【正确答案】Tourism generates foreign exchange. The substantial foreign currency earned helps to save on imports thus making valuable contributions to domestic tourism requirements.
Tourism generates local employment both directly in the tourism sector and in the various support and resource management sectors.
Tourism stimulates profitable domestic industries in hotels, restaurants, transport systems, souvenirs and handicrafts, and guides.
Tourism diversifies the local economy, particularly in rural areas where cultural employment may be sporadic or insufficient. The benefits of tourism are diffused throughout the economy, many with multiplier effects, so that it is difficult to evaluate accurately their contribution.
Tourism stimulates the rural economy by creating demand for agricultural produce and injecting capita.
Tourism stimulates improvements to local transportation and communications infrastructures, which brings benefits to local people.
Tourism improves intercultural understanding and global communication.
Tourism promotes development of recreational facilities which may be used by local communities as well as domestic and foreign visitors.
Tourism prompts conservation by convincing government officials and the general public of the importance of natural areas.
If properly planned and managed, tourism is both a non-polluting and renewable industry. This is what ecotourism is all about.