Geography Tourism (2.2)

Positive economic impact (Employment opportunities)

When: 2019

What: Tourism accounted for 330 million formal jobs worldwide → Represent 10% of global workforce

When: 2015-2019

What: 25% of all new jobs were created by the tourism industry

Positive economic impact (Income generation)

Where: Maldives

When: 1980s

What:

• One of the world’s poorest countries

• Economy has grown due to the tourism opportunities offered by its natural landscape → Low poverty rates

Negative economic impact (Economic leakages)

Who: United Nations Environment programme

What:

Every US$100 spent on tourist on a holiday to a developing countries → Only US$5 remains in the local host community

Negative economic impact (Over dependence on tourism → Natural Disasters)

Where: Caribbean Island

When: 2017

What:

• Parts of the Caribbean Islands were struck by a succession of powerful hurricanes

• 95% of buildings were destroyed → 1 million fewer tourists arrivals and an estimated loss of revenue of over US$700 million

Negative economic impact (Over dependence on tourism → Unfavourable Political Situation)

Where: Thailand

When: 2020

What:

• Protests in Thailand against military rule

• Several countries issued travel advisories to its citizens to dissuade them from visiting Thailand → Reduce tourists arrivals

Negative economic impact (Over dependence on tourism → Economic downturn)

Where: Maldives

When: 2009

What:

• Highly dependent on tourism

• Suffered a drop of 4% in tourism arrivals → Economic crisis

Negative economic impact (Over dependence on tourism → Outbreak of disease)

Where: Maldives

When: 2019 to 2020

What:

• Tourism arrivals was only 1/3 of arrivals

• Covid-19 Pandemic infected over 205 million people → 4 million deaths

• Many countries responded by going into lockdown → International travel shut down