Tourism's Social, Cultural, and Ecological Impact Essay

Tourism's Social, Cultural, and Ecological Impact - Essay Example There can be no doubt that when an area is opened up for tourism that there will be significant changes. Tourism, while stimulating the economy, places the social order, the cultural values, and the ecology of the area at great risk. The social structure of a tourist area will change dramatically as the enterprise matures. A study on North Cape Norway by Gerald (2005, p.48) found that the seasonal nature of the employment opportunities attracted in-migration to the area during the peak season, as well as an out-migration of young people dissatisfied with the "employment prospects offered by seasonal tourism". One respondent to the study noted the personal change that takes place and reported that contact with the tourists caused her to, "become someone ... something you're not. Without knowing it consciously, and it just seems like you are so cosmopolitan, so sophisticated" (Gjerald 2005, p.49). When we add in the factors of stressing the infrastructure, changes in local politics, and the loss of existing social networks the social change is substantial. While the social order is at risk of great change, cultural traditions and values may all but disappear. Tourist destinations are often modeled on the tourist it intends to attract, while the local culture is placed on display as an oddity. The islands of Aruba and Barbuda are, "exemplified by the dominance of large scale resorts, convention trade, and the increasing prevalence of manmade attractions like shopping, gambling, and cruise traffic" (Thomas, Pigozzi, & Sambrook 2005, p.19). In addition, Gerald (2005, p.50) reports a modest increase in drugs, alcohol use, theft, and sexual assault in the North Cape Norway area. Meanwhile, local customs and traditions are relegated to be a display for the tourists, rather than have any meaningful cultural value.