tourism in LDCs employs 1 out of 12 people

The tourism economy represents 5 % of global GDP
International tourism ranks fourth (after fuels, chemicals and automotive products) in global exports, with an industry value of US$1 trillion a year, accounting for 30 % of the world’s exports of commercial services
Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange for one-third of developing countries and one-half of LDCs
1 job in the core tourism industry creates about 1,5 additional or indirect jobs in the tourism-related economy
The number of international arrivals grew from 25 million international arrivals in 1950 to an estimated 806 million in 2005, corresponding to an average annual growth rate of 6.5%
The number of tourist trips is expected to continue to grow for the next decade, with the number of international tourist arrivals expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020 and attaining 2.6 billion in 2050 (UNWTO)

A basic lack of cultural awareness about the places we go on holiday can lead us to cause inadvertent offence to local people

http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/business/sectoralactivities/tourism/...

http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/Business/SectoralActivities/Tourism/...

" "all-inclusive" vacation packages reduce income for local businesses. When tourists remain for their entire stay at the same cruise ship or resort, which provides everything they need and where they will make all their expenditures, not much opportunity is left for local people to profit from tourism."

http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/Business/SectoralActivities/Tourism/...

The cruise ship industry provides another example of economic enclave tourism. Non-river cruises carried some 8.7 million international passengers in 1999. On many ships, especially in the Caribbean (the world's most popular cruise destination with 44.5% of cruise passengers), guests are encouraged to spend most of their time and money on board, and opportunities to spend in some ports are closely managed and restricted.

Tourism development can cost the local government and local taxpayers a great deal of money. Developers may want the government to improve the airport, roads and other infrastructure, and possibly to provide tax breaks and other financial advantages, which are costly activities for the government. Public resources spent on subsidized infrastructure or tax breaks may reduce government investment in other critical areas such as education and health.

Tourists and suppliers - often unwittingly - can bring in species (insects, wild and cultivated plants and diseases) that are not native to the local environment and that can cause enormous disruption and even destruction of ecosystems.

Depletion of the Ozone Layer

http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/Business/SectoralActivities/Tourism/...

http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/Business/SectoralActivities/Tourism/....

Tourism can create great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other raw materials that may already be in short supply. Greater extraction and transport of these resources exacerbates the physical impacts associated with their exploitation. Because of the seasonal character of the industry, many destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high season as in the low season. A high demand is placed upon these resources to meet the high expectations tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc.).

Land degradation
Important land resources include minerals, fossil fuels, fertile soil, forests, wetland and wildlife. Increased construction of tourism and recreational facilities has increased the pressure on these resources and on scenic landscapes. Direct impact on natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, in the provision of tourist facilities can be caused by the use of land for accommodation and other infrastructure provision, and the use of building materials.

Forests often suffer negative impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation caused by fuel wood collection and land clearing. For example, one trekking tourist in Nepal - and area already suffering the effects of deforestation - can use four to five kilograms of wood a day.