I’m on my second day of traveling around for a bit, and my first stop is Barcelona. I’m staying in a hostel right off La Rambla, one of the more famous streets in Barcelona, in the relatively modern district of Eixample.
As I spend more time traveling, I’m becoming increasingly wary of the effect of tourism on an area’s culture, especially when I walk down La Rambla, which is highly commercialized and geared almost solely to tourists. While tourism is a plus for the economy of an area, I’m worried about the effects on the development of the local culture, as well as how that culture is portrayed to the outside world.
What are the advantages of tourism?
• Local economic development. An area with tourism will enjoy a larger population of people going in and out, and therefore restaurants, souvenir shops, museums, tour groups, and like parties will contribute to the development of the local economy.
• Travel is enjoyable. On a more personal level, travel offers different perspectives on cultures and