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The vast majority of books, papers, and monographs dealing with development issues and tourism report that there are considerably more associated costs and problems than benefits. Sadly, many tourism developers do not realize the impact their “tourist-centric” approach can have on natives. Gunn believes there are numerous “social and personal” benefits natives may gain from tourists.As an example, he discusses the influx of tourists to numerous Amish communities in Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Although sonie of the Old Order Amish resent this invasion of their privacy, on balance the tourist has fostered increased cohesiveness and stimulated even stronger protection of their way of life.’
Clearly, Amish people were not consulted by tourism developers who marketed and sold Amish religious and cultural beliefs as “curiosities” to tourists. Additional costs of tourism development wdl be analyzed in the context of four major arenas: environmental, social, economic, and health.
Environmental Costs
Numerous detailed accounts of environmental degradation resulting from tourism development exist.“a2” Below is a comprehensive list of most tourismrelated environmental problems compiled by Green and Hunter:*’ Changes in floral and fauna species composition (disruption, desertion, destruction, death) Pollution (air, water, land, noise) Erosion Depletion of natural resources (food, water, land, fossil fuels) Visual impact (buildings, car parks, litter).
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Social Costs
Loss of culture has often been described as an inevitable cost of tourism and can include loss of language, exploitation of traditional disruption of native political and economic balance, transfer of Western values and behaviors, adoption of Western dress, changes in family structure,” and others. Increases in drug and alcohol use/abuse and STDs have been linked to tourism in the Third World.” Crime is also associated with tourism development.
Although linkages between crinie and tourism are difficult to assess due to numerous confounding factors, there
is a correlation between incidence of economic crime (burglary, larceny, robbery) and density of tourists.’ Included under the purview of crime is an increase in prostitution”.” and gambling.’ Crime has also been linked to unemployment and high cost of living. Host resentment may actually lead to crime against tourists and has been noted as a problem itself.”
Natives often lose the use of common areas, such as beaches, parks, lakes, etc. which are bought or appropriated by hotels for tourist use only.”’ In the early days of Jamaica’s tourism development, “a lot of Uamaica’s) best beaches were sold to hotel interests in the days when we were willing to pay a higher price to attract the tourist than he was, in fact, demanding. This is a classic example where a policy did not represent a measured response
to reality but was determined, instead, by the insecurities that beset the post-colonial niind."
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