THE TOURIST TRAP Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in the world. As well as bringing prosperity to an area, however, it can also destroy the qualities which (1)________visitors in the first place. If it is not carefully controlled, tourism can also create problems for local people, as is shown by various examples from around the world. When Phuket in Thailand first became a popular tourist (2)________, people there were unable to cope with the increase in rubbish that 2 million visitors a ...

THE TOURIST TRAP

Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in the world. As well as bringing prosperity to an area, however, it can also destroy the qualities which (1)________visitors in the first place. If it is not carefully controlled, tourism can also create problems for local people, as is shown by various examples from around the world. When Phuket in Thailand first became a popular tourist (2)________, people there were unable to cope with the increase in rubbish that 2 million visitors a year produce and a huge incinerator had to be built in the countryside to deal with it. New hotels at Goa in India caused a huge increase in water consumption, (3)________many local people to walk considerable distances to get clean water. And Egypt’s desert landscapes are being destroyed by the litter (4)________by tourists. Moving sands are difficult to clean, and the white desert to the west of the Nile Valley may be permanently affected. It’s encouraging, therefore, to read about the efforts of certain tour companies who are organising environmental holidays in some of the worst hit areas. Regular tours now go to places (5)________the Himalayas and Atlas mountains in North Africa with the aim of combining a bit of sightseeing with the chance to help clear up some of the mess left by previous visitors.