Lesson 11: Societal & Political Factors
Completion requirements
Unit 2
Why Tourists Travel
Lesson 11: Societal & Political Factors
"When people travel here from across the country, they shed jealousies and politics and prejudices. The mighty climb down. The humble are elevated." ~ Hugh Sidey
Tourism is not exclusively an economic phenomenon. It also involves social, cultural, political, and environmental aspects. It is important to realize that any assessment of tourism impact not only has to be concerned with the economic effects but also with the influence of non-economic effects such as societal and political factors.
Societal Factors
Leisure time directly affects tourism because it increases the amount of time free from labour and gives people choices of how to spend non-work time. With the advent of paid vacations and holidays, the opportunity for travel results. Affluence is another important factor in a society's population's ability to travel. With an increase in disposable income, travel becomes a possibility. Political Factors
The type and severity of the effect depend on what type of political change has occurred in a country. For example, if a country is undergoing political turmoil, Canadians and Americans may have difficulty entering or exiting a country, accessing currency, and they may even fear for their safety. Sometimes travel is not even recommended. A great resource I often reference is the Government of Canada's official travel advice and advisories website.While you likely were not even born during the World Trade Center Tower Attacks of 9/11, in New York City, trust me when I say that the world changed as fears of World War III surfaced. With 5-6000 direct deaths, family and friends were devastated, the city was emotionally destroyed, and ultimately, the travel and tourism sector suffered tremendously. After the terrorist attacks, not only were all North America flights temporarily grounded, but a lasting effect occurred as well. There were immediate declines in airline passenger loads of up to 50% with similar declines in hotel occupancy. The US economy was hit so hard that they were nudged into a recession, the Stock Market declined, and transportation security became internationally important. School boards within Canada cancelled all student international trips for 3-5 years; people were scared to travel.
Now, let's look at an example from a positive standpoint. After the fall of the Soviet Union, countries like the Czech Republic received new-found freedom, and the world was ready to get a glimpse into this culturally rich, previously isolated region. Cities like Prague benefitted greatly from this influx of tourism dollars.