The island of Jamaica is commonly viewed as a tropical paradise. Sunny sapphire skies, crystal clear water, and white sandy beaches gently lapped by the tide all come to mind. However, this unspoiled picture is inaccurate. The skies are polluted, the water is murky and littered, and the tide brings discarded cups and debris to the beaches. This tainted reality was caused by the same force that presented the idealized vision- tourism. Tourism causes many problems, which are often interconnected. Not only does tourism harm the environment of many locations around the globe, it hurts the economy and damages the society and culture of local people.

Although tourism is often justified as an excellent means of stimulating a country's economy, the effect is often just the opposite. Anita Pleumarom observes that many small and impoverished areas with little hope of economic improvement turn to tourism and face devastating...