The Concept, Principles and Impacts of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism occurs when large numbers of organized tourists to popular holiday destinations for recreational purposes. It is a phenomenon that is characterized by the use of standardized package products with the cheapest price and mass consumption. This includes sunbathing on a beach, eg the Costa del Sol (Spain), skiing in the mountains such as the Swiss Alps, visiting a national park such as Loch Lomond and the Trossachs (Scotland), or traveling to a theme park, eg Disney World in Florida. Governments and local people often favor mass tourism as it generates a lot of income, but most mass tourism development leads to both positive and negative economic, social, and environmental impacts emanating from excessive or rapid tourism development.