Table 5. Positive impacts of tourism

Economy

Benefits obtained by hotels, restaurants ... directly from visitors

Benefits obtained by suppliers and support services from the establishments

Revenues obtained by the resident population by way of wages and dividends

Benefits related to tourist activities

Direct jobs at the tourist installations

Indirect jobs in the sector

Increased demand for local assets

Increase in infrastructures

Increase in income and its improved distribution

Environment

Restoration and preservation of historic buildings and sites

Creation of natural areas

Restoration of natural habitats

Society and culture

Preservation of historic buildings and monuments

Creation of museums with cultural interest

Revitalisation of traditional art forms (music, literature, theatre, dance …)

Revitalisation of local traditions (crafts, folklore, gastronomy …)

Revitalisation of minority languages

Cultural exchange between residents and visitors

Source: Compiled by authors based on Hong (1985), Wahab and Pigram (1997), Mowforth and Munt (1998) and Ayuso and Fullana (2002).

The solid link between the hotel sector and the natural, social and cultural environments therefore implies that the sector‘s survival largely depends on its capacity to reduce the negative impacts in these areas to a minimum. In other words, the quality of the interactions between the hotel sector establishments and tourists will decrease if the setting of a tourist activity is worsened or loses its aesthetic qualities as a result of poorly planned tourist development. Therefore, the mitigation of these negative impacts seems to be essential for maintaining the quality of tourist services.

However, not all impacts of tourism are negative. There are several benefits stemming from tourist activity, both on the economic plane, and the sociocultural and environmental planes (Hong, 1985; Wahab and Pigram, 1997; Mowforth and Munt, 1998; Ayuso and Fullana, 2002). The most noteworthy of these positive impacts include (Table 5):

• Economic: Benefits obtained by the installations (hotels, restaurants ...) directly from visitors, benefits obtained by suppliers and support services from the establishments, revenues obtained by the resident population by way of wages and dividends, benefits related to tourist activities, direct jobs at the tourist installations, indirect jobs in the sector, increased demand for local assets, increase in infrastructures and an increase in income and its improved distribution.

• Sociocultural: Preservation of historic buildings and monuments, creation of museums with cultural interest, revitalisation of traditional art forms - music, literature, theatre, dance, revitalisation of local traditions - crafts, folklore, gastronomy, revitalisation of minority languages and the cultural exchange between residents and visitors.

• Environmental: Restoration and preservation of historic buildings and sites and the creation of natural areas and restoration of habitats.