understand tourism

Tourism is a social cultural and economic phenomenon, which involves the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual for personal or business purposes or business environment. These people are called visitors (and may be tourists or excursionists, residents or non-residents) and tourism refers to activities that involve some travel expenses.

Tourism therefore has an impact on the economy, on the natural and built environment, the local population of the destination and the tourists themselves. Because of these multiple impacts, the range and variety of inputs required to produce these goods and services purchased by visitors, and the range of stakeholders and affected by tourism agents, it should be adopt an integrated approach to development, management and control of tourism. This approach is highly recommended for the formulation and implementation of national and local tourism policies, as well as international agreements or other mechanisms affecting tourism.

Why tourism?

Tourism, economic and social phenomenon

Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and has diversified more and more to the point of becoming one of the economic sectors in the world's fastest growing. Modern tourism is closely linked to development and includes a growing number of new destinations. This dynamic is a key driver of socioeconomic progress.

Today, the business volume of tourism equals or exceeds that of petroleum, food and automotive. Tourism is now a major player in international trade and, at the same time, it is a major source of income for many developing countries. This growth is consistent with the emphasis on diversification and competition among destinations.

The general expansion of tourism in industrialized and developed countries has economic benefits and create jobs in many sectors related thereto, from agriculture to telecommunications through the building.

Tourism's contribution to the economic well-being depends on the quality and revenues of the tourism offer. UNWTO offers assistance to destinations that are positioned permanently on the national and international markets that increasingly complex. As the UN agency dedicated to tourism, it emphasizes that especially developing countries should benefit from sustainable tourism and intervenes to help translate this opportunity into reality.