The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has carried out its first-ever global survey in an attempt to better understand how tourism is perceived at a residential level.
The online study ? which gathered the opinions of 12,000 people from more than 15 countries ? found that over half of respondents consider tourism to have a positive impact in generating local revenue and cultural wealth in their local community.
Nearly half of participants (47%) believed they live in a city with a high number of visitors. However, these numbers are surprisingly varied across countries, from 68% in Australia to just 33% in France which, according to The Telegraph, leads the worldwide tourism figures with around 93.8 million international visitors last year.
However, not everyone believes tourism has had a positive impact on their community. A minority of participants (12%) maintained the number of people visiting their local area should be limited, with just 7% arguing tourism promotion should be stopped altogether.
Speaking of the findings, UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili, said: ?Today, adequately managing tourism to the benefit of visitors and residents alike, ensuring that local communities are listened to and benefiting from tourism is more important than ever.
?There is a pressing need to set a roadmap for tourism which is fully aligned with the urban agenda.?
Almost half of the respondents (49%) said there should be better measures to manage the number of tourists visiting their local area, with 70% suggesting these measures should focus on improving facilities and creating attractions which can be enjoyed by tourists and residents alike to benefit the community as a whole.
