SOCIAL IMPACTS OF

TOURISM
Tourism brings about social change. Tourists often
unconsciously influence the community they visit,
especially if there is a large gap in living standard between
the two. This is also known as the demonstration effect.
Similarly, tourist who take an active interest in their host
community may well end up changing their own views and
attitudes.
TYPOLOGIES OF TOURISTS
Reflects the diversity of individual
motivations, styles, interests, and value of
tourists.
Through time, tourist have been described
as pilgrims
Typologies based on age and economy
were introduced by Cohen, who suggests
tourists roles can be as drifters, explorers
and individual and organized mass tourist
COHENS MODEL
Organized Mass Tourist
Packaged tours
Prefers the familiar environment
Individual Mass Tourist
Major arrangements made through a travel intermediary
Tourist has some control over his itinerary and time
locations
Remains with the environmental bubble of home country
COHENS MODEL
Explorer
Usually plan his own trip
Avoids developed tourist attraction
Mixes with locals but still protected by environmental
bubble
Drifter
Plan his own trip
Avoid tourist attractions and lives with the locals
Immerses in the host culture, partakes of the local food,
lives in the native shelter and observes local habits and
lifestyle
TOURIST-HOST INTERACTIONS
Do you prepare yourself before going off on
vacation?
Harmony between guests and hosts and
their communities can be destroyed if both
are unprepared for the encounter
TOURIST-HOST ENCOUNTERS
Tourist experience a variety of encounters
with host communities
These encounters can range from
excellent to downright scary
UNESCO names four characteristics of
tourist-host relationships
Its transitory nature
Temporal and spatial constraint
Lack of spontaneity
Unequal and unbalanced experiences
DOXEYS IRRIDEX OF TOURIST IRRITATION
Euphoria-visitors are welcome; there are
opportunities for local people and new money flows
in-but there is little planning
Apathy-visitors are taken for granted; they become
targets for profit-making, and contacts become
formal
Annoyance- saturation is approached, with too
many people visiting the destination for it to remain
enjoyable especially in the peak season

DOXEYS IRRIDEX OF TOURIST IRRITATION
Antagonism- open irritation appears;
planning is remedial; promotion is increased
to offset the deteriorating reputation of the
destination
Acceptance- the place has changed
permanently; change is now accepted by the
residents; they have forgotten what the area
was like before the first tourist arrived
DEMONSTRATION EFFECT
The demonstration effect as the
phenomenon of local residents adopting the
styles and manners they have observed in
visiting tourists
COST OF TOURISM TO A COMMUNITY
Additional sewage treatment, police and fire
protection, schools, possibly airports
Possible increase in crime
Greater pollution
Increased congestion
Possible limits on access to beaches
Increased social dislocation
Increase in cost of living; food, rent, transportation,
labor
BENEFITS OF TOURISM TO A
COMMUNITY
More employment options
Rise in property values
Increased tax revenues
Added entertainment options
Possible beautification of area
Greater ease of travel fro residents
Greater educational opportunities
Greater choice of cars, food, clothing, etc
SOCIAL IMPACTS
Tourism sometimes helps to revive, art, dance
and crafts in host communities
When arts and crafts are made outside the host
community, this results not only in a loss of jobs
but also of revenue
Tourism can encourage crime, ranging from
petty to serious kidnapping
Tourism can increase prostitution
Tourism can slow residents way of life
Tourist unduly influence the culture of the host
community and vice versa
Sometimes the host community resents tourists
SOCIAL TOURISM
Implies that at least part of the travel and or
destination experience is subsidized. This
includes such different things as employer
holiday bonuses, government-owned
transportation and or accommodations and
government subsidized parks.