Importance of Tourism for Countries and their Economy with 8 Reasons

Tourism that was once done for recreational purposes only has now become a huge industry for countries. It can be said the impact of globalization has converted tourism into a part of a country’s industries that generate revenue. The importance of tourism has increased tenfolds since the normalization of travel bloggers through social media. The increasing influx of tourism before the coronavirus pandemic has proven to have many benefits for countries.

Some countries like United States, Maldives, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, Spain, etc. are hot tourist spots that generate a large amount of revenue through their tourism industry. The countries that are most famous for their tourism earn around hundreds of billion dollars. USA, France, and Spain collect the highest tourism revenue. It does not matter if a country is big or small, tourism has nothing to do with the size of the country. Various factors determine the tourist influx in a country.

• Safety or security.
• Destination spots like museums, historical buildings, monuments, famous buildings, etc.
• Scenic beauty.
• Activities to attract tourists i.e. sports, plays or theatres, concerts, architecture, mountain climbing, other recreational activities, etc.
• Cultures and yearly festivals like Holi or Basant.
• The hospitality of the local people.
• Ease of visa process and approval.
• Expenses and retail.
• Facilities for the tourists like hotels, accommodation, transport services, and travel guides.

Many countries have developed their tourism industry to the extent that it provides Almost all of the facilities to the tourists. This is the reason that they entertain tourists from all around the world throughout the year. On the other hand, countries like Pakistan have natural scenic beauty to attract tourists but the resources are not much. However, these countries are developing their assets and working on the Tourism industry and have succeeded to some extent.

Types of Tourism

There are two types of tourism based on the nature of tourism and tourists’ residence.

1. Domestic or Local Tourism: It refers to the tourism that occurs within the country. E.g. people visiting different cities or areas of the country they live in.
2. International Tourism: It refers to the activities of tourists when they visit outside of their country of residence. E.g. A Pakistani visiting Turkey or Germany.

The importance of tourism – be it domestic or international tourism – is essential for the economy and culture of a country it benefits a country in various ways.

Importance of Tourism for Countries and their Economy

The importance of tourism for a country is equivalent to the import/export industry of a country these days. Many countries like the Maldives heavily depend upon their tourism industry and entertain tourists all year long. The lives of locals and their livelihood have evolved around tourism and tourists. Here is how tourism is important for countries and helps in improving a country’s economy.

1. Cultural Exchange

Tourism involves the to and fro movement of tourists in different countries. When tourists visit a different country unlike their resident country, they experience different cultures. These tourists when like some aspect of a culture, they adopt the culture in bits and pieces. They bring their culture and take local’s culture back to their home country. This way a cultural exchange takes place through tourism. It helps to normalize different cultures all around the world and increases acceptance of differences.

2. The Infrastructure of a Country

Countries that depend greatly on the tourism industry also invest a huge percentage of their revenue in the country’s infrastructure development to attract more tourists in the future. They provide advanced facilities like modern transportation, accommodation, airports, recreational activity spots, amusement parks, hospitals, restaurants, etc. to the tourists. This is done to provide a better experience to the tourists which opens doors to more tourists. These tourists spend their money in the country. Moreover, not only tourists but local people also enjoy and spend their money on these services that is good for the country’s economy.

3. Startup of Small Businesses

The areas that are densely visited by tourists require more facilities for the tourists. Therefore, the locals of that area start up their small businesses to entertain the tourist and earn their livelihood. These small businesses are often food ventures, small restaurants or food stalls, tour guides or travel guides, and small shops selling specialty or the area. Tourists are attracted by these facilities and visit more often. This not only benefits the government but also help local earn a livelihood for their households.

4. Country’s Repute Enhances

A country’s repute depends mainly on what the international community says about it. Tourism is an easy and best way to invite foreigners into your country and let them see for themselves what your country really looks like. With the normalization of vlogging and blogging, many content creators visit different countries and document their experiences. These content creators attract more tourists to a country through their content. This is why countries these days spend a lot on their tourism industry. Many countries that were famous for a negative aspect have cleared their name in the international community through tourism.

5. Opportunities for Local Citizens

Tourism serves as a great opportunity for locals to learn new cultures and new skills. The tourists who visit a country bring their skillset to the country. These skills are adopted by the locals either through proper training or mere observation. For example, tourists that come to a sporting event bring new skills that can be adopted by the locals. Moreover, locals get the opportunity to establish their entrepreneurship and launch new services and products. Underdeveloped countries especially are benefited from tourism because the locals get to enjoy the opportunities that the government is unable to provide. This is why the importance of tourism is taken seriously by the locals.

6. Job Opportunities for Locals

When the influx of tourists is increased in a country new businesses and services are established to entertain tourists. These businesses – either big or small – provides job opportunities for the locals. This way the financial conditions of the locals and their skillset are increased, consequently, benefiting the country’s economy.

7. Steps for Environmental Protection

Different countries have unique animal or plant species that cannot be found in any other country of the world. The experts from these branches of science visit different areas for exploration and to study these species. Sometimes, these mere tourist visits can convert into scientific researches that generate huge revenue for the country. Therefore, countries have become careful about the destruction of these species and have put bans on environmental destruction. Because many businesses are linked to the wellness of the environment of the country, the governments and authorities end up protecting the environment. This way even the countries that do not take environmental protection seriously have to work https://skylandstourism.org/why-is-tourism-important/ on the environment by protecting the natural resources and species present in their countries.

8. Protection of Cultural Heritage

Many countries like Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, etc. have huge cultural and historical influence that has left them a lot of cultural heritage. This cultural heritage is appreciated by many. Therefore, the tourists who want to have an original experience of different cultures visit these countries. Since the protection of cultural heritage is linked with earning revenue, countries protect their historical, sacred, and cultural sites. They spent money on the renovation and maintenance of these historical buildings, sites, to attract tourists. In the process of restoration of these buildings, the tradition is also kept preserved.

Conclusion

Tourism is a big revenue-generating industry in many countries and has become a big portion of their GDP. It not only benefits the country but also benefits the locals in earning well for themselves. On a global level, it ensures the flow of cultures between different countries resulting in promoting acceptance and tolerance. Because of the economic and social benefits, the importance of tourism will continue to grow.