The Economic Impact of Tourism Resources Development
Ali Fouad Ksheish
Under the supervision of Asst. Lect. Zainab Muslim Al-Moussawi
Tourism planning has numerous economic impacts, including:
A- Achieving Economic Prosperity:
The sums invested in the tourism sector circulate in the national economy. Investment in the tourism sector in all cases leads to an increase in the workforce, which in turn receives wages that subsequently represent new purchasing power. Furthermore, the funds generated by tourism are often used to develop this sector and are thus part of the country’s economic cycle (Beta, 2003: 45). This is in addition to the taxes and fees imposed on imported goods and services, as well as the economic returns generated from reselling the tourism product to consumers and business owners (Al-Khoury, 1993: 112).
B- Marketing Certain Goods:
Tourism in a country often involves the purchase of souvenirs or goods for which the host country is famous. The nature of this spending on these goods is tantamount to exporting national products without the need for external marketing. The greater the number of tourists arriving from abroad, the greater the exports.
C- Developing Basic Facilities and Infrastructure:
To fully perform its mission, tourism requires diverse infrastructure, such as roads, sewage projects, drinking water, and transportation, in addition to urban development of key tourist attractions.
Consequently, increasing tourism traffic requires the development of transportation services and other infrastructure services, particularly water resources, sewage networks, waste disposal systems, and communications, to meet the needs of the tourism sector. This, in turn, requires activating the role of tourism planning (Fawzi, 2008: 62).
D- Increasing Foreign and Domestic Investment:
Tourism planning includes various investment areas, such as the construction of hotels, restaurants, sports centers, tourist villages, tourism companies, travel agencies, and transportation. This, in turn, impacts the diversity of investments in this sector. Tourism also supports other economic activities in the agriculture, industry, and services sectors, by increasing demand for and investments in agricultural and industrial products.
E – Improving the Balance of Payments:
This is achieved through the inflow of foreign capital to invest in tourism projects, as well as through the efficient use of natural resources and the resources tourism generates through establishing economic relationships with other sectors in the country. This is in conjunction with the economic benefits it generates, such as the revenues accrued from the hard labor generated by tourism demand for both domestic and foreign tourism. This contributes directly and indirectly to increasing the country’s gross domestic product, thus contributing to the economic development process. This is in addition to the revitalization of broad segments of society that this industry achieves.
F – Providing Job Opportunities and Solving Unemployment Problems
The expansion of the tourism industry and its associated projects contributes to the provision of new job opportunities, which reduces unemployment, thereby leading to higher income levels and social well-being for society, and an increase in the growth rate of tourism spending. Direct investment in tourism provides job opportunities, primarily from the tourism sector to related sectors. The world has witnessed significant growth in the number of tourists, on the one hand, and in the money they spend on their trips, on the other
