2020-01-13 GC Agenda - Item 10 - Attachment 2 - The Value of Tourism to the Noosa Community October 2019 FINAL REPORT

Summary of the potential Benefits and Impacts of Tourism

A summary of the potential benefits and impacts of tourism is stated below.

            Potential Benefits Impacts                                    Potential Negative Impacts
             associated with Tourism                                       associated with Tourism
                                                       Economic
     •   Considerable value added to an economy              •       Inflated / high property values impacting on
     •   The creation of jobs                                        locals (and particularly first home buyers / low to
     •   Indirect benefits to suppliers and flow on                  middle income earners)
         impacts of wages and spending throughout            •       Seasonal employment
         the economy                                         •       A casualised workforce, minimum wages,
     •   Stimulation of expenditure / spending on                    minimal worker benefits and a narrow range of
         other important infrastructure – such as                    skills development opportunities
         airports and major activity centres23.              •       A tendency to depend on tourism jobs, which
     •   Provision of international connections, which               narrows and makes an economy vulnerable
         can create further business, interaction and        •       Detraction of expenditure from local
         learning opportunities.                                     infrastructure to tourism infrastructure, and the
                                                                     need to invest more in local infrastructure due to
                                                                     tourism numbers24.
                                                             •       A need to maintain currency of the tourism offer
                                                                     in order to maintain competitiveness with other
                                                                     tourism destinations



                   Potential Benefits                                      Potential Negative Impacts
                                                           Social
     •   Increased number of attractions,                        •     Affordability issues with property (particularly
         entertainment, events and facilities that can                 for staff of tourism services), leasing and goods
         benefit locals and visitors                                   and services
     •   The chance for an area to show case its culture         •     Encroachment of tourism development and
         and history, solidify identity and increase the               services over local markets
         sense of pride associated with an area                  •     Unwelcomed increased in population and
     •   Increased interactions between local                          congestion
         communities and visitors, which can add value           •     Potential for disruption to social norms, values
         and depth to the extent of cultural experiences               or customs
         and knowledge                                           •     The commercialisation of culture and eroding
     •   Higher level of spending on infrastructure in                 of ‘soul’ / identity.
         the local government area
     •   The provision of a number of jobs and training
         for certain demographic groups, particularly
         youth and locally employed people.




23
   While it is acknowledged that this is an identified benefit from the literature, its complexities have not allowed
investigation of the potential application or otherwise to the Noosa context.

24
    While it is acknowledged that this is identified as a potential negative impact associated with tourism in the
literature, its complexities have not allowed investigation of the potential application or otherwise to the Noosa
context.

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