So many places in the world rely heavily on tourism as a key source of income and employment

nowadays, as well as a way of showing off national and local heritage, plus perceived successes.
Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems too, especially if it is not managed correctly.
A constant flow of foreign visitors can, for instance, undermine the beauty, uniqueness, character,
and social coherence of a tourist destination over time.

It is easy to underestimate the scale of world tourism without being aware of the figures. There were
estimated to be around 983 million international tourist arrivals In 2011 this is nearly a 5 percent
increase on the numbers in the previous year.
Travelers in those sorts of numbers can easily present huge challenges and problems for many
destinations, including transport, places to stay, policing, and maintenance.

adventage

It brings in money. This is probably the main advantage of tourism and the reason why it has
been promoted so much in recent years in developing countries especially. Whether in
developing or developed countries, the income generated can make up a significant proportion
of the national income.

It provides jobs for the locals. Hotels, bars, transport, shops, and restaurants all need staffing.
Tourism can provide much-needed employment for people.
It raises the profile of the place generally. Tourism gives the locality a chance to show itself off
and raise its profile in the world.
It can provide a incentive for investment in infrastructure such as roads and rail networks, as
well as funding local medical and education facilities.
It can provide economic incentives for a place to preserve, regenerate, and provide upkeep in
their urban and wildlife areas.
Visitors promote international links, which can provide more business and cultural connections
in the medium to long term.

Disanventage

Tourism can often cause environmental damage with things like pollution and forest fires. Even
if tourists behave responsibly, the sheer number of the them can cause problems. Things like
ancient buildings, monuments, and temples often struggle to cope with the vast amounts of
tourist traffic and they suffer wear and tear or damage.
The commercialization of culture can undermine the soul of a tourist destination. Local
traditions that have a rich cultural heritage are reduced to wearing costumes and putting on
acts for the tourists in return for money.

Tourists can often lack respect for local traditions and culture, not following local dress
standards, getting drunk in public, or behaving rudely or inappropriately towards locals.
Although often jobs are created by tourism, most are relatively low level, such as bar work,
hotel service, restaurant serving, and so forth. They also have little prospect for promotion.
 Tourism jobs are quite commonly seasonal and insecure with no extra benefits, such as
pensions, sick pay, or health care. Some areas can be inundated with visitors during busy
times, and then virtually deserted for many months.
Money can end up being directed to tourist areas when it could be used more effectively
elsewhere in a country. The locals who dont live in specific tourist areas miss out and suffer
relative decline.
Often times, most of the tourism industry (travel companies and hotels, for one) in a developing
country is actually owned by big foreign companies. They make the major profits, leaving local
businesses with relatively little benefit.
There is often an imbalance, where it becomes so successful that other forms of income
generation are neglected and an economic dependence on tourism forms. This is fine in good
times, but it can leave the country vulnerable to economic ruin. This can lead to political
upheaval, terrorist attacks, or natural disasters, and tourism consequently dips or dries up
altogether.

Top 10 Tourist Destinations (Cities)

According to MasterCard's new Global Destination Cities Index, the top 10 tourist cities for 2013
were:
1. Bangkok, Thailand, with 15.98 million tourists.
2. London, England, with 15.96 million visitors
3. Paris, France, with 13.92 million people visiting.
4. Singapore, with 11.75 tourists.
5. New York, USA, with 11.52 million visitors.
6. Istanbul, Turkey, with 10.37 million people visiting.
7. Dubai, with 9.9 million tourists.
8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9.2 million visitors.
9. Hong Kong, China, 8.72 million people visiting.
10.Barcelona, Spain, 8.41 million tourists.