Mass tourism is a form of tourism that involves tens of thousands of people

Mass tourism is a form of tourism that involves tens of thousands of people going to the same resort often at the same time of a year. It is the most popular form of tourism as it is often the cheapest way to holiday, and is often sold as a Package Deal. A package deal is one in which all of the tourists’ needs are catered for by one company. These needs include flights, activities, accommodation and sometimes food (called full board when all meals are included, half board includes two meals a day whilst self-catering means you cook for yourself). These types of holiday are often the opposite of sustainable tourism and ecological tourism.
   There are many types of mass tourism, including skiing in the mountains, sunbathing on a beach, visiting a theme park or taking a cruise. Governments and local people often support mass tourism because it generates a lot of income for local areas.
   Advantages
   First, jobs are generated by tourism in many areas — in the initial construction of the resorts, in travel, in food provision and in other service related industries.
   Second, roads, rail, facilities, electricity services etc. all need improving to accommodate the tourists — local people benefit from these infrastructure developments.
   Third, the local tax base increases so the local government can invest in schools, healthcare and social services.
   Fourth, tourists introduce new values and cultures — this causes cultural understanding.
   Disadvantages
   First, jobs can be seasonal — especially in beach and skiing based resorts. People can therefore find themselves out of work in the off season.
   Second, tourists consume huge amounts of resources including food and water — this type of tourism is particularly unsustainable in this manner.
   Third, land is lost from farming to tourist developments.