07 Nov Social Significance of Tourism

In a previous blog Tourism in Nigeria: Why nobody is coming to Nigeria, I explained the importance of tourism to the economy and how some countries solely rely on tourism generated revenues as a major contributor to their GDP. Worthy of mention too, is the socio-cultural advantages of tourism.

Tourism is a labour intensive industry and operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There are many opportunities for employment for young people and for people interested in part time or casual work. While some of the employment require skilled workers, there are also vocational training opportunities for people who are less skilled and who lack formal qualifications. The outcome of these employment opportunities is that more people are kept busy with honest work and more families are able to afford basic amenities.

A thriving tourism industry supports growth in other sectors, such as transport, construction, agriculture and retail. As tourism increases, there are more opportunities for small business to develop.

Tourism can also stimulate new and expanded community facilities and infrastructure initiatives, such as the improvement of retail, restaurant and entertainment options, transport services, education and sporting facilities. These increase the quality of life for the community, which may not otherwise warrant the improvement based on the residential population alone.

Conservation of cultural heritage is also often prompted by tourism, either as a result of increased awareness and pride, or because it can be justified on economic grounds as a tourist attraction.

There is the argument that increase in tourism would also increase crimes such as drug trafficking. However if managed properly, the advantages will outweigh the risks.

Photo credit: the internet

Ijeoma Okoli

Emc3 Nigeria