “I dwelled so much on my disappointment that it almost physically hurt,” Paris -based journalist Joelle Diderich told me recently, after canceling five trips last spring.

(Related: How hard has the coronavirus hit the travel industry? These charts tell us.)

My friend James Hopkins is a Buddhist living in Kathmandu . You’d think he’d thrive during the lockdown, a sort-of mandatory meditation retreat. For a while he did.

But during a recent Skype call, James looked haggard and dejected. He was growing restless, he confessed, and longed “for the old 10-countries-a-year schedule.” Nothing seemed to help, he told me. “No matter how many candles I lit, or how much incense I burned, and in spite of living in one of the most sacred places in South Asia, I just couldn’t change my habits.”

When we ended our call, I felt relieved, my grumpiness validated. It’s not me; it’s the pandemic. But I also worried. If a Buddhist in Kathmandu is going nuts, what hope do the rest of us stilled souls have?

I think hope lies in the very nature of travel. Travel entails wishful thinking. It demands a leap of faith, and of imagination, to board a plane for some faraway land, hoping, wishing, for a taste of the ineffable. Travel is one of the few activities we engage in not knowing the outcome and reveling in that uncertainty. Nothing is more forgettable than the trip that goes exactly as planned.

Related: Vintage photos of the glamour of travel

Travel is not a rational activity. It makes no sense to squeeze yourself into an alleged seat only to be hurled at frightening speed to a distant place where you don’t speak the language or know the customs. All at great expense. If we stopped to do the cost-benefit analysis, we’d never go anywhere. Yet we do.

That’s one reason why I’m bullish on travel’s future. In fact, I’d argue travel is an essential industry, an essential activity. It’s not essential the way hospitals and grocery stores are essential. Travel is essential the way books and hugs are essential. Food for the soul. Right now, we’re between courses, savoring where we’ve been, anticipating where we’ll go. Maybe it’s Zanzibar and maybe it’s the campground down the road that you’ve always wanted to visit.

(Related: Going camping this fall? Here’s how to get started.)

James Oglethorpe, a seasoned traveler, is happy to sit still for a while, and gaze at “the slow change of light and clouds on the Blue Ridge Mountains” in Virginia, where he lives. “My mind can take me the rest of the way around this world and beyond it.”

It’s not the place that is special but what we bring to it and, crucially, how we interact with it. Travel is not about the destination, or the journey. It is about stumbling across “a new way of looking at things,” as writer Henry Miller observed. We need not travel far to gain a fresh perspective.

No one knew this better than Henry David Thoreau , who lived nearly all of his too-short life in Concord, Massachusetts. There he observed Walden Pond from every conceivable vantage point: from a hilltop, on its shores, underwater. Sometimes he’d even bend over and peer through his legs, marveling at the inverted world. “From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow,” he wrote.

Thoreau never tired of gazing at his beloved pond, nor have we outgrown the quiet beauty of our frumpy, analog world. If anything, the pandemic has rekindled our affection for it. We’ve seen what an atomized, digital existence looks like, and we (most of us anyway) don’t care for it. The bleachers at Chicago ’s Wrigley Field; the orchestra section at New York City ’s Lincoln Center; the alleyways of Tokyo . We miss these places. We are creatures of place, and always will be.

After the attacks of September 11, many predicted the end of air travel, or at least a dramatic reduction. Yet the airlines rebounded steadily and by 2017 flew a record four billion passengers. Briefly deprived of the miracle of flight, we appreciated it more and today tolerate the inconvenience of body scans and pat-downs for the privilege of transporting our flesh-and-bone selves to far-flung locations, where we break bread with other incarnate beings.

Landscape architects work in their Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , studio in 1955.

A tourist photographs a towering century plant in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1956.

In our rush to return to the world, we should be mindful of the impact of mass tourism on the planet. Now is the time to embrace the fundamental values of sustainable tourism and let them guide your future journeys. Go off the beaten path. Linger longer in destinations. Travel in the off-season. Connect with communities and spend your money in ways that support locals. Consider purchasing carbon offsets. And remember that the whole point of getting out there is to embrace the differences that make the world so colorful.

“One of the great benefits of travel is meeting new people and coming into contact with different points of view,” says Pauline Frommer, travel expert and radio host.

So go ahead and plan that trip. It’s good for you, scientists say . Plotting a trip is nearly as enjoyable as actually taking one. Merely thinking about a pleasurable experience is itself pleasurable. Anticipation is its own reward.

I’ve witnessed first-hand the frisson of anticipatory travel. My wife, not usually a fan of travel photography, now spends hours on Instagram, gazing longingly at photos of Alpine lodges and Balinese rice fields. “What’s going on?” I asked one day. “They’re just absolutely captivating,” she replied. “They make me remember that there is a big, beautiful world out there.”

Many of us, myself included, have taken travel for granted. We grew lazy and entitled, and that is never good. Tom Swick, a friend and travel writer, tells me he used to view travel as a given. Now, he says, “I look forward to experiencing it as a gift.”

Related Topics

• TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
• VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

You May Also Like

How to take perfect portrait photos

Don’t rely on social media: Here’s why you should keep a travel journal

Become a subscriber and support our award-winning editorial features, videos, photography, and much more..

For as little as $2/mo.

What's new in London's museums ahead of King Charles III's Coronation

Why do we blindly follow trends—even when they’re bad for us?

What is somatic therapy? These are the mental and physical benefits of the holistic treatment

Why do so many virtual assistants have female voices?

Explore 6 of history’s most infamous scams and hoaxes

• Best of the World
• Environment
• Paid Content

History & Culture

• History & Culture
• Out of Eden Walk
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Here Not There
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

The impact of tourism: How can we all do this better?

John perrottet, beril benli.

Tourism is growing, and growing fast. After surpassing 1 billion international visitors in 2012, we are expecting 1.8 billion by 2030. Tourism is growing faster than the global economy and, for the first time, the statistics for 2015 are expected to show that there were more trips taken to the developing world than to the developed world. But what does this actually mean? Growth, on its own, is not enough. Destinations and their stakeholders are responsible for ensuring that growth is well-managed; that benefits are maximized; and that any negative externalities are minimized. This requires a continuous process of planning and management that evolves and that can be measured over time. For the World Bank Group, our clients and our development partners, this process of planning and management is a central interest. How can we help these processes to deliver more and better development impact? What kinds of interventions or types of assistance will deliver the best results? How do you define the best results – for whom? – and how do we measure them? Being able to demonstrate how the tourism sector contributes to the Bank Group’s twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity is an imperative for all stakeholders. It’s relevant for national governments, sub-national state agencies, businesses (both multinationals and SMEs), multilateral development banks, NGOs, academics and think tanks. Moreover, it’s vital in helping guide future planning and development, gaining access to and applying for funding, and demonstrating progress to constituents at all levels.

Despite the great breadth and depth of existing impact information, however, serious concerns remain about the accuracy, complexity, gaps, comparability and sustainability of the types of the impact analyses that have been carried out. The Bank Group’s Sustainable Tourism Global Solutions Group recently convened a thought-leadership event in Washington to begin a preliminary discussion about how all stakeholders can come together to try and address some of the current shortcomings. During the “ Measuring for Impact in Touris m” event, we heard about a wide range of challenges for those working in this area and we began to map out the greatest gaps and issues. As Anabel Gonzalez, the Senior Director of the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice, said at that conference: “We want to be better at monitoring and evaluating our impact, we want to learn from others, and we want to contribute more effectively to tourism development.  I believe these are goals most of you will share. We invite you to join this discussion – and be frank, open and provocative.”The findings can be found in our report, “ Towards More Effective Impact Measurement in the Tourism Sector: Observations and Key Issues ,” which highlights a number of priorities. Some of those challenges concern the availability, quality and consistency of data; the high cost of impact measurement for SMEs; the proliferation of different systems; issues of attribution; quantifying notions of “value”; and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences. Some key areas for immediate follow-up and further analysis were also identified. They include:

• Exploring the theory of change by examining more closely the proposition  that, when tourism growth occurs, those living in extreme poverty benefit and by digging deeper into what tourism growth really means for the poor, especially in terms of employment. 
• Assessing the impact value of different types of tourism.
• Assessing and developing the role of technology for data collection, impact measurement and communication.
• Evaluating the use of training for better communication – including assessing what has been tried and what has worked and considering how it could be scaled up. 
• Analyzing the necessity and practicality of improving collaboration among various actors, and assessing the alignment of frameworks along with proposals for greater alignment.
• Developing ideas and proposals for the enhanced sharing and pooling of impact data.
• Developing ideas and proposals for greater inclusion of SMEs.
• Competitiveness
• Digital Development
• Urban Development

Get updates from Private Sector Development Blog

Thank you for choosing to be part of the Private Sector Development Blog community!

Your subscription is now active. The latest blog posts and blog-related announcements will be delivered directly to your email inbox. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Senior Industry Specialist

Junior Professional Associate

Join the Conversation

• Share on mail
• comments added

Pros and Cons of Tourism

Be it Niagara Falls, The Grand Canyon, or the Amazon Rainforest, these places have numerous reasons to attract tourists every year. Tourists love to visit such spots looking for fun, amusement, and even finding peace of mind. Tourism has turned into a thriving industry in many countries. Governments and local communities reap the benefits of tourism in many different ways. But those advantages come with certain risks as well. However, like everything else, there are pros and cons of tourism . You should be taking a closer look at the good and the bad of tourism before you set a vacation schedule alone or with your friends and families.

What are the Pros of Tourism?

In 2021, tourism to Grand Canyon National Park made a significant contribution of $710 million to the local economy, reports National Park Service.

1. Economic Boost

Tourism is a significant contributor to the economy of a country. By attracting tourists, nations can create sustainable revenue streams, generate job opportunities, and boost growth across several sectors. According to a report by NPS, the park welcomed approximately 4.5 million visitors to the Grand Canyon, spending an estimated $710 million in the surrounding gateway regions.

2. Cultural Exchange

Travel can bring people together and provide a unique opportunity to share ideas and experiences. Travelers often have an open mind about different cultures and customs, so they are eager to explore new places. This type of exchange can break down cultural barriers between countries by allowing each party to understand the other's culture better. This exchange of cultural values can be counted as one of the major advantages of tourism.

3. Environmental Conservation

All natural heritages are tourist spots, and people come to admire the view. One of the significant advantages of tourism is that it can help protect and preserve the environment. Local governments can invest the revenue generated by tourism for the betterment of environmentally sensitive regions and areas with fragile ecosystems.

4. Improved Infrastructure is Among the Pros of Tourism

With the influx of tourists, countries can consider upgrading their infrastructure to accommodate visitors' needs. This includes constructing new airports, roads, accommodations, and public facilities such as parks and museums. This positive change can be felt both by the tourists and the inhabitants.

5. Global Recognition

Tourism is an essential part of many countries economies, and it can also provide significant global recognition for the destination. A well-designed tourism strategy that attracts a high volume of international visitors can bring in foreign money, create jobs, and help to develop infrastructure. It also raises awareness about an area, leading to increased interest from the rest of the world.

What are the Cons of Tourism?

Besides the positive changes, tourism also has its share of downsides. Most of the cons of the tourism industry are associated with the misuse of natural resources. Some of the other problems with tourism include:

1. Environmental Damage

Tourism can lead to environmental damage in many ways. For example, it can impact water resources through increased water and wastewater production demand. It can also add to pollution by generating emissions from transportation as visitors travel around the area. Additionally, tourists may increase pressure on local land resources, leading to deforestation and loss of habitats for native species.

2. Displaced Communities

Tourism often brings economic benefits to local communities. Still, when done in a way that does not consider the local community's needs and aspirations, it can cause displacement. Communities may be displaced from their traditional lands or homes, pushing them away from the resources they need for subsistence. This can be particularly detrimental if these resources are already scarce or difficult to access.

3. Cultural Erosion

Cultural Erosion is one of the most dreaded cons of tourism. A tourist destination with a distinct local culture is prone to changes due to the influx of tourists. The more tourism activities are higher the chances of community displacement.

This phenomenon is often compounded by the fact that many tourists come from cultures very different to those of the local community, and their presence can lead to a sudden change in cultural values. This rapid transition can significantly damage a community as its members may no longer feel represented or respected.

4. Economic Dependence

The COVID-19 pandemic best explains how tourism can suddenly burden an economy. As the pandemic wiped out all income for many countries' businesses, many had to rely heavily on government support and bailouts as their primary sources of revenue. This has resulted in rising debts due to emergency aid distributions and other fiscal measures associated with relief during this crisis.

5. Overcrowding

Visiting a particular area can harm the environment and local culture as tourism grows. One of the main disadvantages of tourism is overcrowding, which can strain resources, increase pollution, and damage natural habitats.

Overcrowding can decrease the quality of life for residents, as tourists take up public space and resources. It can also affect the health and safety of visitors who may be exposed to increased levels of crime or air pollution.

Conclusion on the Pros and Cons of Tourism

The pros and cons of tourism are complex if you evaluate them thoroughly. It is easy to see that people benefit from increased access to new cultures, experiences, and destinations.

On the other hand, there are real risks associated with tourist activities like over-tourism and the destruction of natural spaces. Therefore, it's up to individuals to assess these impacts on their own terms. It's up to every citizen to become responsible travelers who understand tourism's positive and negative effects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the cons of tourism.

Tourism frequently exerts excessive strain on natural resources due to overconsumption, particularly in areas with limited resources. It places immense pressure on local land utilization, resulting in soil erosion, heightened pollution levels, loss of natural habitats, and increased jeopardy for endangered species.

What are the pros of tourism?

It fosters job creation, bolsters the local economy, facilitates infrastructure development, preserves the natural environment and cultural heritage, and works towards alleviating poverty and inequality.

What are the social benefits of tourism?

Tourism brings forth numerous social benefits, showcasing its positive impacts on society. These encompass the preservation of local culture and heritage, the fostering of vibrant communities, the provision of essential social services, the promotion of cultural and artistic commerce, the revitalization of customs and art forms, as well as the safeguarding of our precious heritage.

Who does tourism help?

Tourists contribute to the local economy by spending their money, leading to job creation and economic growth. This support is particularly crucial for small businesses, which often struggle to generate substantial profits.

What's your reaction?

Quick links.

• » Home
• » About us
• » Contact us
• » Post Article
• » Privacy policy
• » Terms and Conditions
• » Health and Wellness
• » Education and Communication
• » Computers and Electronics
• » Personal Care and Style
• » Travel Updates and Tourism Guide
• » Finance and Business Sector
• » Food and Entertainment
• » Home and Garden
• » Automobiles Sector

Top Streams

• Data Science Courses in USA
• Business Analytics Courses in USA
• Engineering Courses in USA
• Tax Courses in USA
• Healthcare Courses in USA
• Language Courses in USA
• Insurance Courses in USA
• Digital Marketing Courses in USA

Top Specialization

• Masters in Data Analytics in USA
• Masters in Mechanical Engineering in USA
• Masters in Supply Chain Management in USA
• Masters in Computer Science in USA
• MBA in Finance in USA
• Masters in Architecture in USA

Top Universities

• Cornell University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• University of California Los Angeles
• University of Harvard
• Stanford University
• Arizona State University
• Northeastern University
• Scholarships to Study in USA
• Project Management Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Australia
• Medical Courses in Australia
• Psychology Courses in Australia
• Interior Designing Courses in Australia
• Pharmacy Courses in Australia
• Social Work Courses in Australia
• MBA in Australia
• Masters in Education in Australia
• Masters in Pharmacy in Australia
• Masters in Information Technology in Australia

BBA in Australia

• Masters in Teaching in Australia
• Masters in Psychology in Australia
• University of Melbourne
• Deakin University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Monash University
• University of Sydney
• University of Queensland
• RMIT University
• Macquarie University
• PR Courses in Australia
• SOP for Australia Student Visa
• Data Science Courses in Canada
• Business Management Courses in Canada
• Supply Chain Management Courses in Canada
• Project Management Courses in Canada
• Business Analytics Courses in Canada
• Hotel Management Courses in Canada
• MBA in Canada
• MS in Canada
• Masters in Computer Science in Canada
• Masters in Management in Canada
• Masters in Psychology in Canada
• Masters in Education in Canada
• MBA in Finance in Canada
• Masters in Business Analytics in Canada
• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia
• McGill University
• University of Alberta
• York University
• University of Calgary
• Algoma University
• University Canada West
• IELTS requirement for Canada Student Visa
• Canada Visa Interview
• Top cities in Canada for International Students
• Project Management Courses in UK
• Data Science Courses in UK
• Public Health Courses in UK
• Digital Marketing Courses in UK
• Hotel Management Courses in UK
• Nursing Courses in UK
• Medicine Courses in UK
• Interior Designing Courses in UK
• Masters in Computer Science in UK
• Masters in Psychology in UK
• MBA in Finance in UK
• MBA in Healthcare Management in UK
• Masters in Education in UK
• Masters in Marketing in UK
• MBA in HR in UK
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Coventry University
• University of East London
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Birmingham
• Imperial College London
• University of Glasgow

Top Resources

• Universities in Germany
• Study in Germany
• Masters in Germany
• Courses in Germany
• Bachelors in Germany
• Germany Job Seeker Visa
• Cost of Living in Germany
• Best Universities in Germany

Top Courses

• Masters in Data Science in Germany
• MS in Computer Science in Germany
• Marine Engineering in Germany
• MS Courses in Germany
• Masters in Psychology in Germany
• Hotel Management Courses in Germany
• Masters in Economics in Germany
• Paramedical Courses in Germany
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• University of Bonn
• University of Freiburg
• University of Hamburg
• University of Stuttgart
• Saarland University
• Mannheim University
• MBA in Ireland
• Phd in Ireland
• Masters in Computer Science Ireland
• Cyber Security in Ireland
• Masters in Data Analytics Ireland
• Ms in Data Science in Ireland
• Pharmacy courses in ireland
• Business Analytics Course in Ireland
• Universities in Ireland
• Study in Ireland
• Masters in Ireland
• Courses in Ireland
• Bachelors in Ireland
• Cost of Living in Ireland
• Ireland Student Visa
• Part Time Jobs in Ireland
• Trinity College Dublin
• University College Dublin
• Dublin City University
• University of Limerick
• Dublin Business School
• Maynooth University
• University College Cork
• National College of Ireland

Colleges & Courses

• Masters in France
• Phd in France
• Study Medicine in France
• Best Universities in Frankfurt
• Best Architecture Colleges in France
• ESIGELEC France
• Study in France for Indian Students
• Intakes in France
• SOP for France Visa
• Study in France from India
• Reasons to Study in France
• How to Settle in France

More About France

• Cost of Living in France
• France Study Visa
• Cost of Living in Frankfurt
• France Scholarship for Indian Students
• Part Time Jobs in France
• Stay Back in France After Masters

About Finland

• Universities in Finland
• Study in Finland
• Courses in Finland
• Bachelor Courses in Finland
• Masters Courses in Finland
• Cost of Living in Finland
• MS in Finland
• Average Fees in Finland Universities
• PhD in Finland
• Jobs in Finland
• Bachelor Degree in Medicine & Surgery
• MBBS Courses in Georgia
• MBBS Courses in Russia
• Alte University
• Caucasus University
• Georgian National University SEU
• David Tvildiani Medical University
• Caspian International School Of Medicine
• Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University
• Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
• Cremeia Federal University
• Bashkir State Medical University
• Kursk State Medical University
• Andijan State Medical Institute
• IELTS Syllabus
• IELTS Prepration
• IELTS Eligibility
• IELTS Test Format
• IELTS Band Descriptors
• IELTS Speaking test
• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS score validity
• IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Reading Answers Sample

• Animal Camouflage
• Types Of Societies
• Australia Convict Colonies
• A Spark A Flint
• Emigration To The Us
• The History Of Salt
• Zoo Conservation Programmes
• The Robots Are Coming
• The Development Of Plastic

IELTS Speaking Cue Card Sample

• Describe A Puzzle You Have Played
• Describe A Long Walk You Ever Had
• Describe Your Favourite Movie
• Describe A Difficult Thing You did
• Describe A Businessman You Admire
• Memorable Day in My Life
• Describe Your Dream House
• Describe A Bag You Want to Own
• Describe a Famous Athlete You Know
• Aquatic Animal

IELTS Essay Sample Sample

• Best Education System
• IELTS Opinion Essay
• Agree or Disagree Essay
• Problem Solution Essays
• Essay on Space Exploration
• Essay On Historical Places
• Essay Writing Samples
• Tourism Essay
• Global Warming Essay
• GRE Exam Fees
• GRE Exam Syllabus
• GRE Exam Eligibility
• Sections in GRE Exam
• GRE Exam Benefits
• GRE Exam Results
• GRE Cutoff for US Universities
• GRE Preparation
• Send GRE scores to Universities

GRE Exam Study Material

• GRE Verbal Preparation
• GRE Study Material
• GRE AWA Essays
• GRE Sample Issue Essays
• Stanford University GRE Cutoff
• Harvard University GRE Cutoff
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning
• GRE Verbal Reasoning
• GRE Reading Comprehension
• Prepare for GRE in 2 months

Other Resources

• Documents Required For Gre Exam
• GRE Exam Duration
• GRE at Home
• GRE vs GMAT
• Improve GRE Verbal Scores

Free GRE Ebooks

• GRE Preparation Guide (Free PDF)
• GRE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• GMAT Eligibility
• GMAT Syllabus
• GMAT Exam Dates
• GMAT Registration
• GMAT Exam Fees
• GMAT Sections
• GMAT Purpose

GMAT Exam Study Material

• How to prepare for GMAT?
• GMAT Score Validity
• GMAT Preparation Books
• GMAT Preparation
• GMAT Exam Duration
• GMAT Score for Harvard
• GMAT Reading Comprehension
• GMAT Retake Strategy

Free GMAT Ebooks

• GMAT Guide PDF
• Download GMAT Syllabus PDF
• TOEFL Exam Registration
• TOEFL Exam Eligibility
• TOEFL Exam Pattern
• TOEFL Exam Preparation
• TOEFL Exam Tips
• TOEFL Exam Dates
• Documents for TOEFL Exam
• TOEFL Exam Fee

TOEFL Exam Study Material

• TOEFL Preparation Books
• TOEFL Speaking Section
• TOEFL Score and Results
• TOEFL Writing Section
• TOEFL Reading Section
• TOEFL Listening Section
• TOEFL Vocabulary
• Types of Essays in TOEFL

Free TOEFL Ebooks

• TOEFL Exam Guide (Free PDF)
• PTE Exam Dates
• PTE Exam Syllabus
• PTE Exam Eligibility Criteria
• PTE Test Centers in India
• PTE Exam Pattern
• PTE Exam Fees
• PTE Exam Duration
• PTE Exam Registration

PTE Exam Study Material

• PTE Exam Preparation
• PTE Speaking Test
• PTE Reading Test
• PTE Listening Test
• PTE Writing Test
• PTE Essay Writing
• PTE exam for Australia

Free PTE Ebooks

• PTE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Exam
• Duolingo Test Eligibility
• Duolingo Exam Pattern
• Duolingo Exam Fees
• Duolingo Test Validity
• Duolingo Syllabus
• Duolingo Preparation

Duolingo Exam Study Material

• Duolingo Exam Dates
• Duolingo Test Score
• Duolingo Test Results
• Duolingo Test Booking

Free Duolingo Ebooks

• Duolingo Guide (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Test Pattern (Free PDF)

NEET & MCAT Exam

• NEET Study Material
• NEET Preparation
• MCAT Eligibility
• MCAT Preparation

SAT & ACT Exam

• ACT Eligibility
• ACT Exam Dates
• SAT Syllabus
• SAT Exam Pattern
• SAT Exam Eligibility

USMLE & OET Exam

• USMLE Syllabus
• USMLE Preparation
• USMLE Step 1
• OET Syllabus
• OET Eligibility
• OET Prepration

PLAB & LSAT Exam

• PLAB Exam Syllabus
• PLAB Exam Fees
• LSAT Eligibility
• LSAT Registration
• PLAB Accepted Countries
• TOEIC Result
• Study Guide

Application Process

• LOR for Masters
• SOP Samples for MS
• LOR for Phd
• SOP for Internship
• SOP for Phd
• Check Visa Status
• Motivation Letter Format
• Motivation Letter for Internship
• F1 Visa Documents Checklist

Career Prospects

• Popular Courses after Bcom in Abroad
• Part Time Jobs in Australia
• Part Time Jobs in USA
• Salary after MS in Germany
• Salary after MBA in Canada
• Average Salary in Singapore
• Higher Studies after MBA in Abroad
• Study in Canada after 12th
• Most Demanding Engineering Fields

Trending Topics

• Best Education System in World
• Best Flying Schools in World
• Top Free Education Countries
• Best Countries to Migrate from India
• 1 Year PG Diploma Courses in Canada
• Germany Post Study Work Visa
• Post Study Visa in USA
• Packing List for Indian Students
• Data Science Vs Data Analytics
• Public Vs Private Universities in Germany
• Universities Vs Colleges
• Difference Between GPA and CGPA
• Undergraduate Vs Graduate
• MBA in UK Vs MBA in USA
• Degree Vs Diploma in Canada
• IELTS vs TOEFL
• Duolingo English Test vs. IELTS
• Canada Vs India

Why Study in Canada

• Cost of Living in Canada
• Education System in Canada
• SOP for Canada
• Summer Intake in Canada
• Spring Intake in Canada
• Winter Intake in Canada
• Accommodation in Canada for Students
• Average Salary in Canada
• Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada
• Why Study in USA
• Cost of Studying in USA
• Spring Intake in USA
• Winter Intake in USA
• Summer Intake in USA
• STEM Courses in USA
• Scholarships for MS in USA
• Acceptable Study Gap in USA
• Interesting Facts about USA
• Free USA course
• Why Study in UK
• Cost of Living in UK
• Cost of Studying in UK
• Education System in UK
• Summer Intake in UK
• Spring Intake in UK
• Student Visa for UK
• Accommodation in UK for Students
• Scholarships in UK
• Why Study in Germany
• Cost of Studying in Germany
• Education System in Germany
• SOP for Germany
• Summer Intake in Germany
• Winter Intake in Germany
• Study Visa for Germany
• Accommodation in Germany for Students
• Free Education in Germany

Country Guides

• Study in UK
• Study in Canada
• Study in USA
• Study in Australia
• SOP Samples for Canada Student Visa
• US F1 Visa Guide for Aspirants

Exams Guides

• Duolingo Test Pattern

Recommended Reads

• Fully Funded Masters Guide
• SOP Samples For Australia
• Scholarships for Canada
• Data Science Guide
• SOP for MS in Computer Science
• Study Abroad Exams
• Alumni Connect
• Booster Program
• Scholarship

GPA CALCULATOR Convert percentage marks to GPA effortlessly with our calculator!

Expense calculator plan your study abroad expenses with our comprehensive calculator, ielts band calculator estimate your ielts band score with our accurate calculator, education loan calculator discover your eligible loan amount limit with our education calculator, university partner explore growth and opportunities with our university partnership, accommodation discover your perfect study abroad accommodation here, experience-center discover our offline centers for a personalized experience, our offices visit us for expert study abroad counseling..

• 18002102030
• Study Abroad

Advantages and Disadvantages of Tourism IELTS Essay: Sample

• IELTS Preparation
• IELTS E-Books
• IELTS Registration
• IELTS Exam Fee
• IELTS Exam Dates 2024
• Documents Required
• IELTS Test Centers
• Test Format
• Band Descriptors
• IELTS Speaking Test
• General Reading Test
• General Writing Task
• IELTS Coaching
• Types of Essays
• IELTS for Australia
• IELTS Results
• Generation Gap Essay
• GPA Calculator
• Study Abroad Consultant In India
• Study Visa Consultants in India

Updated on 29 July, 2024

Sunita Kadian

Ielts expert.

You can readily check out the samples for the advantages and disadvantages of a tourism IELTS essay here. There are 40 minutes that you will get for completing the essay, with the minimum word count being 250. The upper limit is not present in most scenarios. Make sure that you check the samples carefully for the writing style.

Table of Contents

Advantages and disadvantages of tourism ielts essay samples - 2, download ielts sample papers, frequently asked questions, important study abroad articles, study abroad without ielts, advantages and disadvantages of tourism ielts essay samples.

Question-  Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world .

Essay 1- 

In a time when globalization is sweeping the entire ecosystem, tourism has a crucial responsibility for developing global economies and nations. Nowadays, tourism is what makes widespread economic contributions to all countries, although there are a few negatives as well. This essay talks about the advantages and disadvantages of tourism before concluding with a final opinion. 

The biggest benefits of tourism are quite obvious, i.e., boosting the national GDP and economy and creating more employment for local citizens and communities. Tourists use diverse solutions while traveling, including booking hotels, flights, transportation, and guides. They also require food, shopping, and leisure while indulging in a wide gamut of other activities. This leads to extra income for thousands, which contributes handsomely to the country's economy. Tourism increases the GDP significantly and helps create more employment opportunities. People are always needed as tour guides, operators, booking agents, hotel and restaurant staff, transportation personnel, etc. Tourism thus has huge benefits to bring to the table for any country and its local population. 

Yet, there are some negatives of tourism as well. This includes the rampant damage of several well-known destinations and increased crime or illegal activities. The huge number of tourists thronging popular cultural and historical landmarks and monuments and other centers of pilgrimage lead to major structural and environmental damage. Along with this aspect, national resources are often overused and overexploited for handling this rush of tourists. At the same time, tourists bring their jewelry, money, and other expensive items, becoming targets for anti-social criminals and thieves, leading to a growth in illegal activities and crime. Hence, tourism has some disadvantages as well. However, the Government can take proactive steps to eliminate the same by providing more security and policing while maintaining popular monuments, tourist spots, and natural resources alike. 

To conclude, it can be said that while tourism does have specific disadvantages, it has a positive impact on livelihood, national economies, and overall employment. It also fosters cultural exchange, information gathering, and educational growth. Hence, while Governments may fix the negatives with proactive measures, the positives far outweigh them, in my opinion. (370 words)

Important Resources to Read About IELTS Exam:

Master IELTS for FREE

Unlock your potential with our expertly crafted IELTS FREE Course designed to help you achieve your desired band score. Don't miss this unique opportunity to start your journey towards global success.

In this Course you will find:

• Expert instructions from experienced instructor.
• Comprehensive coverage of all IELTS modules.
• Flexible, self-paced online learning.
• Interactive lessons and practice tests.
• Exclusive tips and strategies.

Download E-Books for IELTS Preparation

Tourism has witnessed rapid development over several decades, becoming a major industry worldwide. The global tourism sector is responsible for generating a major percentage of economic wealth for several countries. Most developing economies are also hugely dependent upon tourism for earning national income and the smooth operation of several business sectors and industries, along with maintaining their levels of employment generation. Yet, like every other sector and institution, tourism will always have some advantages and disadvantages. Hence, in this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of tourism in detail to have a balanced insight. 

The growth and development of global tourism naturally bring myriad benefits to entire cities, countries, and communities alike. Tourism is one of the biggest foreign exchange sources and boosts the monetary positions of countries by adding to their economy and GPD alike. Whenever tourists visit any other country, they usually use various services and products that enable industries such as hotels and hospitality, airlines, transportation, leisure, food and beverages, souvenirs, apparel, and more. Other benefits of tourism include better relationships and political equations amongst nations, easier travel regulations, and inter-cultural and socio-economic exchange, which fosters better understanding, knowledge, and education overall. Heritage is also promoted and understood by every country at a global level. 

However, there are several disadvantages of tourism as well. Growth in tourism means a higher chance of illegal activities and crime, especially theft, since tourists bring valuables in their wake. Secondly, foreign tourists often damage and vandalize places of national interest and importance. They often litter areas while damaging natural resources and beautiful spots simultaneously. They are often ignorant about social and legal conventions in foreign countries and end up violating the same in some situations. Tourism also opens up avenues for illegal migration and trading illegal items at times. However, despite all these disadvantages, I firmly believe that the advantages surpass them in every sense of the term. (339 words)

In conclusion, tourism undeniably plays a critical role in the global economy and cultural exchange, offering substantial benefits such as economic growth, cultural preservation, and international understanding. However, it also poses challenges including environmental impact, cultural commodification, and economic dependence. Balancing these advantages and disadvantages requires sustainable and responsible tourism practices that respect local cultures, protect natural environments, and promote equitable economic benefits. As the world continues to become increasingly interconnected, understanding and addressing the complexities of tourism is essential for preserving its positive impacts while mitigating its negative effects. This nuanced approach to tourism, embracing both its benefits and challenges, is key to ensuring that it remains a positive force in our global society. Read More About IELTS:

What are the benefits and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world?

Tourism has many advantages in the contemporary world. It promotes global connections and cultural exchange while leading to more information dissemination and helps people experience and understand new things. It helps in new business opportunities, generates direct and indirect employment, adds to the GDP of the country and earnings of the region and its local people, promotes entrepreneurship and also works to promote the country globally. 

The disadvantages include pollution, littering, waste and a strain on the natural resources and infrastructure of the country. Tourism often leads to severe income dependency and may cause fluctuations in the future as a result. It often leads to crime going up in a country owing to the influx of different people. It may cause chaos and congestion as well. Sometimes, over-tourism makes it difficult to preserve and maintain natural and cultural heritage as well.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of tourism IELTS essay?

You will have to answer the question given in the essay which goes as follows-  Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world . You will have to first provide an introduction talking about the question and your own opinion regarding the same. Then talk about the benefits of tourism in a paragraph, following it up with another paragraph on the negative aspects of tourism. You can then sign off with a conclusion.

What advantages can tourism bring to cities ielts?

You have to write about the distinct tourism advantages for cities. These include the fact that tourism infuses an economic boost for any city along with a steady flow of income and revenues for the Government. It adds to the city’s local economy, creates more jobs and entrepreneurship and also enables inter-cultural exchange and idea/information exchange. It helps a city showcase itself to the world, which brings more business and cultural collaborations in the future.

Why tourism is important for a country IELTS?

Tourism and travel have a huge contribution on the fortunes of any country. This is through not only higher employment and more revenues for the country (that it can spend on infrastructure development) but also through more entrepreneurship, global recognition of a country’s treasures, attractions and achievements and most importantly, the facilitation of cultural and social exchange amongst people of different nations. Travel and tourism plays a vital role in establishing a country’s role in the community of nations.

What are the structures for advantages and disadvantages of tourism essay?

You have to first talk about the given question in your introductory paragraph. You can then state your own opinion in brief about the advantages and disadvantages of tourism. You can then start off with a paragraph detailing the benefits offered by tourism and then talk about the disadvantages of tourism in your essay as well. Thereafter, once these two paragraphs are done, you can write a conclusion, spelling out the topic, your opinion and what you think should be the way forward. This is the basic structure that you can follow in this regard.

Pursue MBA in USA

Learn all about MBA programs in the USA

Scholarships for Students

Learn about types of scholarships, how to get a scholarship, their sources & a lot more.

PNP Program Canada

Learn all about eligibility, documents, application process, cost & more.

Canada Part Time Jobs

Learn how you can earn living costs by doing part-time jobs in Canada.

Statement of Purpose Format

Learn all about how to write a SOP along with perfect SOP samples

Know the best reasons to study in Canada and detailed requirements

Letter of Recommendation Format

Learn all about a LOR and how to write a LOR with these LOR samples

Vidya Lakshmi Portal

Study abroad by applying for a student loan at the Vidya Lakshmi Portal

Masters Courses in USA

Master's in the USA is a dream for aspirants who wish to build a fulfilling career

How to Check Visa Status

Learn how to check your visa status online using the passport number or application ID.

MS in Germany

Know the various courses at top German universities offering MS in Germany.

Experience Certificate

Learn about job experience certificates with work experience certificate format

Study in Germany for Free

Learn about studying in Germany for free for Indian students

CGPA to GPA Conversion

Difference between GPA and CGPA, and also learn how to convert GPA into CGPA.

Best Countries to Study Abroad for Indian Students

Best countries to study abroad with quality education & highly paid job opportunities

Learn about different aspects of pursuing MBA in Australia including the costs involved.

MBBS in Canada

Learn all about pursuing MBBS in Canada including job prospects after graduating.

NOC for Canada

Get complete details of NOC code in Canada to get started with Job hunt in Canada

USA Study Visa Requirements

Learn about USA study visa requirements

What is Motivation Letter

Learn how to write a motivation letter and simplify your admission process.

MS in Data Science in Germany

Save up to 20 Lakhs with upGrad Abroad

BBA in Canada

Study BBA in Canada & save INR 25 Lakhs

BCA in the USA

Study BCA in Australia & Save ₹ 20 Lakhs

Masters in Business Studies in Ireland

Save up to 20 Lakhs on MBS in Ireland

Study BBA in Australia & Save up to INR 20 Lakhs

Sunita Kadian, co-founder and Academic Head at Yuno Learning is an expert in IELTS and English communication. With a background in competitive exam preparation (IELTS, GMAT, CAT, TOEFL), interview prep, and corporate soft skills training, she has adapted these programs for the Yuno platform. Her dedication and commitment earned high praise from students, especially for her public speaking and advanced speaking English courses. Sunita's mastery of language nuances and articulation makes her a favorite among IELTS students. She holds a Postgraduate degree in English Literature, a B.Ed., and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations.

Important Exams

Important resources for ielts, free study abroad counselling, refer your friend & earn upto ₹15000.

Help your friend upgrade to a Global Career and earn rewards together.

TRENDING SEARCHES

Editor's pick, other countries.

• BSc in Nursing
• Masters in Accounting
• Bachelors in Aviation
• MA in Communication
• MS in Australia
• Masters in Business Analytics in Australia
• University of Adelaide
• La Trobe University
• Nursing Courses in Australia
• Courses in Australia
• Masters in Australia
• Universities in Australia
• University of Melbourne Courses
• Masters in Public Health in Australia
• Concordia University
• University of Windsor
• University of Saskatchewan
• University of Manitoba
• Masters in Canada
• Courses in Canada
• Trent University
• Universities in Canada
• Thompson Rivers University
• Masters in Data Science in Canada
• University of Victoria
• Liverpool John Moores University Ranking
• University of Leicester
• Bachelors in UK
• Northumbria University Ranking
• De Montfort University
• University of Strathclyde Ranking
• Queen Mary University of London
• Kings College London
• Birmingham City University
• University of Leicester Ranking
• University of Oxford Courses
• Manchester Metropolitan University Ranking
• Queen Mary University of London Ranking
• Universities in UK
• University of Bristol
• University of West London Ranking
• University of Cambridge Courses
• University of Sussex Ranking
• Courses in UK
• Masters in UK
• University of South Florida ranking
• University of Dayton ranking
• University of Texas at Dallas ranking
• Saint Louis University
• Northeastern University ranking
• Drexel University Ranking
• Northeastern University acceptance rate
• Universities in USA
• masters in computer science in usa
• Bachelors in USA
• University at Buffalo
• University of Texas at Arlington ranking
• Saint Louis University Ranking
• New York University Ranking
• Columbia University Ranking
• DePaul University
• George Mason University ranking
• Courses in USA
• George Mason University
• DePaul University Ranking
• Columbia University Acceptance Rate
• Purdue University
• Pace University
• New York University
• Masters in USA
• Purdue University ranking
• MBA In UK Without Gmat
• Universities in Canada Without IELTS
• IELTS Common Speaking Topics
• How to download IELTS Scorecard
• Usmle Test Centers In India
• IELTS Speaking Scores
• Minimum IELTS Score For Canada
• IELTS Introduction Sample
• Duolingo Accepted Universities In Canada
• IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics
• SAT Exam Syllabus
• Top Phrases for IELTS Speaking Test
• Duolingo vs IELTS
• IELTS Band Score Chart
• Duolingo Accepted Universities In Australia
• 22 July IELTS Exam
• Gre Exam Fee in India
• CEFR Level in IELTS
• GRE Waived University In Usa
• Duolingo Exam Fee
• Gmat Syllabus
• Duolingo Certificate
• Business Courses in Ireland
• Masters Courses in Netherlands
• Courses in Netherlands
• Universities in Netherlands
• Maynooth University Courses
• Dundalk Institute of Technology Courses
• University of Europe for Applied Sciences Acceptance Rate
• Study in Netherlands
• University of Limerick Courses
• Dundalk Institute of Technology
• Technological University Dublin Courses
• Technological University Dublin
• Dublin City University Courses
• National University of Ireland Galway Courses

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.

Call us to clear your doubts at:

• Grievance Redressal
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Report a Vulnerability
• University Partner
• Accommodation
• IELTS Band Calculator
• Download Study Abroad App
• Education Loan Calculator
• upGrad Abroad Office
• Expense Calculator
• Knowledge Base
• Business Partner

Top Destinations

Masters programs.

• MBA in Germany, IU
• MIM in Germany, IU
• MS in CS in Germany, IU
• MS in Data Analytics in USA, Clark University
• MS in Project Management in USA, Clark University
• MS in IT in USA, Clark University
• MS in Data Analytics & Visualization in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Artificial Intelligence in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Cybersecurity, Yeshiva University

Study Abroad Important Blogs

• Cost of Study:
• Cost of Studying in Canada
• Cost of Studying in Ireland
• Cost of Studying in Australia
• Cost of living:
• Cost of living in UK
• Cost of living in Australia
• Cost of living in Germany
• Cost of living in Ireland
• Cost of living in Canada
• Cost of Living in Singapore
• Cost of Living in Netherlands
• Career Opportunities:
• Career Opportunities in Australia
• Career Opportunities in Germany
• Job Opportunities in After MS in Canada
• Job Opportunities After MBA in Australia
• Job Opportunities After MS in UK
• IELTS Exam Resources:
• Academic IELTS
• IELTS Band Score
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Slot Booking
• IELTS Score for UK
• IELTS Score for USA
• Validity of IELTS Score
• IELTS Speaking Topics
• IELTS Reading Tips
• How to Prepare for IELTS at Home Without Coaching
• IELTS Preparation Books
• Types of IELTS Exam
• IELTS Academic vs General
• IELTS Exam Pattern
• IELTS Essay
• IELTS Exam Dates
• Top Streams:
• Fashion Designing Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Canada
• Management Courses in Canada

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Share this content.

• Share this article on facebook
• Share this article on twitter
• Share this article on linkedin

Making Tourism Stronger and Ready for the Future

• All Regions
• 27 Dec 2021

This has been another challenging year for our societies, our economies and tourism. Many millions of jobs and businesses remain in peril, at the mercy of an evolving crisis and of the actions of governments.

However, we are by no means in the same place we were when the pandemic was declared in March 2020. In fact, we have succeeded in laying the foundations to restart tourism around the pillars of sustainability, innovation, people and investing for a resilient future .

Working together

Over the past year, much progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations and in both detecting and treating COVID-19. We have also seen significant progress made in finding the right balance between keeping people safe and keeping the vital lifeline of tourism intact, as illustrated by UNWTO’s effective collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) since the very start of the pandemic.  

A collaborative and multilateral approach is and must remain at the centre of capitalizing on the lessons we have learned in such a short space of time.

Ensuring harmonized travel protocols has been our message since day one. They are at the heart of tourism’s restart in many parts of the world, most notably in the Northern Hemisphere destinations during the peak summer months.

We are also encouraged by the resilience and determination coming from the tourism sector itself, as well as from our Member States.

Like never before, the pandemic has made clear tourism’s relevance to our economies and societies. Tourism is now part of the global conversation and at the heart of both national and international recovery action plans.

Expanding on our mandate

Interest in UNWTO’s innovation and start-up competitions keeps growing, showcasing the talent we have unleashed, and our shared readiness to hear new voices and embrace new ideas.

Our global innovation ecosystem is now made up of more than 12,000 start-ups from 160 countries, with US$83 million mobilized and 300 corporate partners currently working on new tourism technologies.

And UNWTO’s education programmes are reaching unprecedented numbers of people, welcoming more than 20,000 students from 100 countries in just 18 months. We promote lifelong learning thanks to partnerships with the world’s top five institutions in tourism and hospitality. Together, IE university, Les Roches, Glion Institute of Higher Education, École Ducasse and the Swiss Education Group offer 19 online courses in Spanish, English and Arabic - a true ‘online university of universities’.

Underpinning it all are data analytics on tourism investments powered by our partnership with the Financial Times . Through this, we have produced the first UNWTO tourism investment guidelines , which we are now scaling up to create guidelines for doing tourism businesses by country.

Restarting tourism is unthinkable without green investments. We are collaborating with institutions such as the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the Inter-American Development Bank. To date, more than 200 investors are part of UNWTO’s global investment network advancing critical work such as supporting hotel chains from 50 countries to become more sustainable.

For people and planet

Tourism is ready to do the hard work and live up to its responsibilities to people and planet, as demonstrated by the huge interest we have received in the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism , launched at the UN Climate Summit COP26 . We are receiving a growing number of commitments to halve emissions by 2030 and to reach NetZero by 2050 at the latest, with Member countries, individual destinations, global companies and local players as well as media outlets, hundreds are on board, and counting.

And for people, we are making sure the benefits tourism offers are enjoyed as widely and fairly as possible. That includes establishing the sector as a driver of rural development, as celebrated through the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO initiative . Launched to great enthusiasm this year, 44 villages from 32 countries were granted the recognition during our recent General Assembly, for showing a commitment to tourism development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 24th UNWTO General Assembly in Madrid brought our Members together to speak with one voice. Members commended UNWTO’s work done during the pandemic and its vision for the future of both the Organization and the sector, endorsing key initiatives such as a first International Code for the Protection of Tourists . This landmark legal framework is designed to restore trust in travel, a vital ingredient for recovery.

I am very grateful for the wide support of our Members, who have put their trust in me to serve a second term as UNWTO Secretary-General.

Mainstreaming tourism

In a crisis, you realize both what’s important and who your friends are.

And support for UNWTO has never been louder or more visible. Over the past 12 months, we have strengthened our key partnerships, among them the G20 and G7, as well as ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organization), FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the World Bank, IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), CAF, (The Development Bank of Latin America) and the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development). We have further strengthened our voice at the top of the United Nations, including the landmark recognition of tourism and UNWTO by the UN Secretary-General.

Closer to our Members

UNWTO has made a significant leap to be on the ground next to our Members. This year we opened the first Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Built and opened in record time, it will serve as the platform to deliver our commitment to education and as a global centre for tourism and rural development.

Moving closer to our Members in other regions is an ongoing task and we will also work towards opening the first regional offices in Africa and the Americas.

As we advance preparations for these new hubs, we also welcome new Member States. Antigua and Barbuda, a destination where tourism is an economic pillar, has joined UNWTO. This shows that tourism-dependent countries look to UNWTO and depend on us, and we are ready to live up to this responsibility. Alongside this our network of Affiliate Members of the private sector, local administrations, destinations and academia, keeps growing.

So too does our collaboration with media outlets through new partnerships with Euronews, Xinhua and Travel Index, which build on our existing relationship with CNN International. As a result, the message of tourism for development will continue reaching a global audience of unprecedented size and diversity.

The future begins now

The way in which the pandemic has developed over the closing weeks of the year gives us all reason for concern and to again put public health above everything else.

But recent developments again validate our initial position: the only way forward is through collaboration and actions that are based on evidence rather than on speculation or political strategy.

UNWTO is in a good place to use the achievements of 2021 as a springboard for building a better tourism in the years to come, with t he sector ready to return once conditions are right.

It is in this spirit that I wish everybody a safe and healthy 2022. UNWTO stands by your side, to keep on working together for our joint progress .

Zurab Pololikashvili Secretary-General

Related Links:

• Download the PDF

Category tags

Related content, one year on, tourism stands firm in support of ukraine, tourism raises its voice for peace, as 2020 ends, tourism looks forward with determination, a lifeline for small island states: unwto joins imo to ....

Describe the Advantages and Disadvantages of Tourism in the Modern World- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Aug 14, 2024

Share on Whatsapp

Share on Email

Share on Linkedin

Table of Contents

Sample essay.

Limited-Time Offer : Access a FREE 10-Day IELTS Study Plan!

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world.

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic sentence using synonyms.

Body Paragraphs

The tourism industry is a valuable asset to the economy of a country. Tourism makes up for a considerable part of the national income of a country.

There are also disadvantages to the tourism industry, it creates channels for illegal activities and tourists are often known to be unaware of the norms of a foreign land.

Summarize the topic and mention the final view.

Tourism has progressed much faster over the last few decades and is one of the most commercially active industries in the world. The global tourism industry is accountable for a sizeable chunk of the wealth of many countries. A majority of developing nations are highly dependent on tourism for not only their national income but also the functioning of various other industries. However, like any other institution , there are pros and cons to the development of tourism as well. So, in this essay, I will elaborate on both aspects of tourism.

The growth of tourism brings along a multitude of benefits that significantly improve the economic outlook of a country. Since tourism is one of the chief sources of foreign exchange, it enhances the monetary stability of the country. Furthermore, when tourists visit a foreign nation, they tend to use different kinds of services that facilitate the business of industries like hospitality, transportation and leisure, to name a few. Advantages of tourism also include political stability among nations, as liberal travel laws and regulations help in maintaining cordial relations between different countries. Additionally, when international tourists visit another country, they get an unmediated experience of the culture of the place, most of which captivates them. It leads to the promotion and exchange of the native heritage on a global basis.

Au contraire, there are several drawbacks that come along with the increase in tourism. It is a well-known fact that foreign nationals are typically ignorant about the social norms and conventions of the places they visit. There are numerous cases of tourists vandalising cultural attractions and harming the sanctity of many spiritual locations. Further, tourism also sparks controversy, as it opens up channels for unlawful migration and trade of prohibited materials.

In conclusion, advancement in tourism does have its strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, the advantages tend to surpass the disadvantages in most cases.

• Accountable

Meaning: required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible. Eg: The seniors were accountable for the organization of the event.

Meaning: a piece of something. Eg: A big chunk of the design is done by him alone.

Meaning: requiring someone or something for financial or other support. Eg: Any economy is heavily dependent on imports and exports.

• Institution

Meaning: an established law or practice. Eg: The institution of marriage is a legal contract in the eyes of the law.

Meaning: a large number of people or things. Eg: There were a multitude of problems that came along with this situation.

Meaning: a view; perspective Eg: He had a positive outlook on life.

Meaning: relating to money or currency. Eg: The monetary condition of their business was concerning.

Meaning: (in a political context) favouring policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare. Eg: Modern laws are quite liberal towards previously stigmatized groups.

Meaning: lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about a particular thing. Eg: Society is quite ignorant about the consequences of global warming.

• Vandalising

Meaning: deliberately destroy or damage (public or private property). Eg: The culprits were caught vandalising the building walls.

• IELTS Essay Topics
• IELTS Sample essays
• IELTS Writing task 2 Tips
• Tips to Improve IELTS Writing Skills
• IELTS Writing recent actual test
• IELTS Writing Answer sheet

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

Start Preparing for IELTS: Get Your 10-Day Study Plan Today!

Janice Thompson

Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

Explore other Advantage Disadvantage Essays

Post your Comments

Recent articles.

Raajdeep Saha

Kasturika Samanta

Akanksha Tripathi

IELTSMaterial Master Program

1:1 Live Training with Band 9 Teachers

4.9 ( 3452 Reviews )

Our Offices

Gurgaon city scape, gurgaon bptp.

Step 1 of 3

Great going .

Get a free session from trainer

Have you taken test before?

Please select any option

Email test -->

Please enter Email ID

Mobile Band 9 trainer -->

Please enter phone number

Application

Please select any one

Already Registered?

Select a date

Please select a date

Select a time (IST Time Zone)

Please select a time

Mark Your Calendar: Free Session with Expert on

Which exam are you preparing?

Great Going!

Advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Your opinion

Don’t put your opinion unless you are asked to give it.

If the question asks what you think, you MUST give your opinion to get a good score.

Don’t leave your opinion until the conclusion.

Here are examples of instructions that require you to give your opinion:

...do you agree or disagree? ...do you think...? ...your opinion...?

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ » — a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

• Check your IELTS essay »
• Find essays with the same topic
• View collections of IELTS Writing Samples
• Show IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics

Although you have never formally studied computing, you have always been interested in computers. You have just read about computer courses that really interests you, but it is only for people who completed elementary course. write a letter to the college enrollment officer. In your letter, - explain why you are writing - describe your circumstances - ask if a special exception can be made for you so you can enroll in the course

In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in. what are the reasons for this how can people research this, today more and more people want things instantly (eg goods, service, news). why is this "is it positive or negative development", you should spend about 20 minutes on this task. you have been invited to attend an interview for a place studying a course in a college. unfortunately, because of a previous appointment, you cannot come at the time they wish. write a letter to the admissions tutor: explain your position apologise and offer to come on another day or later the same day. ask how long the interview will be and whether there will be any tests during it. you do not need to write your own address. you should write at least 150 words., in some countries, owning a house rather than renting one is very important for people. topic: house and accomodation + property why might this be the case do you think this is a positive or negative situation.

Exploring tourism competitiveness in developing economies: residents’ perspective

• Open access
• Published: 17 August 2024
• Volume 5 , article number  201 , ( 2024 )

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• Sanja Kovačić 1 ,
• Marija Cimbaljević 1 ,
• Vanja Pavluković 1 &
• Slobodan Jovanović 2  

210 Accesses

Explore all metrics

Understanding the factors that contribute to tourism competitiveness in developing economies is essential for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers, as these countries still struggle to fully capitalize on their tourism potential. The residents’ perspective, often overlooked in Tourism Destination Competitiveness (TDC) models, is crucial because they are the primary stakeholders who directly experience the consequences of tourism activities in their daily lives. Their positive attitudes can contribute to a welcoming and friendly environment, enhancing the competitiveness of the destination in the global tourism market. Up to now, there have been a few studies that relate residents’ attitudes to tourism destination competitiveness. However, none have focused on developing a tailor-made model for measuring residents’ perspectives on TDC. To develop such a specific model and contribute to the existing theory in this area, our research applied a multi-step approach, including a literature review of existing models, pilot testing for indicator selection, and model validation through CFA. The data were collected through a survey of residents in Serbia, chosen as an example of a developing country. The final model of the study consists of five factors: Natural and Cultural Resources, Quality of Tourist Offer and Infrastructure, Situational Framework of Tourism Development and Management, Destination Perception and Experience, and Pollution, containing 32 indicators. Practical applicability of the model and theoretical contributions are discussed in the paper, as well as the TDC evaluation for Serbia.

Similar content being viewed by others

Formative-reflective scheme for the assessment of tourism destination competitiveness: an analysis of Italian municipalities

Qualitative Research in Tourism - Use of WebQDA in the C’s Tourist Destination Competitiveness Matrix

Territorial Differentiation, Competitiveness and Sustainability of Tourism

Explore related subjects.

• Artificial Intelligence

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

1 Introduction

Tourism plays a crucial role in the economic development of many nations, particularly in developing economies, where it can be a significant driver of growth and employment. Formerly marginalized in the tourism sector, the developing world has now evolved into a key driver of its expansion [ 1 ]. However, advanced nations consistently hold top positions in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index. Meanwhile, developing economies express concerns regarding environmental sustainability, human resources, job prospects in tourism, and the prioritization of tourism [ 2 ]. According to Sanches-Pereira and associates [ 3 ], developing countries have yet to fully capitalize on their tourism potential. Therefore, understanding the factors that contribute to tourism competitiveness in developing economies is essential for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers alike.

Numerous studies have explored tourism competitiveness, aiming to comprehend the diverse factors influencing a country’s capacity to attract and retain tourists [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The evaluation of a country’s tourism competitiveness encompasses an analysis of various dimensions, including natural and cultural resources, infrastructure, policy environment, and overall appeal to tourists. The majority of these studies were carried out in well-established destinations and emphasize the viewpoints of tourism experts and industry practitioners, who are deemed to possess the highest level of knowledge regarding management and competitiveness [ 11 ]. Unfortunately, the perspective of residents has been largely overlooked.

Residents, as integral stakeholders, contribute to the co-creation of the destination’s identity, influencing its attractiveness and sustainability. They play a crucial role in shaping the destination’s image and influencing the overall visitor experience. To achieve sustainable and inclusive tourism development in any country, particularly a developing one, and to ensure the overall well-being of local communities, residents’ attitudes towards tourism development should be acknowledged [ 12 ]. Positive attitudes can contribute to a welcoming and friendly environment, enhancing the competitiveness of the destination in the global tourism market. The residents’ perspective is crucial because they are the primary stakeholders who directly experience the consequences of tourism activities in their daily lives. Residents of different destinations may have a different view of what characterizes a good stay and well-being in a destination compared to experts or tourists [ 13 , 14 ]. Unlike tourists, residents tend to have a more complex interpretation of a destination, as it holds greater significance for them beyond being just a vacation spot. For residents, a tourist destination is a social place where they earn their livelihood, interact with community members, utilize resources that influence their living and working conditions, and enjoy natural resources and cultural offerings for their personal well-being. When they have the opportunity to leverage these resources, they actively engage in tourism-related activities by providing services to tourists [ 15 ]. Additionally, these residents possess local knowledge that can enhance the tourist experience by recommending attractions or facilities to visit [ 16 ]. Thus, their role in evaluating destination attributes is significant, as they serve as prosumers—both consumers of local services and co-creators of the tourist experience. Moreover, the evaluation of destination attributes is complex for this group of stakeholders, as their perspectives can significantly impact the residents' quality of life [ 17 ]. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the key determinants of tourism competitiveness in a developing country from the residents’ viewpoint.

In this context, Serbia was chosen as the research area because it is an emerging tourism destination and a developing economy actively seeking a stronger presence in the global tourism arena. Strategically located in Southeast Europe, Serbia boasts a diverse cultural and historical heritage, abundant tourism attractions, and faces notable developmental challenges, sustainability efforts, and deliberate market positioning. This makes Serbia an interesting area for studying tourism destination competitiveness (TDC). The country holds a relatively modest competitive position globally, ranking 83rd among 140 countries listed in the WEF Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 [ 2 ]. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reported that in 2021, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Serbia’s GDP was 3.6%, and it accounted for 5.4% of employment [ 18 ]. Recognizing tourism as a priority sector, Serbia aims to leverage it for overall economic and social growth [ 19 ]. However, academic studies on TDC in Serbia are scarce and primarily focus on the perspectives of tourism experts and industry practitioners [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no attempt has been made so far to investigate residents’ opinions towards TDC in Serbia. Therefore, this study is significant as it aims to address this gap by developing a tailored competitiveness model that considers Serbian residents’ attitudes toward competitiveness indicators.

Through a comprehensive analysis, the study aims to shed light on the key factors influencing the tourism competitiveness of a developing economy, thereby offering valuable policy recommendations for fostering sustainable tourism development in developing economies. The paper is structured as follows: Sect.  2 sets the theoretical framework, Sect.  3 describes the methodology, Sect.  4 presents the main results, Sect.  5 provides a discussion, and Sect.  6 outlines the main conclusions.

2 Literature review

2.1 the role of residents in assessing the competitiveness of a tourist destination.

Tourist destinations that demonstrate the ability to foster economic prosperity or environmental well-being, while also prioritizing environmental conservation and enhancing residents’ quality of life, are likely to positively influence residents’ perceptions of tourism and increase the overall destination’s competitiveness [ 24 , 25 ]. Numerous empirical studies have been conducted to date, applying various TDC models. These studies utilize data on specific destinations to assess the significance of attributes relevant to tourism competitiveness [ 11 , 26 ]. It is unlikely that all these factors have the same impact and significance in shaping the level of competitiveness for different stakeholders within the tourism industry. Nonetheless, it is crucial to establish a comprehensive list of relevant variables and promote research conducted from the perspective of various stakeholders for a thorough understanding of a destination’s competitiveness. The role of residents in assessing destination competitiveness can be approached from different aspects. When managing the competitiveness and development of a destination, it is important to take into account local perspectives, as residents are inherent and deeply engaged stakeholders. Furthermore, the residents’ perspectives become increasingly significant, particularly in organizational aspects, as residents will assume a foundational role in presenting the destination's image, preserving its heritage, and enhancing its attractiveness [ 9 , 27 ].

Research focusing on destination image states that residents’ positive perceptions of the destination image may positively influence their views on the impacts and changes imposed by tourism in the community [ 28 ]. Since destination image serves as a reliable measure of destination attractiveness, it naturally contributes to the destination's competitiveness [ 29 ]. As a result, residents play a crucial role in strengthening the destination image, which is vital for setting the place apart from other destinations [ 9 ]. This, in turn, can increase their intention to support the development of tourism and enhance the destination’s competitiveness. When considering the contribution of communities to promoting tourism development, residents are recognized as both carriers and actors in destination marketing and competitiveness efforts. The competitiveness of a destination encompasses not only its natural landmarks but also its unique cultural and heritage aspects inherent to the locality. Strzelecka and associates [ 30 ] discovered that residents with deeper knowledge and comprehension of natural and cultural resources manifest a stronger sense of place attachment. This indicates that residents perceive various aspects of destination competitiveness that are closely related to the distinctive local environments and accessible resources at destinations. Initially, residents tend to perceive certain characteristics of TDC at a high level, including natural and cultural competitiveness. Ahn and Bessiere [ 15 ] examine that distinctive regional characteristics like contextual and natural competitiveness are valued as crucial tourism assets by residents. Additionally, technological advancements such as mobile applications, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and online information are recognized as significant elements of destination competitiveness. Consequently, practitioners and governments should aim to maximize the utilization of these competitive resources, foster the development of innovative travel products and activities, and create strategies for successful and sustainable destination management. Success for a tourist destination is often measured by various indicators such as the number of tourists, tourism revenue, length of stay, visitor satisfaction, and the destination’s image. However, true success goes beyond these quantitative measures to include qualitative aspects like resident satisfaction, environmental sustainability, and the overall quality of life for those living in the destination.

The connection between competitiveness and success lies in a destination’s ability to balance the needs and expectations of tourists with the well-being of its residents and the sustainability of its resources. A highly competitive destination that attracts many visitors might not be truly successful if it neglects the quality of life of its residents or the preservation of its natural and cultural assets [ 14 ]. Conversely, a destination that prioritizes resident satisfaction and sustainability is likely to achieve long-term success, fostering a supportive community and preserving its appeal for future visitors. Research by Dwyer [ 14 , 31 ] emphasizes the importance of incorporating broader measures of success into the evaluation of destination competitiveness. This includes considering factors such as resident well-being, environmental impact, and socio-cultural benefits.

Bu and associates [ 9 ] analyzed residents’ attitudes toward tourism development, focusing on perceived advantages, experienced effects, and willingness to support tourism initiatives. Their research highlighted residents’ belief in the government’s pivotal role in enhancing a destination’s image and competitiveness. This underscores the need to prioritize enhancing residents’ quality of life and well-being through tourism. Effective destination governance stresses the involvement of residents in the development process [ 32 ] acknowledging their direct experience of tourism's impacts [ 33 ]. Prioritizing residents’ interests is crucial for maximizing benefits from tourism development and fostering sustainable destination growth [ 30 , 34 ]. Detailed insights into residents' perspectives can validate planning processes and promote community-based sustainable development approaches [ 35 ]. Studies indicate that residents may perceive environmental impacts of tourism negatively. Gajdosik and associates [ 33 ] highlighted concerns such as noise pollution, water and air pollution, and issues with parking and construction. On the other hand, Vodeb [ 36 ] emphasized the importance of early engagement with residents in destination development to secure their participation and manage expectations effectively. This collaborative approach ensures that actions align with community interests and receive local support.

The role of residents in shaping the competitiveness of a destination is often underestimated but becomes apparent through their attitudes toward tourists and their impact on enhancing visitor experiences and the overall destination atmosphere. Previous studies have explored residents’ emotional responses and attitudes toward tourists [ 37 ], their behavioral interactions with tourists [ 25 ], and their cognitive assessments of tourism [ 38 ]. Local residents play a crucial role in shaping the visitor experience by actively participating in and contributing to tourism products and services. Positive interactions between residents and tourists contribute to a favorable destination image, thereby increasing competitiveness [ 9 , 27 ]. Tse & Wing Sun Tung [ 25 ] highlight various strategies for policymakers in the tourism sector to foster positive resident-tourist interactions, thereby enhancing destination attractiveness and competitiveness.

Studies also examine how residents act as ambassadors for their destinations, influencing others, including family and friends, to visit their hometowns [ 39 , 40 ]. As reliable informants, residents actively contribute to the uniqueness and attractiveness of their city when recommending it [ 41 ]. Thus, destination management organizations (DMOs) could benefit from involving residents more actively in destination promotion, potentially boosting both competitiveness and effective promotion [ 25 ].

Several studies have examined the economic impact of tourism from residents’ perspectives, revealing that residents typically view these impacts positively [ 42 ]. The competitive attributes of a destination can enhance its economic benefits, particularly when residents effectively utilize local resources [ 43 ]. This perspective suggests that increasing household income can confer a competitive advantage. Residents achieve this through various tourism-related business activities, such as selling handmade goods, running restaurants, and providing services as local travel agencies and guides [ 31 , 44 ].

Research on residents’ perceptions of tourism development and competitiveness primarily focuses on identifying, quantifying, and comparing different attributes that potentially shape perceptions of tourism and its effects [ 33 ]. Bu and colleagues [ 9 ] argue that tourism planners should actively seek input and recommendations from local residents regarding destination management and promotion, thereby evaluating resources as critical factors contributing to competitiveness. Additionally, tourism planning initiatives should offer opportunities for residents to engage in various activities and foster effective coordination among stakeholders.

While it is crucial for destinations to establish long-term competitive strategies aimed at enhancing their ability to offer diverse tourism experiences, it is equally important to understand how local residents perceive the competitiveness of their destination. Most significantly, local residents play an active role in contributing to tourism planning [ 45 ]. Despite this pivotal role, there remains a noticeable gap in the tourism literature regarding the analysis of residents' perceptions of destination competitiveness and their influential role in shaping this process. To address this gap, the present study aims to evaluate the developed model of competitiveness specifically with the local population as the target group. Developing and refining a measurement model tailored to assess residents' perspectives on tourism destination competitiveness involves creating comprehensive frameworks that capture their perceptions across different dimensions such as natural and cultural resources, quality of tourism offerings, infrastructure, management frameworks, and environmental concerns. While literature on residents’ perspectives regarding tourism destination competitiveness is currently limited, this research may prove valuable in conducting studies across developing economies to understand variations in resident attitudes and factors influencing tourism competitiveness.

The paper also outlines key points and highlights the gaps in research regarding the role of residents in evaluating TDC (see Table  1 ). Such research enables tourism planners and policymakers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of destinations [ 23 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ], drawing insights from local residents. The objective is to create a model that is tailored to the preferences and perspectives of this target group, thereby promoting the significance of local involvement and participation. Given the dynamic nature of destinations, which evolve over time and undergo continuous change, the primary contribution of the present study is to identify the key determinants and planning factors that residents perceive as crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of their destination.

3 Methodology

The creation of the model is performed in three stages: In-depth literature review, Pilot testing and Model set and validation.

3.1 In-depth literature review

In order to generate a pool of indicators for measuring TDC, a detailed literature review has been done, taking into account the Scopus database in the period of from 2000 to March 2022. A total of 558 papers with the main keywords “destination competitiveness” and “sustainable tourism indicators” were selected for the analysis, while after initial screening, 232 papers were selected as relevant for further analysis. Most of these studies utilized established models for TDC evaluation, particularly relying on well-known models such as the Integrated Destination Competitiveness model [ 50 ] or the Ritchie and Crouch [ 51 ] model, emphasizing the perspectives of tourism experts and industry stakeholders, while overlooking the viewpoint of residents. In the second round of analysis, 12 tourism experts from Serbia reviewed the indicators extracted from relevant papers and removed repetitive and irrelevant items for the analysis of TDC. After a long process of purifying the relevant indicators, a list of 165 indicators was extracted and included in the pilot questionnaire for local communities.

3.2 Pilot testing

Pilot testing was conducted from June to August 2022 via email and standard paper-pen surveys with representatives of local communities in Serbia. Participants were randomly selected from major cities and tourism destinations such as Subotica, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Niš, Leskovac, Zlatibor, and Kopaonik. The pilot research aimed to eliminate any misunderstandings related to the questions and to remove indicators that community members lacked sufficient knowledge to evaluate. Respondents were asked to estimate the relevance of each of the 165 indicators for measuring the tourism destination competitiveness (TDC) of Serbia on a Likert scale from 1 to 5 (1—not relevant at all, 5—very relevant). They were also given options to mark 6 if a question was “not well formulated” and 0 if they felt they “didn’t have enough knowledge.”

Indicators were divided into logical groups to facilitate the elimination and evaluation process. Pilot testing was conducted on a sample of 30 representatives of local communities. Typically, preliminary pilot tests are administered to a small set of respondents, with a sample size of about 30 to 50 individuals [ 52 ]. Afterwards, the responses were analyzed, and indicators were ranked based on the mean values of the answers and standard deviations. Indicators with a mean value below 4 and high standard deviations were marked for exclusion from the study. Additionally, any indicators that were unclear or beyond the scope of local knowledge were eliminated. From the initial 165 indicators, 60 relevant indicators were identified for the final stage of the research.

3.3 Model set and validation

3.3.1 participants.

A total of 456 representatives from local communities across Serbia participated in the final stage of the research. For model validation, the sample was divided into two parts: Sample 1 (N = 153 respondents) was used for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Sample 2 (N = 303 respondents) was used for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In both samples, there were slightly more female respondents. The age range was from 18 to 73 in Sample 1 and up to 75 in Sample 2. The highest number had completed secondary school, followed by those with higher education. Additionally, the majority of the sample were not employed in tourism.

3.3.2 Procedure and research instrument

The field research with the local population of Serbia was carried out from June until December in 2023. A total of 456 respondents from all over Serbia participated in the survey. The largest number of respondents are from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Subotica, Leskovac, Užice, Kopaonik and Zlatibor, but the sample also includes subjects from the rest of Serbia. One of the primary criteria for conducting the research was selecting cities and tourist regions that play a significant role in Serbia’s tourism industry, offer diverse tourist attractions, and have the potential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing TDC. The sample selection was random, with the condition that respondents reside in the given city/destination and are above 18 years old.

The survey instrument consisted of 60 items measuring TDC of Serbia, which were extracted in the previous phases of model building, as well as socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. The participants were asked to evaluate their agreement with the statements referring to TDC of Serbia on a 5-point Likert scale (1-I totally disagree, 5-I totally agree). The research was conducted using standard paper-and-pen surveys by 10 trained researchers who collected data in the field. Additionally, respondents were offered the option to complete the survey via tablet or mobile phones to accommodate different preferences and ensure maximum reach. Researchers conducted on-site intercept surveys at key locations such as parks, shopping centres, public transportation hubs, tourist attractions, as well as during some local events and gatherings. This involved directly approaching individuals in these areas and inviting them to participate in the survey. In some cases, local tourism organizations helped to distribute the survey and encouraged participation. Small incentives, such as faculty promotional gifts (e.g. pencils, folders, notepads) were offered to encourage participation. Clear and concise information about the purpose of the survey, its importance, and how the data would be used was provided to potential respondents. The survey was anonymous and voluntary, but respondents were asked to provide some basic information such as age, gender and education (Table  2 ). Statistical software IBM SPSS 23 and AMOS were used for data analysis.

4.1 Exploratory factor analysis (EFA)

In order to identify the latent dimensions of Serbia's TDC, EFA was conducted on sample 1 (N = 153 respondents). Item analysis showed a high KMO = 0.923, and the statistically significant value of Bartlett’s sphericity test was confirmed (χ2 = 9896.90, df = 2485, p < 0,000). The analysis of item correlations revealed a significant number of correlations with values above 0.3, which led to the conclusion that the data are suitable for EFA. Items that had factor loadings lower than 0.3 (a total of 10 items) were excluded from the further analysis [ 53 ]. The method of principal components with Promax rotation (due to established correlations between factors) and Kaiser normalization was used to extract factors. As a result, considering only factors whose eigenvalues were equal to or greater than one, five factors were extracted with total of 50 items, which explain 50,56% of the variance. The five identified factors are: F1 Natural and cultural resources, F2 Quality of Tourist offer and infrastructure, F3 Situational conditions for tourism development and management, F4 Destination perception and experience, and F5 Pollution. The results of EFA are presented in Table  3 .

4.2 Confirmatory factory analysis

CFA is used on sample 2 (N = 303 respondents) to validate and confirm the factor structure obtained by EFA. The AMOS program for the Windows operating system was used for CFA. The Mardia index of multivariate kurtosis was above 3 for all tested models, indicating significant multivariate kurtosis. Therefore, it was justified to use robust methods and indices based on this method [ 54 ]. The fit or appropriateness of the model was assessed using the following indices: Sattora-Bentler χ 2 (S-B χ 2 )—if it is insignificant, then the model has a good fit, but since it is sensitive to the number of respondents, it is mostly significant in a greater number of cases, Standardized Root Mean-Square Residual (SRMR), Root Mean-Square Error Of Approximation (RMSEA)—SRMR and RMSEA should be less than 0.08 [ 55 ], Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Normed Fit Index (NFI), Non-Normed Fit Index (NNFI)—if the CFI, NFI and NNFI are over 0.90, the model has a good fit [ 56 ]. In order to achieve adequate fit indices, modification indices were used with which AMOS suggests and proposes changes to the model.

When the first model obtained by exploratory factor analysis was tested, satisfactory fit indices were not achieved. First, it was suggested that several items should be excluded because they achieved saturation on several factors simultaneously (8 items in total). Moreover, the items that initially were part of the factor Situational conditions for tourism development and management (The positioning of the country as a tourist destination on the international market is effective, Social networks are effectively used to support the marketing activities) are suggested to be a part of the factor Destination perception and experience.

After these changes, the model was run again, and although the fit indices were visibly improved, a satisfactory fit index was still not achieved. The modification indices now suggested the exclusion of 10 more items. The final modifications related to the addition of correlations between individual items that belonged to the same factors. After these changes, a satisfactory fit model and the final structure of the competitiveness model were achieved. The final model consists of five factors: 1. Natural and cultural resources, 2. Quality of tourist offer and infrastructure, 3. Situational framework of tourism development and management, 4. Destination perception and experience and 5. Pollution.

The final fit indices are shown in Table  4 .

The final model is shown in Table  5 , it consists of the five mentioned factors and a total of 32 indicators.

Factor 1: Natural and cultural resources is a factor referring to natural and cultural resources (tangible and intangible) of Serbia. Factor 2: Quality of tourist offer and infrastructure—refers to the quality of tourist infrastructure, signalization and accessibility of destination, including the quality of tourist offer and activities. Factor 3: Situational framework of tourism development and management—refers to the extent to which the conditions in Serbia are favourable for tourism development. This factor also contains items related to sustainability and ethics in tourism, i.e., local community support for tourism development, tourism companies operate in accordance with ethical principles etc. Factor 4: Destination perception and experience—refers to the perception of the brand, the image of Serbia as a tourist destination, destination positioning, but also quality of the overall experience at the destination. This factor also includes an assessment of the possibility of booking services, and the willingness to recommend Serbia as a destination to others. Finally, the last extracted factor is Factor 5: Pollution, referring to the assessment of the noise level, water and air pollution. This factor is of immense importance, as it indicates that local population consider pollution as important element of TDC.

4.3 Descriptive statistics and measurement model validity

Descriptive statistics for all variables are presented in Table  6 . It can be seen that Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for all variables/dimensions is above 0.7. This means that the instruments used in the study are reliable and that they measure the given constructs. The results show that Natural and cultural resources are the best-rated factor in Serbia's competitiveness as a tourist destination, which means that Serbia has rich cultural and natural resources and great potential for tourism development. The lowest rated factor is the Factor 3: Situational framework of tourism development and management, especially the item Political values, the overall political situation and stability in Serbia are favourable for the development of tourism. Only one item in this group exceeds 3.5, which is the residents support the development of tourism. This is followed by factor Quality of tourist offer and infrastructure, where the items related to the transport infrastructure and signalization Local tourist and traffic signalization is in line with the needs of tourists, a high-quality air traffic infrastructure and A high quality bicycle and pedestrian paths are the lowest rated together with the item Quality offer of amusement and theme parks. On the other hand, the highest rated item in this group is Diverse and high-quality restaurant offer. The concerning fact is also that Pollution is rated above 3.5 which could negatively influence competitive position of Serbia on travel market.

The data obtained from the research pointed to the basic shortcomings that affect the competitiveness of Serbia as a tourist destination, and they should be the focus of further tourism strategies and initiatives.

Before conducting CFA, convergent and divergent validity of the constructs was calculated to check the measurement model validity. The convergent validity of each dimension was examined by calculating the score of the average variance extracted (AVE, [ 57 ]). A substantial convergent validity is achieved when all item-to-factor loadings are significant and the AVE score is higher than 0.50 within each dimension, but AVE of 0.40 is still acceptable if the composite reliability (CR) is higher than 0.60 [ 58 ]. Results showed that all dimensions had AVE higher than 0.40 and CR higher than 0.60 (Table  6 ) which indicates good convergent validity. Discriminant validity was then checked by comparing the average variances extracted (AVEs) for each latent factor with the squared correlation estimates between latent constructs. Fornell and Larcker [ 57 ] noted that the discriminant validity is guaranteed when the AVEs are greater than the squared correlation estimates (Table  7 ).

5 Discussion

The primary aim of this study was to address significant gaps identified in previous TDC research. These gaps primarily include the lack of consideration for residents’ attitudes towards TDC indicators and the absence of specifically tailored models to assess destination competitiveness in developing countries from the residents' perspective. Existing literature has predominantly focused on residents' perceptions of destination image [ 9 , 28 , 29 ] or place attachment [ 30 , 59 ], but lacked comprehensive models for measuring destination competitiveness. It is evident that residents possess specific knowledge, information, and emotional attachment to their living destinations [ 60 ]. Therefore, assessing competitiveness from their viewpoint requires specific indicators, which may differ in some aspects from traditional TDC models where assessments are typically conducted by tourism stakeholders or tourists. To address these gaps and contribute to theory in this area, our research employed a multi-step approach. This approach included a literature review of existing models, pilot testing for indicator selection, and model validation through CFA. Through this rigorous scientific process, we selected indicators and validated a model structure tailored for assessing residents’ perceptions in developing economies. This model represents the first of its kind in the existing literature on this topic, marking a significant theoretical contribution. The final model of the study comprises five factors: Natural and cultural resources, Quality of tourist offer and infrastructure, Situational framework of tourism development and management, Destination perception and experience and Pollution, encompassing 32 indicators. The model is tailor-made through pilot testing, where residents themselves identified indicators, they could assess based on their knowledge, experiences and information levels. Those indicators were further validated through survey research involving another sample of residents, and tested through EFA and CFA.

The application of this model to Serbia, a developing economy, has yielded insightful findings. Previous research has highlighted residents’ significant role in assessing natural and cultural resources [ 30 ] and shaping destination image [ 9 , 28 , 29 ], given their extensive knowledge and role as destination promoters and ambassadors. This aligns with two factors in our model: Natural and cultural resources, and Destination perception and experience. Additionally, our model underscores residents’ crucial role in evaluating the Quality of tourist offerings and infrastructure. Residents often utilize tourism infrastructure extensively [ 61 ], granting them firsthand insights into its quality. Moreover, some residents are directly involved in tourism-related businesses, providing further expertise in this area [ 15 , 44 ]. A novel aspect of our model is the recognition of residents’ capability to assess the Situational framework of tourism development and management. This factor evaluates the conditions favoring tourism development at a destination, a role traditionally fulfilled by tourism stakeholders without residents’ input [ 32 , 45 ]. Furthermore, sustainability factors, crucial for competitiveness in developing countries, receive attention through the Pollution factor, which reflects residents’ concerns about environmental conditions at their destination. This tailor-made model for residents’ assessment of TDC serves as a new tool for enhancing local involvement and participation in TDC assessment, particularly beneficial for developing economies in their early stages of tourism development [ 3 ]. Engaging residents in understanding factors influencing TDC is essential for effective tourism decision-making and planning processes.

Additionally, this study contributes to the limited understanding of residents' attitudes toward TDC in Serbia, marking the first inclusion of their perspectives in the competitiveness assessment. It offers long-term recommendations for integrating residents into the assessment process. The model indicates that Serbia's primary competitive advantage lies in its natural and cultural resources, while significant opportunities for improvement exist in the other four factors. Residents express concerns about the Situational framework of tourism development and management, particularly noting political stability as a factor negatively impacting destination competitiveness. They also highlight areas needing improvement in the Quality of tourist offerings and infrastructure. Pollution emerges as another concern, with residents indicating room for enhancing environmental sustainability to bolster Serbia's competitive position. A detailed analysis of each factor's components provides valuable insights for destination managers regarding residents' perceptions of the current state of TDC, identifying major gaps and advantages.

6 Conclusion

Numerous empirical studies have utilized various models to assess TDC predominantly from the perspectives of tourism experts and industry practitioners, often overlooking the viewpoint of residents. Establishing a comprehensive list of TDC variables and promoting research that incorporates perspectives from diverse stakeholders are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of TDC. Notably, destinations that successfully foster economic prosperity and environmental conservation while enhancing residents' quality of life tend to positively influence residents’ perceptions and overall TDC. This study focuses specifically on developing economies, which face unique challenges and opportunities in tourism development. The model developed is tailored to these contexts, providing insights that are more relevant and applicable to similar countries, thereby enhancing the theoretical framework of TDC in these regions.

To date, several studies have highlighted the significant role of residents, among other stakeholders, in comprehending and enhancing destination competitiveness. Their active involvement contributes to enhancing the destination's image, preserving its heritage, and increasing its overall attractiveness. Moreover, positive resident perceptions of the destination’s image can improve their attitudes towards tourism impacts and changes, thereby enhancing overall competitiveness. Success in tourism goes beyond mere quantitative metrics such as tourist numbers and revenue; it encompasses qualitative factors like resident satisfaction, environmental sustainability, and overall quality of life. Hence, achieving a balance between the needs of tourists, the well-being of residents, and the sustainability of resources is critical for long-term success. Integrating residents’ attitudes provides a more holistic view of TDC and acknowledges the pivotal role of the local population in shaping a welcoming and hospitable environment.

Finally, by understanding residents' perceptions across various dimensions such as natural and cultural resources, tourism offerings, infrastructure, management frameworks, and environmental aspects, tourism planners and policymakers can better assess the strengths and weaknesses of destinations. Encouraging local involvement and participation in tourism planning is vital, given the dynamic nature of destinations. This research helps identify the key determinants and planning factors that residents perceive as important for the competitiveness of their destination, highlighting the significance of local involvement in shaping successful and sustainable tourism development. The final model in this study consists of five distinct factors: Natural and cultural resources, Quality of tourist offer and infrastructure, Situational framework of tourism development and management, Destination perception and experience, and Pollution. These factors provide a comprehensive framework for assessing TDC from a residents' perspective, which can be used as a benchmark for future studies.

7 Practical implication

The practical application of the model lies in the fact that it is made to be used for the continuous evaluation of destination competitiveness by residents in developing economies. This could be performed as a regular research procedure of local or regional tourism organisations that could include residents in assessing destination competitiveness together with other important target groups such as tourism stakeholders and tourists. The model highlights the importance of community engagement in tourism development. By fostering positive attitudes among residents, destinations can enhance their attractiveness and competitiveness in the global market. The model provides a structured framework for evaluating TDC, which can be used by researchers and practitioners to benchmark performance and identify areas for improvement. Policymakers can use the model to understand residents' attitudes towards tourism, enabling them to create policies that align with local needs and preferences. This can lead to more sustainable and accepted tourism development strategies. Industry stakeholders can utilize the insights from the model to enhance the quality of tourist offerings and infrastructure, ensuring they meet both resident and tourist expectations. This can improve overall satisfaction and competitiveness. By considering factors such as pollution and the situational framework of tourism development, the model encourages sustainable practices that benefit, the environment, the local community, and visitors. It should be also emphasized that TDC is a multi-faced concept and its assessment requires the involvement of all important stakeholders at the destination in order to get a concrete pathway to increasing tourism competitive position on the market. The involvement of the local population in evaluating competitiveness may necessitate significant shifts in attitudes toward tourism planning, development, management, and destination marketing. Anticipated outcomes include a broader understanding of the factors contributing to destination competitiveness and clearer insights into the population’s role in this process. Developing a model to measure residents’ perspectives on tourism competitiveness ensures greater relevance to the diverse realities of various destinations, considering that the validation and adaptation of existing models might be less effective across different cultural and geographical contexts. The practical benefits of the application of the model are numerous. However, the most important is the fact that measuring residents’ attitudes about destination competitiveness is essential for creating a balance between the economic benefits of tourism and the well-being of the local community. It allows for sustainable development, positive destination branding, and the creation of an overall positive experience for both residents and visitors.

Based on the research findings, we propose several recommendations for policymakers to enhance Serbia’s TDC:

Engage residents: Involve residents in tourism planning and decision-making processes, as well as in TDC assessment, to foster more sustainable and accepted tourism development strategies.

Utilize the new model: Apply the newly developed model tailored to capture residents’ TDC assessments in developing economies, gaining comprehensive insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the destination from a local perspective.

Regular monitoring: Implement a regular monitoring system using this model to track changes in TDC over time, helping to identify trends, policy impacts, and areas needing improvement.

Focus on quality improvement: Address residents' concerns regarding the quality of tourism infrastructure and services. Improvements in these areas can enhance both resident and tourist satisfaction, boosting overall competitiveness.

Address environmental concerns and promote sustainability: Recognize environmental sustainability as a key competitiveness factor. Implement measures to reduce pollution and improve environmental conditions, responding to residents’ concerns and enhancing the destination’s appeal. Encourage sustainable tourism practices that benefit both the environment and the local community.

Improve tourism development conditions: Address residents’ concerns about the situational framework of tourism development, particularly regarding political stability and favourable conditions for tourism growth, to significantly enhance the destination’s competitiveness.

Strive for sustainable development: Ensure that tourism development strategies balance economic benefits with the well-being of the local community. This includes considering residents’ satisfaction, environmental sustainability, and overall quality of life in tourism planning and development

8 Limitation and further research

The current study also has certain limitations. Firstly, the model has been tested in one developing economy (Serbia) chosen as a case study to conduct initial research. The model should be applied and replicated in other developing economies to confirm and validate the structure and prove the comparability of results obtained in various developing economies. Secondly, since this was an initial study aimed at creating a new model, the research was conducted only once. Continuous monitoring and longitudinal studies are necessary to track progress and draw conclusions about changes in destination competitiveness. Longitudinal studies play a crucial role in evaluating TDC by offering insights into trends, policy impacts, and causal relationships over time. Such information is vital for making informed decisions, especially in developing economies where understanding the long-term effects of tourism policies and interventions is critical.

Future research should also examine the impact of certain independent variables (such as their active engagement in tourism, tourism and pro-environmental attitudes etc.) and sociodemographic characteristics on residents’ perceptions of TDC. It would be also beneficial to reshape, modify and test the model for different target groups such as tourists or tourism stakeholders to enable a holistic approach to TDC research in developing countries.

Data availability

Data is provided within the manuscript or supplementary information files Ethics approval: The consent of the Ethics Commission of the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Science, is not required for the collection of data for the purpose of scientific research through survey research, in accordance with Article 7 paragraph 2 of the Code of Academic Integrity of the Faculty of Science, University of Novi Sad number: 0601-351/5. All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this article.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Rasool H, Maqbool S, Tarique M. The relationship between tourism and economic growth among BRICS countries: a panel cointegration analysis. Futur Bus J. 2021;7(1):1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-020-00048-3 .

Article   Google Scholar  

World Economic Forum (WEF). The travel & tourism competitiveness report 2019: travel and tourism at a tipping point. Geneva: WEF; 2019.

Google Scholar  

Sanches-Pereira A, Onguglo B, Pacini H, Gómez MF, Coelho ST, Muwanga MK. Fostering local sustainable development in Tanzania by enhancing linkages between tourism and small-scale agriculture. J Clean Prod. 2017;162:1567–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.164 .

Dwyer L, Armenski T, Knežević Cvelbar L, Dragićević V, Mihalic T. Modified Importance–performance analysis for evaluating tourism businesses strategies: comparison of Slovenia and Serbia. Int J Tour Res. 2016;18(4):327–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2052 .

Medina-Muñoz DR, Medina-Muñoz RD, Chim-Miki AF. Tourism competitiveness assessment: the current status of research in Spain and China. Tour Econ. 2013;19(2):297–318. https://doi.org/10.5367/te.2013.0197 .

Vila TD, Darcy S, González EA. Competing for the disability tourism market–a comparative exploration of the factors of accessible tourism competitiveness in Spain and Australia. Tour Manag. 2015;47:261–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.10.008 .

Armenski T, Dwyer L, Pavluković V. Destination competitiveness: public and private sector tourism management in Serbia. J Travel Res. 2018;57(3):384–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287517692445 .

Goffi G, Cucculelli M, Masiero L. Fostering tourism destination competitiveness in developing countries: the role of sustainability. J Clean Prod. 2019;209:101–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.208 .

Bu NT, Kong H, Ye S. County tourism development in china: a case study. J China Tour Res. 2021;17(2):249–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2020.1761501 .

Martínez-González JA, Díaz-Padilla VT, Parra-López E. Study of the tourism competitiveness model of the world economic forum using Rasch’s mathematical model: the case of Portugal. Sustainability. 2021;13(13):7169. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137169 .

Crouch GI. Destination competitiveness: an analysis of determinant attributes. J Travel Res. 2011;50(1):27–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287510362776 .

López MFB, Virto NR, Manzano JA, Miranda JGM. Residents’ attitude as determinant of tourism sustainability: the case of Trujillo. J Hosp Tour Manag. 2018;35:36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.02.002 .

Abreu-Novais ML, Ruhanen L, Arcodia C. Destination competitiveness: what we know, what we know but shouldn’t and what we don’t know but should. Curr Issues Tour. 2016;19(6):492–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2015.1091443 .

Dwyer L. Destination competitiveness and resident well-being. Tour Manag Perspect. 2022;43(6):100996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.100996 .

Ahn YJ, Bessiere J. The relationships between Tourism destination competitiveness, empowerment, and supportive actions for tourism. Sustainability. 2023;15:626. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010626 .

Campelo AR, Aitken MT, Gnoth J. Sense of place: the importance of destination branding. J Travel Res. 2014;53(2):154–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287513496474 .

Stylidis D, Sit J, Biran A. An exploratory study of residents’ perception of place image: the case of Kavala. J Travel Res. 2014;55(5):659–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728751456316 .

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). SERBIA 2022 Annual Research: Key Highlights. 2022. https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact . Accessed 15 Feb 2024.

Government of the Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications. Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia 2016–2025. 2016. https://mto.gov.rs/tekst/177/strategije.php . Accessed 20 Feb 2024.

Armenski T, Gomezelj DO, Djurdjev B, Ćurčić N, Dragin A. Tourism destination competitiveness—between two flags. Econ Res. 2012;25(2):485–502. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2012.11517519 .

Dragićević V, Jovičić D, Blešić I, Stankov U, Bošković D. Business tourism destination competitiveness: a case of Vojvodina Province (Serbia). Econ Res. 2012;25(2):311–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2012.11517510 .

Drakulić Kovačević N, Kovačević L, Stankov U, Dragićević V, Miletić A. Applying destination competitiveness model to strategic tourism development of small destinations: the case of South Banat district. J Dest Mark Manag. 2018;8:114–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2017.01.002 .

Cimbaljević M, Panić A, Pavlović D, Pavluković V, Pivac T, Kovačić S, Stankov U. Systematic literature review on tourism destination competitiveness research. Turizam. 2023;27(1):51–6. https://doi.org/10.5937/turizam27-42000 .

Abreu Novais M, Ruhanen L, Arcodia C. Destination competitiveness: a phenomenographic study. Tour Manag. 2018;64:324–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.08.014 .

Tse S, Tung VWS. Measuring the valence and intensity of residents’ behaviors in host-tourist interactions: implications for destination image and destination competitiveness. J Travel Res. 2021;61(3):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287521997576 .

Fernández JAS, Azevedo PS, Martín JMM, Martín JAR. Determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in the countries most visited by international tourists: proposal of a synthetic index. Tour Manag Perspect. 2020;33:100582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2019.100582 .

Nunkoo R, Gursoy D. Residents’ support for tourism: an identity perspective. Ann Tour Res. 2012;39(1):243–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2011.05.006 .

Stylidis D, Dominguez Quintero AM. Understanding the effect of place image and knowledge of tourism on residents’ attitudes towards tourism and their word-of-mouth intentions: evidence from Seville Spain. Tour Plan Dev. 2022;19(5):433–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2022.2049859 .

Miličević K, Mihalič T, Sever I. An investigation of the relationship between destination branding and destination competitiveness. J Travel Tour Mark. 2017;34(2):209–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1156611 .

Strzelecka M, Boley BB, Woosnam KM. Place attachment and empowerment: do residents need to be attached to be empowered? Ann Tour Res. 2017;66:61–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2017.06.002 .

Dwyer L. Tourism development to enhance resident well-being: a strong sustainability perspective. Sustainability. 2023;15(4):3321. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043321 .

Qian C, Sasaki N, Shivakoti G, Zhang Y. Effective governance in tourism development—An analysis of local perception in the Huangshan mountain area. Tour Manag Perspect. 2016;20:112–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2016.08.003 .

Gajdosik T, Gajdosikova Z, Strazanova R. Residents perception of sustainable tourism destination development: a destination governance issue. Glob Bus Finance Rev. 2018;23(1):24–35. https://doi.org/10.17549/gbfr.2018.23.1.24 .

Tempest I. Planning for tourists and residents in an historic destination - York UK. In: Morpeth ND, Yan HL, editors. Planning for tourism: towards a sustainable future. Wallingford: CABI; 2015. p. 88–106. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780644585.0088 .

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Line ND, Wang Y. A multi-stakeholder market oriented approach to destination marketing. J Dest Mark Manag. 2017;6(1):84–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2016.03.003 .

Vodeb K. Sustainable competitiveness of destination and resident’s attitude towards tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Congress Proceedings, Trends in Tourism and Hospitality Industry; 2014, pp. 79–89.

Ouyang Z, Gursoy D, Sharma B. Role of trust, emotions and event attachment on residents’ attitudes toward tourism. Tour Manag. 2017;63:426–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.06.026 .

Tung VWS, King BEM, Tse S. The tourist stereotype model: positive and negative dimensions. J Travel Res. 2020;59(1):37–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287518821739 .

Lai PH, Gudergan S, Young T, Lee K. Resident intention to invite friends, relatives, and acquaintances: the dynamic process of place identity as a motivator. Tour Manag. 2021;84:104251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104251 .

Styvén ME, Mariani MM, Strandberg C. This is my hometown! the role of place attachment, congruity, and self-expressiveness on residents’ intention to share a place brand message online. J Advert. 2020;49(5):540–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2020.1810594 .

Andersson M, Ekman P. Ambassador networks and place branding. J Place Manag Dev. 2009;2(1):41–51. https://doi.org/10.1108/17538330910942799 .

García AF, Vázquez BA, Macías CR. Resident’s attitudes towards the impacts of tourism. Tour Manag Perspect. 2015;13:33–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2014.11.002 .

Goffi G, Cucculelli M. Explaining tourism competitiveness in small and medium destinations: the Italian case. Curr Issues Tour. 2019;22(17):2109–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2017.1421620 .

Abou-Shouk MA, Mannaa MT, Elbaz AM. Women’s empowerment and tourism development: a cross-country study. Tour Manag Perspect. 2021;37:100782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100782 .

Boley BB, McGehee NG, Hammett ALT. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) of sustainable tourism initiatives: the resident perspective. Tour Manag. 2017;58:66–77.

Campón-Cerro AM, Hernández-Mogollón JM, Alves H. Sustainable improvement of competitiveness in rural tourism destinations: the quest for tourist loyalty in Spain. J Destin Mark Manag. 2017;6(3):252–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2016.04.005 .

John A, Firoz CM, Ramanan TR. Destination competitiveness of a tourist region: a case of Kerala, India. J Glob Hosp Tour. 2023;2(1):71–98. https://doi.org/10.5038/2771-5957.2.1.1021 .

Oliveira T, de Lima PM, dos Anjos FA, Feger JE. Governance and competitiveness of tourism destinations: validation of the structural model in the case of Brazil. J Qual Assur Hosp Tour. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2023.2251686 .

González-Rodríguez MR, Díaz-Fernández MC, Pulido-Pavón N. Tourist destination competitiveness: an international approach through the travel and tourism competitiveness index. Tour Manag Perspect. 2023;47:101127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2023.101127 .

Dwyer L, Kim C. Destination competitiveness: determinants and indicators. Curr Issues Tour. 2003;6(5):369–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500308667962 .

Ritchie JRB, Crouch GI. The competitive destination—a sustainable tourism perspective. Cambridge: CABI Publishing; 2003.

Book   Google Scholar  

Aithal A, Aithal PS. Development and validation of survey questionnaire experimental data—a systematical review-based statistical approach. Int J Manag Technol Soc Sci. 2020;5(2):233–51. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3724105 .

Field A. Discovering statistics using SPSS. 4th ed. London: SAGE; 2013.

Bentler PM. EQS 6, structural equations program manual. Encino: Multivariate Software Inc; 2006.

Browne MW, Cudeck R. Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sociol Methods Res. 1992;21(2):230–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124192021002005 .

Hoyle RH. The structural equation modeling approach: Basic concepts and fundamental issues. In: Hoyle RH, editor. Structural equation modeling: concepts, issues, and applications. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc; 1995. p. 1–15.

Fornell C, Larcker DF. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. J Mark Res. 1981;18(1):39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312 .

Huang FL. Conducting multilevel confirmatory factor analysis using R. 2017. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12391.34724

Dimitrios S. Residents’ place image: a cluster analysis and its links to place attachment and support for tourism. J Sustain Tour. 2018;26(6):1007–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1435668 .

Chen N, Dwyer L. Residents’ place satisfaction and place attachment on destination brand-building behaviors: conceptual and empirical differentiation. J Travel Res. 2018;57(8):1026–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287517729760 .

Mamirkulova G, Mi J, Abbas J, Mahmood S, Mubeen R, Ziapour A. New silk road infrastructure opportunities in developing tourism environment for residents better quality of life. Glob Ecol Conserv. 2020;24: e01194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01194 .

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by The Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, GRANT No. 7739076, Tourism Destination Competitiveness—Evaluation Model for Serbia—TOURCOMSERBIA. Also, the authors acknowledge financial support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 451-03-66/2024-03/ 200125 & 451-03-65/2024-03/200125).‬‬‬‬‬

This research was supported by The Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, GRANT No. 7739076, Tourism Destination Competitiveness—Evaluation Model for Serbia—TOURCOMSERBIA. Also, the authors acknowledge financial support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 451-03-66/2024-03/200125 & 451-03-65/2024-03/200125).‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

Sanja Kovačić, Marija Cimbaljević & Vanja Pavluković

Faculty of Business Economics and Entrepreneurship (PEP), Mitropolita Petra 8 Street, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

Slobodan Jovanović

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

SK Methodology, Investigation, Software, Formal analysis, Writing—Original Draft, Writing—Review & Editing. MC Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—Original Draft, Writing—Review & Editing. VP Conceptualisation, Formal analysis, Writing—Original Draft, Writing—Review & Editing, Supervision. SJ Investigation, Writing—Original Draft.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marija Cimbaljević .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The consent of the Ethics Commission of the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Science, is not required for the collection of data for the purpose of scientific research through survey research, in accordance with Article 7 paragraph 2 of the Code of Academic Integrity of the Faculty of Science, University of Novi Sad number: 0601-351/5. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Kovačić, S., Cimbaljević, M., Pavluković, V. et al. Exploring tourism competitiveness in developing economies: residents’ perspective. Discov Sustain 5 , 201 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00416-x

Download citation

Received : 13 March 2024

Accepted : 12 August 2024

Published : 17 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00416-x

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Tourism destination competitiveness
• Developing countries
• Mix-method research
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research