Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Is tourism beneficial to developing countries?
Position‹2 of 2
No, tourism is detrimental to developing countries
Argument‹2 of 4›

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. 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.

Premises

[P1]When a place becomes a popular destination, large, often Western-based companies move in to provide the hotels, tours, and airlines, sending much of the profit back to their own countries rather than to local residents. [P2] Tourists also tend to book with familiar foreign brands over local ones, so the destination country pours out precious money to accommodate visitors while little of the income reaches locals, stalling its development. [C] Because the income doesn't always go to the locals, tourism is detrimental to developing countries.

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.

Rejecting the premises

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