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The Tandem Travelers  are a traveling writing team made up of Maralyn D. And Norm E. Hill. Maralyn is a co-writer of Cooking Secrets, The Why and How’ and ‘Our Love Affairs with Food & Travel’, and Norm is the author of ‘Winner and Final Chairman’. Learn more about their books on www.BooksByHills.com, or follow their travels around the world on www.WhereOrWhatInTheWorld.com

Why Tourism Dollars Matter to the Economy
by Maralyn D. Hill 'The Tandem Traveler'

How tourism matters to a community is not something I thought much about until the early 80s. Because I was associate producer of the Better Yet Connecticut commercials and was also in charge of the marketing, I studied and learned. What’s amazing is that applicable reasons in the 80s are still the same today.

Tourists bring income to a community, which in turn helps the sales tax base, occupancy tax, stores, restaurants, small boutiques, large stores, local farmers and suppliers and all other businesses.

It is clean revenue, as it does not cause increased needs for schools, parks, recreational facilities, etc.  

In general, tourism does not enlarge the police or fire districts. There may be added costs for overtime or adding a few to the police force, but benefits far outweigh the additional cost. Families in tourist-affected areas have an easier time, as everyone can get full-time or part-time jobs. In turn, there is less pressure on the main income source to keep wanting raises, when they have added support of a spouse being able to work full or part-time and teenagers able to gain employment.

A community may need more crowd control or getting used to more people. But if when shopkeepers/businesses are asked, they relish the extra business.

Many communities resent tourists, which is certainly their choice. If they have the means to survive without them, that is its choice also. However, most communities relish the extra revenue tourists produce. I will be the first to say some facilities cannot escape charging admission, rather than keeping everything free as an entitlement. When you think rationally, those who use a facility should help to sustain it, even if in a small way.

Small towns may decide to let a cruise ships dock. They have the ability to determine how many may visit a week. This provides an economic boom to the area, but good planning is necessary.

This is an extremely simplistic approach to why tourist dollars matter and to the jobs they create. I hope it is enough to help the reader consider the value of tourism to our entire country.