Whereas a few decades ago many countries on this earth could be reached under the most difficult conditions only, an unlimited number of travel destinations all over the world are open to people today. Package tours, long-haul flights even to the most distant regions, are available to almost anyone willing to travel.
Tourism today is a major economic sector offering many people worldwide varied and rewarding jobs and enables every average consumer to get to know different cultures and their foreign customs and traditions. Tourism is very often considered a panacea for the economic development in rural, structurally weak regions. But it has also a lot of disadvantages for the regions and their populations because mass tourism always contributes to high negative impacts on nature, people and the environment.
