Nowadays, in the age of cheap airlines, it is not a problem to travel from Paris to Chicago or from Warsaw to Rio de Janeiro. Thousands of tourists visits the most attractive and famous places all over the world evry year. Mass tourism has become very popular and the quesion that has arised is whether it is a blessing or a threat for local communities. It seems that tourism on such a large scale is beneficial for inhabitants of the most popular and attractive spots.
To start with, thanks to tourism economy flourish. Restaurants, pubs or shops selling souvenirs prosper in places visited by crowds of tourists and, consequently, the unemployement rate is low. Local people are employed in various kind of business depending on tourists. Moreover, tourism contributes to preservation of local traditions which are often very appealing to foreigners visiting the place. In addition, thanks to the money spent by tourists, local authorities have funds to maintain various facilities like, for example, libraries or sports centres and to restore monuments and other objects of histoical value. Besides, tourist undoubtedly contribute to social life of the place they visit, making it more lively and intense.
While it is obvious that the blessings of mass tourism are numerous, it cannot be denied that there are also threats. Tourists contribute to the damage of the natural environment as they often leave a lot of litter in the countryside. In addition, they prevent local people from leading peaceful and quiet life.
To sum up, mass tourism has both advantages and disadvanages. However, it seems that local communities can benefit so much from it that the threats of the rapid development of tourism seem insignificant.
