Tourism: A Promoter of Human Development

Abstract

Tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon and has become one of the largest industries in the world. The impact of tourism varies extremely. On one hand, it plays an important and certainly positive role in the socio-economic and political development in destination countries by, for instance, offering new employment opportunities. It also contributes to a broader cultural and understanding by creating awareness respecting the diversity of cultures and ways of life. On the other hand, it is a tool to create jobs. Tourism has been a major driver. The objective of this paper is to promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry through capacity building of the government in the area of human resource development, improved sectoral planning and governance. The study focuses on empirical investigation of the contribution of the rapidly developing tourism supporting and enhancing infrastructure. Tourism affords huge employment and income generating opportunity. Its impact on bio-physical environment is well acknowledged, hence the emphasis on sustainable tourism and human development. Tourism represent nowadays one of the most dynamic economic sectors, which, despite all the crisis and the unfortunate event of the past, but also in spite of the realities of the global economy nowadays, has demonstrated a tendency towards stable development on the economic, social and environmental planes.

Key words: Tourism, human development, economic development.