TOURISM – IS IT ALWAYS A GOOD THING?

Nowadays, tourism has become a mass phenomenon, with great fluxes of people travelling all over the globe in search of the resort of their dreams where they can spend some days off. But can tourism be interpreted as a positive product of our globalised world, or is it just a modern plague afflicting our planet? Some people claim that tourism undoubtedly plays an important role in today’s society, both for its economic and cultural effects. It is clear, in fact, that well-off tourists can make the fortune of travel agencies, air companies, hotel owners and all those who can, directly or indirectly, benefit from the money tourists spend on their journeys. Not only may their presence in a holiday resort or a historical city be of the utmost importance for those who mainly live on tourism, but it is also vital for a wider range of workers and employees who operate in the field of transport, trade, communication and services in general. Moreover, tourism has always played a positive role in promoting culture by familiarising people with the most diverse natural and human environments, with their characteristics and peculiar traditions. Conversely, we cannot deny that modern tourism has become too aggressive a phenomenon that dangerously affects our social life and the environment. It is often said, in fact, that it highlights social inequality among people, stressing the gap between few fortunate people who can travel and those who cannot afford it, not to mention the dramatic impact it has on the environment. It is a common notion, in fact, that the uncontrollable increase in passenger flights on an endless number of routes all over the world is dangerously polluting the environment, with tons of fumes inevitably poisoning the atmosphere. Furthermore, these hordes of tourists invading the most remote parts of the world often set an example of incivility, spoiling beautiful natural resorts and leaving heaps of rubbish and litter behind, and inevitably causing the local authorities to spend a lot of public funds on cleaning out cities, beaches and forests. In my opinion, it is the lack of respect and responsibility that is at the core of the problem. The more we respect any place we step foot in, the more our holiday will be unforgettable. I am perfectly aware that this phenomenon must be controlled more strictly, but taking everything into consideration, I can certainly confirm that the unquestionable advantages of tourism simply outweigh the disadvantages and come to the conclusion that ‘tourism is always good’.