How has tourism affected small towns in the U.S.?

Tourism is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable aspects of variety the U.S. has to offer. Opportunities to explore natural and manmade wonders throughout the states are endless, and even expand outside of the country. However, these shining gems found in small towns have a wide impact on the economical state of the town and its residents. Tourism comes with its pros and cons, both equally important to the tight knit communities.

Many people think of larger cities when the word ‘Tourism’ is mentioned, but what about the small towns? Places such as Sedona, Arizona, Cannon Beach, Oregon, and Red Lodge, Montana have gorgeous natural sights to indulge in with family and friends, or even on a solo trip. The largest difference between visiting a small town as opposed to a large city for tourist attractions is the economy surrounding them. While large cities like Chicago and New York do benefit from the tourism they bring in, they also have large industries and colleges that rake in a generous portion of money that benefits their economy. Small towns rely more on tourism as they are generally made up of family owned businesses, local churches, small schools, and volunteer organizations. Rural towns in particular rely widely on tourism. In the article ‘Rural Tourism’ by Nikolina Šajn and Karin Finer

Members' Research Service, the effects on the job industry for rural towns are mentioned. Many people rely on maintaining an agriculture based environment to bring in tourists, and while this can be beneficial for the job market, it can become extremely destructive to the land. However, without the benefits of tourism, many rural towns’ economies would collapse. Some are forced to choose between a functioning economy and a functioning environment, and unfortunately, in most cases the latter will take the cake.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development mentions a vital point in their blog post on tourism - while it does offer many job opportunities, it is an extremely vulnerable and risky career to depend upon. They mention that during the COVID-19 Pandemic, over 100 million people lost their jobs in tourism dependent markets. This creates a scary environment for communities dependent on tourism - what happens if there’s a highway closed for a long period of time? What if a natural disaster damages the town? How will they recover? There is no easy solution to this issue. The only way to prevent this from truly happening is building the economy past tourism, which can take decades and in some cases, may not ever be possible. On the blog “Tourism Currents” a survey was held on what rural towns think the most pressing issues regarding tourism are. The answer most commonly agreed upon was the lack of resources small towns have to offer due to their miniscule budget. They are largely lacking in childcare services, housing, and active members of the community. This is widely due to the amount of money spent on maintaining the attractions that bring in visitors. While it does result in a higher yearly revenue, it typically ends up going back to what brought it in to begin with - the event or area that gets the most attention. The neglect on other parts of the community is typically overlooked, but it’s a topic that needs more attention.

On the flip side of the argument, Kreg Lindbergh wrote in his Journal of Travel Research that the economic comeback of tourism since COVID-19 in outdoor areas, such as Oregon, has boosted the community in ways it previously lacked, brining in higher revenue and income for its residents as well as funding for community based activities and organizations. The benefits and downfalls of tourism can not be measured on a wide scale, as they vary no matter where the community is located. Geography, culture, and residents have a huge role in the development of tourism in small communities. Pavlakovič mentions in her article, “Nostalgia, Commodification of Emotions and Small-Town Tourism: The Case of Vintage Vila” that a way to improve revenue regarding tourism in small towns is the restoration of abandoned buildings, which provides a low-cost solution and various job openings that will ultimately benefit the residents of the town.

Overall, the effects of tourism on small towns are hard to narrow down to one reliable statement. They differ based on the attractiveness of the area, the natural environment surrounding it, and the residents themselves, which are constantly changing. However, one thing is certain, it is extremely important to support small town and local businesses when you can choose to. They benefit greatly from the revenue and in turn, the buyer receives a hand crafted object or a heartfelt experience. Small Towns are the heart of America, and deserve to be respected as such.

Sources used in this work-

Rural Tourism SUMMARY.

‌Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. “Tourism.” Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, 25 May 2022, www.bmz.de/en/issues/tourism.

‌Sheila. “Rural Tourism Challenges and Opportunites - Survey Results.” Tourism Currents®, 1 June 2023, www.tourismcurrents.com/rural-tourism-challenges-survey-results/.

‌Journal of Travel Research 1­ –16 © The Author(s) 2021 Article reuse guidelines: .com/journals-permissions

Pavlakovič, Barbara, et al. “Nostalgia, Commodification of Emotions and Small-Town Tourism: The Case of Vintage Vila.” Acta Economica Et Turistica, vol. 2, no. 2, 2016, pp. 115–26, https://doi.org/10.1515/aet-2016-0010.

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