International Tourism

It is probably one of the most common things in today’s society: tourism! Tourism can be found in almost any country around the world. Ever since the time that Thomas Cook introduced to the world the concept of traveling from one place to another, from one country to another, or even from one continent to the other side of the world, tourism has grown significantly. In the nineteenth century, this idea of traveling was only meant for wealthy people. But as technology and the economy grew, it became more accessible to more people in Western society. Some countries even rely on tourism for more than fifty per cent of it’s national income.

Although it seems tourism provides lots of benefits for the overall economy and creates recreation for tourists on many levels (cultural sightseeing, relaxation, entertainment etc.), it affects our flora and fauna worldwide to the point of great concern. What will happen if tourism continues to grow in certain areas and continues to affect nature? Looking at the current situation in de Caribbean, how will tourism continue to make an impact and see if there are possible solutions for these problems.

The Caribbean, a region comprised of more than seven thousand islands and isles, located Southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and North America, has always been a popular destination for tourists, because of the tropical climate, white sand beaches, blue seas, diversity of animals and plants, and extensive cuisine. It is the second most popular holiday destination after the Mediterranean. Tourism is a huge contributor to the economies of all the Caribbean countries and the biggest contributor to many of them such as Antigua, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands.

Unfortunately, the growth of tourism has caused many downsides. Tourism requires larger capital because of the infrastructure that is necessary. The Caribbean has to deal with about 100 million tourists each year and providing suitable accommodation and other facilities for