Travel is one of the most ancient and common aspects of human life; its origins come from mythical times. There are various reasons for travelling such as recreation, business, sport, education, health, or visiting friends, so the "typical tourist" does not exist. Every action resulting from the stay of persons at a place where they do not normally live or work is entitled “tourism”.
Historically, Mass tourism appears after the World War II, it was initiated in the back streets of the industrial towns and cities in the north of England.The development of mass tourism in the western world was linked to the economic development of society and as a matter of fact to the incorporation of a more powerful middle and lower class inside the tourist market. This expansion has been based on external factors such as generalization of paid holidays, rising standards of living and a rapid improvement in the means of transportation such as the increase in air travel. The growth of such tourism represents a democratization of travel and this democratization means that status distinctions will be drawn between the different classes of traveler, but less between those that can travel or not. Some places, (the working class resorts) have been viewed as embodiments and symbols of mass tourism, “where the dominant groups help to be tasteless, common and vulgar”. The beginning of domestic and incoming tourism: for the public autonomies were more interesting, the income of foreign currencies was very important and that's why they began to pay more attention to promote incoming tourism. Because of the crisis incoming tourism couldn't be developed as wished so domestic tourism became a good substitute. The rapid growth in the number of travelers means the origin of masses.
In the 50s, tourism is considered as a phenomenon to follow. Economists analyzed the phenomenon and accepted the existence of a tourist market, with a supply of goods and services and an unknown tourist demand. The study of this demand from the point of view of consumerism, motivations and economic conditions originate mass tourism. "Mass tourism can be seen as a form of Fordist mass consumption, which implies certain conditions in its production and its consumption". The feature of mass tourism was as a result of purchase of commodities produced under conditions of mass production; individual producers tending to dominate particular industrial markets; producer rather than consumer as dominant; commodities little differentiated from each other by fashion, season, and specific markets segments; relatively market choice”. And Fordist mass consumption as “new forms of permitting consumer expenditure to rise; greater volatility of consumer preferences; the growth of a consumers movement and the ‘politicizing’ of consumption; reaction of consumers against being as part of a ‘mass’ and the need of producers to be much more consumer driven, specially in the case of service industries”. When the economists began to analyze the phenomenon of tourism, they realized that the big tourist demand was taking place during a few months and only in some specific places. The rest of the year, these crowded places were almost empty or closed. It means that the phenomenon of seasonalityappeared from the beginning of the history of mass tourism as a problem to solve and remains a problem nowadays.
In1960's the evolution of mass tourism, was when the industry effectively became internationalized. Spain was the country which more than any other symbolized this new phase of tourism. The most characteristic product was the Mediterranean that offered sun and beach holidays. The emergence of the international tour companies (ITCs) as an instrument in shaping new economic and cultural relationships between particular regions and markets in northern Europe aided the growth of mass foreign tourism in Spain. And also the massive sale of inclusive tours (IT) often with a “charter”transport. Travel agencies start to organize travels with own or rental planes for their groups to specific tourist destinations. The excitement to build was the consequence of the tourist invasions during the 60s in Spain. It started in the Mediterranean coast and was extended to the Canary Islands.It was the decade of the transformation in the Spanish littoral, Costa del Sol, Palma de Majorca, Levant, Costa Brava and Canary Islands as the most relevant examples. The arrival of tourism was a revolution with consequences that will be analyzed in the next points as for example the land speculation. The tourist technique was an unknown subject for the authorities and may be for that reason their response was not the most adequate. The crisis of 1973 brought about the increase in the number of travelers which continued until 1973, with a reduction between 1973 and 1976, reflecting the economic crisis in a sector, which was particularly sensitive to rising prices. After 1983there was a further increase in arrivals, which has made Spain the second ranked country in world tourism, accounting for 8.8 per cent of all tourists and 10.5 per cent of all foreign exchange earnings. Another significant indicator of the position occupied by Spain in world tourists flows is the fact that it is included in the brochures of approximately 50 per cent of foreign tour operators. Between 1989 and 1992there was a fall in visitor numbers, related to a loss of quality and the strong competitiveness of other Mediterranean destinations, such as Yugoslavia, Tunisia and Greece. By the mid 1990s Spanish tourism regained its world position and accounted for 8.2 per cent of tourist arrivals and 6.7 per cent in terms of foreign exchange earnings of world total.
The rapid growth of tourism has increased economic, environmental and social effects. Recently the attention has concentrated on the economic impacts and not on the environmental and social consequences of tourism. Tourism research has been reoriented after the acknowledgment of the size of the impacts of modern tourism. Moreover, the costs and negative impacts have been examined in a critical way. Tourism, both international and domestic, brings consequences and has an impact on tourist destinations. To discuss the positive and negative impacts of tourism it is necessary to include the visitor’s experience and to pay attention to the relationship between visitor and resources. The impact made by tourism depends upon the volume and characteristics of the tourists (length of stay, activity, mode of transport, travel arrangement, etc.). A selection of variables must also be taken into account in the determination of any impact of tourismas well as their interrelationships and the ways in which they influence the nature, direction and magnitude of tourist impacts. The assessment of impacts should include all phases of the travel experience, including initial preparations, the journeys to and from the destination, the stay, etc.
Economic Impact of Mass Tourism
There is no doubt that tourism has a most important effect on the economies of destinations areas. It is for this reason that development of tourist facilities and recreational opportunities has normally been viewed as a positive contribution to the national balance of payments. Moreover, tourism seems to be more effective than other industries in generating employment and income. International tourism is an invisible export and creates a flow of foreign currency that contributes directly in the balance of payments. This flow has an influence into the economy of a destination country. As other export industries, this inflow creates business turnover, household income, employment and government profits. Domestic tourism has also an economic effect upon the host regions of a country. Whereas, international tourism brings a flow of foreign currency into a country, domestic tourism redistributes domestic currency inside the boundaries of a country. From the point of view of a tourist region, domestic tourism is a form of invisible export as well.
In addition, One of the main effects of mass tourism is the over dependence of tourist destinations on tourism. This is dangerous because tourism is volatile and highly susceptible to changes from inside (e.g. price, changing fashions…) and outside (e.g. global economic trends, political situations…) the industry. Some destinations have made themselves vulnerable to changes in tourist demand because they have become over dependent on tourism, they have adapted all their resources to tourism without realizing that some factors such as the political situation of a country, the economy, a war or the terrorism are the most important points at the time of choosing a holiday destination. There is no doubt that when there is an unstable situation in a certain country, its tourism decrease. People do not go on holiday to a country where there are warlike conflicts or even in countries with a political situation of instability. Tourism then naturally decreases.
Physical impacts
The growth of tourism changes and modifies the environment. Environment is land, water, air, flora and fauna, but also people and culture and the impacts of tourism are reflected on elements of the natural environment as well as on the man-made environment or built environment (development of environments for tourism as for example holiday resorts). The development of tourism requires the existence of an infrastructure, as well as hotel accommodation and another facilities specific to tourism. In some areas highways and airfields have been constructed to make stimulate tourism but not always has the local population benefited from these developments. Infrastructure and facilities require land and the consequence is that land prices rise in the areas were tourism is developing.
Social and cultural impacts
The social and cultural impacts of tourism are the effects of the contribution of tourism that changes systems, social behavior, family relationships, shared lifestyles, security levels, moral conduct, innovative language, conventional ceremonies and community organizations. The socio-cultural impacts are ‘people impacts’; they are about the effects on people of host communities of their direct and indirect associations with tourists. To explore the social and cultural impacts of mass tourism it is necessary to have different perspectives.
- Ø From the tourist, in relation to the demand for tourist services and motivations, as well as feelings, opinions and expectations of tourists.
- Ø From the host, analyzing the aspects of the offering of tourist services, that concerns the inhabitants of the destinations areas and the local organization of the tourist industry.
- Ø From the relationship between tourist and host, concerning the nature of the contacts between hosts and guests and with the consequences of these contacts.
Compared to the economic effects, the socio-cultural impacts of tourism are usually presented in the literature in a negative way. According to some research, the impact of mass tourism on host communities is not always so adverse and gives the chance to promote the understanding between people of different nationalities and culturesmake available the possibility of having a successful intercultural interaction. The intercultural contact counts with a mix of different characteristics of the interacting groups, and the bigger is the divergence of characteristics the more evident are the social impacts. Tourist-host relationships are determined by the characteristics of the interacting groups or individuals and the conditions under which contact take place. This contact happen in three different contexts: where the tourist is purchasing some good or service from the host, where the tourist and the host find themselves side by side, for example on a sandy beach or at a night club performance, and where two parties come face to face with the object of exchanging information and ideas. Then, tourism is a mechanism for increasing international understanding. In the case of mass tourists, direct contact is not necessary for impacts and only the sight of tourists and their behaviour may induce behavioural changes on permanent residents. In mass tourism destinations, the tourist is itinerant, relaxed, free-spending, enjoying his leisure and absorbing the experience of being in a different place. In contrast, the host is stationary and if is employed in the tourist industry, spends a great part of the time catering to the needs and desires of visitors. Social impacts of tourism refer to the changes in the quality of life of residents of tourist destinations. The nature and dynamics of the tourist-host relationship has three dimensions: people’s interactions, perceptions and attitudes. Host attitudes may rapidly become antagonistic and even reach xenophobic proportions when there is a non-stop development of facilities and services to satisfy tourist demands. “Xenophobia occurs when the carrying capacity, or saturation point, is reached and exceeded” referring to tourists behaviour. The tolerance of tourists by hosts varies spatially and temporally. As long as the economic impacts remain positive, the presence of tourists is usually accepted and welcomed. But once the host population consider that the limit is exceeded, some negative symptoms of discontent appears going from apathy and irritation to extreme xenophobia, and from bad-tempered courtesy to open exploitation. There are numerous situations that provoke feelings of tourist resentments and they arise from different conditions.
- Ø The physical presence of tourist in the destination area, especially if they are in large groups. Residents usually resent the fact of sharing facilities and services with visitors and often mention congestion as problem. It is evident that the concentration of large numbers of tourists causes congestion of facilities and services. Dispersing tourists can reduce tourist densities so that the ratio of tourists to hosts is reduced without decreasing the number of tourist arrivals.
- Ø The demonstration effect. Residents frequently resent the visible economic superiority of visitors and try to copy their behaviour. The introduction of foreign ideologies and ways of life into societies exposed to tourism indicates a foreign domination of the industry and an adaptation of work. Furthermore, the hosts perceive quickly the desire of tourists to spend money and their weaknesses are exploited. Hosts may develop an inferiority complex that start out a process of imitation. Most case studies that examine demonstration effect agree that tourism can modify local behaviour and divide the population of destinations areas.
- Ø Foreign ownership and employment. The employment of non-locals in executive and professional occupations, carrying greater responsibility and superior salaries to those available to local residents, also provokes resentment.
Conclusively, Mass tourism is without doubt the most important form of tourism and imposes the gravest consequences on the natural and cultural situation of a tourist destination. It is characterized by important investments, headed by a few producers of specific markets. For a tourist destination, the promotion and the image are fundamental and must be carefully constructed in order to get benefits. As already mentioned, tourism is a form of conspicuous consumption and tourists exhibit their identity and social standing by the destination they choose to visit and the image it presents. This image is in the hands of ‘image-makers’ who select, organize, combine and edit what is produced and distributed. Image can be deformed to attract tourists, for example, negative aspects such as poverty and crime are omitted while positive aspects are accentuated or exaggerated. Tourists can either accept the trickery or feel disappointed by the lack of authenticity, but for the locals the false image has much more serious implications, they suffer a loss of identity in their evolution into a new role. The false image gradually robs the culture and its authenticity and this can create a bad feeling and cause resentment from local people. The conception of tourism nowadays is tourism as modern equivalent of the religious pilgrimage because both pursue for authentic experiences. Even if attractions are potential expressions of authenticity not all of them are equally authentic, the host frequently stages their authenticity. Normally modern mass tourists are denied access to the back regions of the host society where genuine authenticity can be found. The social and economic impact of tourism, and consequently its effect on culture, is enormous in areas of mass tourism. For that reason, sustainable tourism try to solve the problem by advocating that the image presented should meet the needs of the local community and express their cultural heritage.
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