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Is tourism beneficial to developing countries?
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The income doesn't always go to the locals

Major companies take away the income that would be going to the local people.

The Argument

Big name companies, often Western-based, often take advantage of the economic capital made off of tourists. When a location becomes a popular tourist destination, big-name companies often jump on the opportunity to turn a profit. These foreign companies provide hotels, tours, and airlines. The money often goes back to their country, rather than helping the locals who live in the area.[1] On top of this, tourists are more likely to book with companies they know, making money frequently pour into foreign-based companies instead of the local ones. This damages the economy as the country pours out precious money to accommodate tourists. This prevents advancement in development.

Counter arguments

We don't know exactly where the money goes. Companies may contribute to the locals, and tourists may contribute to local businesses more often than we think. The distribution is different for every country, especially in a day and age where people have access to rating systems such as Yelp.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Big name companies take money from tourists. [P2] This money does not go to the locals.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] The presence of large businesses will not necessarily mean money will not go to locals.

References

  1. https://matadornetwork.com/change/lets-stop-pretending-travels-developing-countries-automatically-help-poor/
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 7 Apr 2020 at 10:00 UTC

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