Jahnzeb Akhtar

Warm WeatherWarmer winter than North America &

Europe(25°C) – Summers are hot but not uncomfortably hot (28°C)

Sunshine8 Hours of sunshine per day on average

SceneryAttractive scenery – Volcanic mountains

covered in forest or Coral islands with sandy beaches

Sea & WildlifeWarm, clear blue seas great for swimming &

water based sports/activitiesMuch varied wildlife – plants, birds, fish and

animals

Unique placesThere are many cultural and historic places

and resorts

MoneyNatural environment attracts tourists who

bring money which goes towards the countries income

Income from toursim usually greater than income from exportation of raw materials

EmploymentTourism creates much domestic employment

through work in hotels, as guides, in entertainment and more – These are also labour intensive areas

Foreign InvestmentOverseas investors invest in facilities such as

airports, roads and hotels

ProfitAll these things that can bring in money via

tourism, their profit helps towards local housing, schools, hospitals, electricity and water supplies – also helps towards raising standard of living

PollutionExcessive amount of hotels, airports and

roads can spoil visual appearance and create both noise and air pollution along with much litter

Money leaving country Large amounts of the money raised through

tourism often leaves the country with usually only about 10-20% of the money recieved staying in the country – foreign owned corporations making profits have money go right back to their own nation

Tourist facilities not affordableMany of the tourist facilites aren’t affordable

to the general native public

Debt IncreaseMoney borrowed from foreign countries to

promote tourism also creates a large increase in national debt

Local Culture and Tradition RuinedSocial problems also arise, such as

prostitution, crime, drugs – tourists also often have lack of respect for local customs and religious and cultural belief

Also tourists expect to be able to walk around like it is their own home and their influence can affect local cultures

Summary – Attractions

-Warm Weather-Sunshine-Scenery-Seas-Wildlife-Unique places

Summary – Advantages & DisadvantagesAdvantages DisadvantagesIncomeJobsForeign Investment

PollutionMoney leaving countryFacilites not affordable

for localsDebt increaseLocal Culture and

Tradition ruined

Jahnzeb Akhtar

The syllabus says

Case study of a national tourist industry

Examine the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism.

Trinidad Tobago

Largely unexplored tourism potential

Tourism-intensive

About Trinidad and Tobago: The island state in the Caribbean is beside the Caribbean beaches and the sea known for its rich fauna and flora. The two islands have several festivals and events, where the carnival and the jazz festival are the biggest events.

New tourism projects are however in the making, like Waterfront in the capital Port of Spain, which is to make the islands competitive with regards to meetings and conferences.

Trinidad and Tobago is known for its

Carnival and is the birthplace of steelpan, calypso, soca, and limbo.

Carnival, a two day explosion of colour and drama, is the ultimate showcase for the rich artistic and cultural expressions of the island.

Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IS INDISPUTABLE, ALTHOUGH THE INDUSTRY’S POTENTIAL IS A LONG WAY FROM BEING FULLY TAPPED. HOWEVER, BOTH GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY WILL HAVE TO OVERCOME A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES TO ENSURE THAT MAXIMUM BENEFITS TO THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY ARE ACHIEVED IN A WAY THAT IS SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG TERM.

Global benefits may include:

Improved economic interdependence through the inclusion of less developed countries into the world economy. The stimulus to economic take-off in some LEDCs - link to the Rostow Model. Improved cultural exchange and understanding.Global problems may include:

The spread of disease. Atmospheric pollution through increased travel. Cultural antagonism and the growth of nationalism. TNC domination.

Local benefits may include:

Employment. New language and IT skills. The local multiplier effect.Local problems may include:

Cultural dilution and moral degradation. The creation of homogenous landscapes and the disappearance of local distinctiveness. Environmental pollution where the number of visitors exceeds carrying capacity. Domination of the tourist business by foreign-owned TNCs leading to economic leakage.

Advantages:Provides direct employment in hotels, bars, shops.Also provides indirect employment e.g. souvenir makers, builders etc.Provides a much needed input of foreign currency.Attracts foreign investment in hotels and bars.Improves the infrastructure (roads, hospitals, ports etc).

Disadvantages:The tourists can pollute and damage the environment.People that work in the tourism trade benefit but people who don't can be worse off - decline in traditional employment.Building up the infrastructure can be very costly.Breaks down the traditional culture.Much of the profit goes overseas to MEDCs.Tourism tends to be limited to certain areas.Country can rely on tourism too much and fail to develop other industries.

EconomyPositive effects of tourism on the economy

One of the main reasons for the huge growth in tourism is the positive effect it can have on the economy of an area. The nature of the industry means that it provides many jobs and generates

substantial revenue. This can be particularly important for less developing countries as it provides a valuable source of foreign revenue. To evaluate the success of tourism you need to

look at where the money generated goes. If it is invested locally on new services such as infrastructure, schools and local projects, then any money generated by tourism is having a

positive effect on the local economy and society. The jobs generated should also go to the locals so that the economy will benefit from the multiplier effect.

Tobago's economy is tightly linked with Trinidad, and is based on natural gas, petrochemicals, and steel.

The principal economic forces specific to Tobago are tourism and government spending.

Negative effects of tourism on the economy

The negative effects of tourism for an economy are determined by the distribution of the money generated and the allocation of jobs. We use the term 'leakage' to help explain this. Leakage is the amount of money that escapes (whether directly or indirectly) from the local economy. For example, if a British tour company owns an overseas hotel it is possible that: The management of the resort are British so a percentage of their wages will be leakage - especially if they are on a fixed contract for maybe a year or two. British staff are employed to run the hotel on a seasonal basis. Therefore a large percentage of their income will eventually be spent in the British economy. Some tour operators export food to their hotels so suppliers in the UK benefit instead of the local suppliers.

There is a situation in Goa where one company owns the hotel, coach and airline. So the holiday is booked in Germany (travel agent takes a cut), the tourists fly on a German airline, are met by that company's employee, taken on the company's bus to the company's hotel. It is clear to see how little of the money spent by the tourists will get into the Goan economy!

Advantages Disadvantages

The tourism in Trinidad and Tobago can start off a multiplier effect allowing many of the locals to benefit from this industry, in their own area of expertise.

The money does not mostly go to the natives, but to the major tourist companies such as Hotel Inn. This means that the locals can still suffer from poverty.

The tourism can bring more money into the country thus enabling it to pay off more of foreign debt. (The country has a public debt of 26.7% (est. 2009).

Because much of the money does not go to the locals then they cannot get out of their own personal debts with local banks.

The country has a GDP (PPP) of $24,748 per capita (est. 2008). Tourism boosts the GDP.

Multinationals hire locals but for the majority of them their salaries will be low.

Tobago: Conventional beach and water-sports tourism is largely focused in the south-west around the airport and the coastal strip; however, ecotourism is growing in significance, and much of it is focused on the large area of protected forest in the centre and north of the main island and on Little Tobago, a small island off the north east tip of the main island = enclave tourism.

Society and culturePositive effects of tourism on culture

It is inevitable that tourism will have a major effect on the culture and society of an area. By promoting tourism you are encouraging contact between different cultures. Indeed many people deliberately choose to experience a culture very different to their own. Here follows a list of five

positive effects of tourism.

1. For many, the experience of different cultures is seen as an enriching and educating one. The benefits can be felt by the hosts and the visitors.

2. The breaking down of prejudices as people experience other cultures and societies. This is directly linked to the fact that most prejudice is a consequence of ignorance.

3. The strengthening of a culture as that culture becomes supported by tourism.

4. Reduction in the dilution of culture as locals don't have to migrate to find work.

5. The emancipation of women in the receiving culture as they witness the lives of women from western society.

Negative effects of tourism on culture

Unfortunately, tourism can have a very negative effect on culture and society.

This occurs as one culture fails to treat the other with the respect it deserves.

Five negative effects are:

Cultural erosion as traditional ceremonies are performed for tourists their cultural or religious importance is diminished.

Traditional industry that is very important to the culture can be forced to close as they are seen as detrimental to the tourist industry.

Traditional cultures are abandoned as young people look to foreign cultures for their role models.

Cultures are destroyed as drugs, child prostitution, HIV are introduced as a side effect of tourism.

Locals can resent the tourists as they fail to pay local culture the necessary respect.

Advantages Disadvamtages

More income goes to the locals and thus they are able to use the leisure amnesties that are provided for the tourists and thus engage in the tourist’s way of living.

Tourism might benefit some areas and some locals much more than others = enclave tourism.

Tourists get to obtain knowledge about the surroundings of Trinidad and Tobago.

People that work in the tourism trade benefit but people who don't can be worse off - decline in traditional employment.

Environment Tourism will have an affect on the environment. The extent and nature of

the affect will depend on the management of the scheme.

Positive effects of tourism on the environment

It is possible for tourism to be good for the environment. Sustainable tourism attempts to use the resources available whilst also conserving them for the future. If sustainable tourism can be developed, the money generated can be used to repair and improve the natural or built environment.

Tourism can also be used to educate people and raise awareness of the importance of environments - hopefully securing their future. One of the biggest growth areas in tourism is eco-tourism. This is where the package has a definite environmental focus.

Tobago is once again the world´s leading green destination at the World Travel Awards

Tobago Main Ridge Rain Forest has on the sixth year in a row won the prestigous eco-price of the The World Travel Award.

Tobago Main Ridge Rain Forest is the oldest tropical rainforest in the western hemisphere and was declared a protected area as early as in 1776. The rainforest is home to more than 210 different species of birds.

Tobago´s Main Ridge Reserve claims to be the oldest protected forest in the Western world. It was designated as a protected Crown reserve in 1776.

It has remained a protected area ever since.

Negative effects of tourism on the environment

If mismanaged, tourism can have negative effects on the built or natural environment. This occurs when the volume of tourists exceed the environment's carrying capacity. The carrying capacity of an environment is the number of visitors that environment can receive without causing damage to that environment. The carrying capacity is difficult to define, as it is dependant on value judgment. Who decides when the number of tourists has a direct link to the annihilation of the very thing that they have come to visit?

Negative effects of tourism on the environment include footpath erosion. Tourism can also have more serious effects on the environment. The arrival of package tourism can destroy local water supplies, led to the removal of mangrove swamps and pollute the seas.

Trinidad and Tobago specific: Coral reefs have been damaged recently by silt and mud runoff during construction of roads. There are many divers.

Advantages Disadvantages

Tourists are educated about the local ecosystems.

Building the hotels has ruined some of the beautiful landscape = visual pollution.

Tourism finances conservation like the protection of the Tobago Main Ridge Rain Forest.

The building of hotels and infrastructure threatens species through loss of habitat.

Coral reefs might be damaged due to construction of hotels, roads etc.

Divers can damage corals.

Boat anchors can damage corals.

Tourism income can be used on research.

Increased pollution from planes and cars.