Impact of Tourism Development on the Economy and Health of Third World Nations.

Abstract

International tourism has quickly become one of the most important economic industries in the world.’+ In the 1950s and 1960s, the most popular destinations for tourists from developed nations were other developed nations. However, as international travel gained popularity, tourists became more “savvy” and more cost-conscious, and they began malung “intercultural” excursions to underdeveloped regions of the wor1d.h tourists searched for adventure and bargains, destinations began to include Mica, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. In 1987, theThrd World’s market share of international tourist spending amounted to 29.10/0;5 that figure is steadily increasing. Table 1 illustrates the economic importance and social impact that tourism has had worldwide. It is equally important to understand who is investing in tourism development and who is profiting. As many economically poor and resource rich countries struggle under the burden of onerous foreign debts, tourism development is seen as a panacea for economic woes. Foreign lenders agree with, and encourage, this belief by providing capital for tourism development.’ As tourism around the world has grown, there has been a concomitant rise in researchers’ interest in studying the economic, political and social costs and benefits of tourism development for native and guest alike. Unfortunately, one area in which reporting remains biased is the impact of tourism development on health. Indeed, if health and tourism issues are addressed at all it is usually in reference to tourists’ health problems (e.g., travelers’ diarrhea, malaria).”’The majority of studies on natives’ health focus almost exclusively on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The literature has few, if any, systematic studies that document the impact of