A socioeconomic analysis covers two areas: the local people and the support services and products.
Local people
An analysis of the residents of the area is important for three reasons. First, tourism will impact the lives of the area residents. There will be more visitors to the area; prices of certain items may increase; services may improve. The point is to determine the prevailing attitudes of people in the community toward the development of tourism. If there is an overwhelmingly negative attitude about the development of tourism, it may be unrealistic to plan for its increase. If partially negative attitudes emerge, it may suggest the need for an educational program on the benefits of tourism to the community.
A second reason considers the identification of numbers and types of people most likely to be interested in working in the tourism industries. In some instances, it has been necessary for countries to institute training sessions in order to upgrade the level of skills in the community as part of a tourism development program.
A third part of the analysis is concerned with the role of residents as part of the tourism "product". Often the hospitality of the local residents is a major attraction in itself. Local hospitality is well known, for example, in such places as Scotland, Ireland and Hawaii. How hospitable to visitors is the local population? Moreover, are local people aware of the potential attractions available in their community? The author recently asked a waitress in a restaurant in Aberdeen, Scotland: "What is there to do here for the afternoon?" The answer: "Go to Inverness" (a town some 95 kilometers away!). At the other extreme is Niagara Falls, Ontario. In the two months on either side of the summer tourist season, the Chamber of Commerce organizes visits by local groups to tourist attractions, Admission to the attractions is free to groups who make reservations through the chamber. As a result, local residents see why tourists visit their community. They develop civic pride. And when anyone comes into town and asks "What can I do here?" there is a ready answer.
Support services and products
Tourism requires many support systems such as food items, bedding, furniture, fixtures, etc. To maximize tourism's economic impact, backward linkages to other sectors of the economy should be encouraged. At this point it is important to determine the following:
- Are these support services and products available locally?
- If not, can they be developed locally?
- If not, can they be easily imported?
- 1008 reads
