Like so many things, tourism has both a positive side and a negative side. Sometimes the positive and the negative are different sides of the same coin. I have been a tourist in other countries many times. I also live in Alaska, a major destination for tourists. As a result, I have seen tourism from many different perspectives.

     On the positive side, tourism can benefit both the tourist and the people who live in the destination country.

     The tourist can benefit by getting a break from everyday life, by learning about other peoples and lands, and by getting access to goods and services that might not be available at home. Or if the tourist participates in eco-tourism or in a tour organized by a social justice organization, he or she may get the satisfaction of helping to improve the conditions in the place being visited.

     The local people can benefit from the infusion of cash that the tourist spends during his or her visit, and from the jobs that that cash helps to create. They can also benefit from exposure to people from other countries. They may learn other languages, and be exposed to new ideas and opportunities. The locals may also benefit from improvements in their local communities as a result of eco-tourism or social justice work performed by tourists.

     But there can be many negative effects as well. The money from tourism can distort or destroy local economies. While some local people may benefit economically, others may see the disruption or elimination of their traditional lifestyles. Often in highly touristed areas, prices are driven up by the tourist money, and local people can only afford to live there if they can achieve a much higher income level than the traditional economy will support.

     Tourism can also result in greatly increased levels of alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling and prostitution. Environmental side effects from tourism can also be devastating. If the local government does not regulate what is permitted, impersonal market mechanisms will operate to supply the financially powerful tourists with what ever they want to purchase.

     Tourism can also harm the tourists. Local people intent on acquiring tourist money have used everything from pick pocketing and con games to muggings and murder to gain wealth. Unprepared tourists can contract diseases not found at home while traveling in foreign countries

     As with any other human activity, the net effect of tourism can be either positive or negative. This depends on a multitude of variables, no one of which is dispositive.

     As tourists we control what we do as individuals, but not the policies of the places we visit. At home, we can all help shape public policies in our communities to ensure that tourism benefits us all, while protecting the tourists and minimizing the negative effects of the industry.

     When we travel, we can plan our trips in ways that will do the least amount of harm and ensure that we make some beneficial contributions to the places we visit. 

     And we can have fun while we are doing it.

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