Define tourism. Discuss the importance of tourism in employment generation
Answers
Answer:
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours.[2] The World Tourism Organization defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only", as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure and not less than 24 hours, business and other purposes"
Explanation:
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), global unemployment reached 197.1 million in 2015 and by 2017 will surpass 200 million.
In these times of global uncertainty, equitable employment is essential to increasing social inclusion, peace and security. With 6% of the world’s active population out of work, job creation must be at the forefront of our agendas and the potential of every economic sector to provide decent jobs should be utilized to its fullest.
One of the sectors with the highest such potential is travel and tourism, which continues to grow and stay resilient despite global challenges. Tourism provides 10% of the world’s GDP, 7% of global trade and as many as one in every 11 jobs globally. In each of the six years following the global economic crisis of 2010, the number of international tourist arrivals around the world grew at 4% or above.
Beyond the direct impact, tourism reaches into many other sectors, such as construction, manufacturing and IT services, having a multiplier effect along the value chain. It is estimated that every job in the core tourism sector creates about 1.5 additional or indirect jobs in the tourism-related economy.
Because of this, tourism’s contribution to recovery in recession-hit countries has been significant. For example in Spain, tourism—the country’s top export sector—created 120,000 new jobs in 2015, providing direct or indirect employment to a total of 2.3 million people. Although the economic crisis led to a fall in total employment in the European Union (EU), this was not the case for the services sector, including the core tourism industries such as accommodation, which has had an average annual growth rate of 0.9 % since 2008.
Tourism is creating jobs for millions at a time when the failure to provide hope for a better future to people of all regions is one of our biggest global challenges. The sector’s wide reach also stimulates entrepreneurship and growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs are the sector’s main innovators and sources of economic diversification, as well as being major job creators across sectors.
With technology and innovation propelling the so-called ‘collaborative economy’, there are also many new employment opportunities in tourism that, if well regulated to safeguard quality, a level playing field and the rights of consumers and employees, can make a large contribution to job creation.
Yet, tourism’s role in employment generation and entrepreneurship is often underestimated and undervalued in policy formulation and implementation
Answer:
Tourism industry is important for the benefits it brings and due to its role as a commercial activity that creates demand and growth for many more industries. Tourism not only contributes towards more economic activities but also generates more employment, revenues and play a significant role in development.