An examination of socio-economic and socio-cultural factors among hotel

Introduction

The arrival of tourists, both from domestic andinternational sources, offers an exceptionalopportunity for the tourism industry to take a leadingrole on a global scale (Smith, 2017). When the growthof the tourism sector is sustained, it has the potentialto become a significant generator of employment, notonly in specific countries but across various regions.This, in turn, can profoundly enhance the social wellbeing of the population, often facilitated bygovernment policies and programs. Moreover, therevenue generated from tourism activities enablesgovernments to allocate financial resources toenhance education and healthcare. As investmentsflow into tourist destinations, the local workforcegains access to employment opportunities withintourist establishments. This surge in the labor forcecreates new demands for goods and services, whichare met by third-party entities unrelated to the initialtourism investors. Importantly, these third-partyentities primarily serve the workers themselves, eachwith their unique needs.

 Consequently, employment emerges as one of themost accessible indicators for measuring the socialimpact of tourism (Sharpley and Telfer, 2015). Jobcreation, in general, serves as the cornerstone forimproving living standards and fostering socioeconomic progress (Butler and Russell, 2010),thereby significantly influencing the quality of life ofhotel employees (Hall, 2015). Employment not onlyacts as an indicator of social development but alsomirrors the economic advancement of a region(Swarbrooke and Horner, 2012). Consequently,individuals working in the tourism industry often leadfulfilling lives characterized by a high quality of life(Ryan and Mo, 2015). To enhance the economicquality of life for hotel employees, it is imperative topromote tourism within the city, ensuring thesustainability of the hospitality sector (Page, 2017). Ifsustained, economic benefits will flow into the localcommunity, and workers in the tourism industry willcontinue to enjoy a high quality of life. As emphasizedby Medlick (1997), tourism's role as a source ofemployment is particularly crucial for areas withlimited alternative employment opportunities, whichis often the case in non-industrial regions withlimited natural resources beyond scenic attractionsand favorable climates (Sharpley, 2015). Forinstance, the State of Carolina experienced significantgrowth in travel and tourism spending in 2006,reaching $16.7 billion, a 5% increase over theprevious year (Smith and Jenner, 2017). This sectorsupported the employment of approximately 198,900individuals, accounting for 10.5% of the total stateemployment (Smith and Jenner, 2017). Therefore, jobcreation resulting from the impact of tourismbecomes a primary indicator for assessing socialdevelopment (Hall, 2015).

At the local level, the revenue generated by tourismfacilities often plays a vital role in the economic wellbeing of the area and its residents (WTO, 2022). Thisimpact is further amplified by a significant conceptknown as the multiplier effect, as explained by Cruz(1999). The multiplier effect estimates the direct andsecondary effects of tourist expenditures, consideringthem as external income injected into the localeconomy (Sharpley and Telfer, 2015). When a touristinitially spends money in a destination, this incomecirculates to local tour operators, handicraft storeowners, hoteliers, and taxi drivers (Sharpley andTelfer, 2015). Hoteliers, for example, use this incomein the first round of transactions to purchase supplies,pay wages, and retain profits (WTO, 2022). In thesecond round, this income may be spent or saved,further stimulating the local economy (WTO, 2022).Tourism also plays a vital role in fostering peace bybringing various parts of the world together througheconomic and social interactions within localcommunities (Deng and Ritchie, 2015). Asemphasized by Robinson (1999), the economic andsocial impacts on the local community depend on theportion of income generated by tourists that reachesthe host communities (Deng and Ritchie, 2015).Cultural interactions between tourists and hosts canpromote changes in local culture while preserving orrevitalizing indigenous ethnic and cultural identities(WTO, 2022). Such interactions may contribute tobreaking down social or natural prejudices,promoting better understanding, and fosteringpositive social change (Sharpley and Telfer, 2015).