Impacts of Globalisation » Impacts of Global Tourism
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: 8.2 (c)
- Why global tourism, including mass tourism, has grown
- The positive and negative impacts on the environment, the economy and people of destination areas
- How to use and interpret socio-economic data about tourism
Remember, this is part of the optional Globalisation and Migration topic. In Paper 2 Section C you answer only one of the three global issues.
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Unlock This CourseThe growth of global tourism
Tourism is people travelling to places away from home for holidays, business or to visit family. More people than ever now travel abroad. Cheaper flights, higher incomes, the internet for booking and more paid holiday time have all helped.
Key terms:
- Destination area: the place that tourists travel to.
- Positive impact: a good effect, or benefit.
- Negative impact: a bad effect, or cost.
- Socio-economic data: numbers about people's lives and money, such as jobs, income, unemployment and population.
You have already met mass tourism (large numbers of tourists visiting the same place) in the lesson on threats to coastal ecosystems. It is the type of tourism that often has the biggest impacts, good and bad. With mass tourism, thousands of visitors use the same beach and the same water supply, so litter, crowding and rising prices build up fastest, and so do the jobs and spending.
The exam asks you to sort impacts into three groups: the environment, the economy and people. Use these three words as headings in your own answers.
Positive impacts
🌿 Environment
Tourists pay to visit beautiful places, so there is a reason to protect them. Money from entry fees can pay for national parks, reefs and wildlife reserves.
💰 Economy
Tourists spend money in hotels, restaurants, shops and taxis. This creates jobs, brings in foreign money and gives the government more tax to spend. New airports and roads can help local business too.
👪 People
Local people get jobs as guides, cooks, cleaners and drivers. Better roads, electricity and water supplies built for tourists can help local families. Traditional crafts and festivals may be kept alive because tourists want to see them.
Negative impacts
🌊 Environment
Large numbers of visitors cause litter, pollution and damage to paths, beaches and coral. Flights add carbon dioxide to the air. Hotels may use huge amounts of water, which can leave less for local people.
💲 Economy
Many hotels are owned by foreign companies, so a lot of the money leaves the country. Jobs may be seasonal and low paid. If visitors stop coming, for example after a storm or a health scare, local people can lose their income quickly.
👥 People
Prices of food and land can rise, so local people struggle to afford homes. Beaches and land may be closed off to locals. Crowds, noise and different behaviour can upset local culture and daily life.
Notice that the same thing can be good and bad. A new hotel creates jobs (economy, positive) but may use up local water (environment, negative). Good answers show both sides.
Skill: using socio-economic data
The spec asks you to use and interpret socio-economic data. Here is an invented example for a developing country called Palmera, which has built a lot of beach resorts.
- Tourist arrivals: 1995: 120 000. 2005: 380 000. 2015: 900 000. 2025: 1 500 000.
- Unemployment rate: 1995: 18%. 2025: 9%.
- Average yearly income of a tourism worker: £2 400. Average yearly income of a farm worker: £1 800.
Worked example
How many times bigger were arrivals in 2025 than in 1995? Divide: 1 500 000 ÷ 120 000 = 12.5, so arrivals grew 12.5 times.
What is the change in unemployment? 18% − 9% = 9 percentage points lower.
How much more does a tourism worker earn? £2 400 − £1 800 = £600 more per year.
Interpret it: Tourism has helped the economy and people, because unemployment halved and tourism pays better than farming. But the data does not tell us about the environment, so we cannot say whether the growth has been good overall.
Worked example: percentage change
By what percentage did arrivals rise from 2015 to 2025? Change = 1 500 000 − 900 000 = 600 000. Divide by the starting figure: 600 000 ÷ 900 000 = 0.67. Multiply by 100 to get about 67%. Always divide by the starting figure, not the final one.
What does it show? Growth is still fast, so the pressure on beaches, water supplies and housing is likely to keep rising. This is why mass tourism needs careful planning in a destination area like Palmera.
Three steps for any data question: 1. read what the numbers measure, 2. describe the trend with figures (up, down, how much), 3. say what it means for people, the economy or the environment. Always quote at least two figures, and write the units.
Common mistakes
- Writing only about money. The question may ask about the environment or people, so check which group it wants.
- Saying "tourism is good" or "tourism is bad". Explain who is affected and how.
- Giving a list of impacts with no explanation. Say why, for example "litter harms wildlife".
- Describing a graph or table without quoting figures.
Exam-style question
Use the Palmera data above to answer.
(a) Calculate how many more tourists arrived in 2025 than in 2005. [1 mark]
(b) Explain one positive and one negative impact of the growth of tourism on the people of a destination area. [4 marks]
Model answer
(a) 1 500 000 − 380 000 = 1 120 000 more tourists. (1)
(b) Positive: tourism creates jobs for local people, such as hotel staff and guides (1), and these jobs pay more than farm work, so families have more income (1). Negative: tourists can push up the price of food and land (1), so local people may struggle to afford homes and everyday goods (1).
Exam tip
For an "explain" question worth 4 marks, give two impacts and develop each with a "because" or "so" sentence, as in the answer above.