Tourism Called Great Inequality Industry
Professor Harold Goodwin told the ICRT Global Summit in London that tourism's benefits often fail to reach local people.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Travel — General
Live Poll
In your area, is tourism helping local residents or pushing them out?
Professor Harold Goodwin, founder of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), told the ICRT Global Summit in London on Monday that tourism is a great inequality industry. At the summit, ICRT launched an economic benefit methodology report sponsored by easyJet Holidays.
Why it matters
Ministers of tourism are judged by arrival numbers, while overtourism and short-term rentals can squeeze local people out of livelihoods and housing. The methodology offers a way to measure whether tourism's local economic benefits are actually improving.
Only about 10% of the world population flies in any year, and roughly 4% flies internationally. The ICRT methodology's real-world uptake by destinations remains unreported.
The players
Professor Harold Goodwin
Professor Harold Goodwin is a tourism academic who founded the International Centre for Responsible Tourism and is a longtime advocate for tourism that benefits host communities.
International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT)
The International Centre for Responsible Tourism is a research and advocacy organization that promotes tourism practices intended to benefit local communities and reduce negative impacts.
easyJet Holidays
easyJet Holidays is the package holiday arm of the budget airline easyJet, which sponsored the ICRT's economic benefit methodology report.
Scott Lawson
Scott Lawson is the senior ESG manager at easyJet Holidays, responsible for environmental, social and governance initiatives at the company.
The details
Goodwin argued that tourism brings economic benefit through employment and local sourcing, but that national governments prioritize foreign exchange and visitor volume. The ICRT's economic benefit methodology can be used to check progress on local benefits and to substantiate specific claims to customers.
Timeline
Monday (November 2, 2026): Goodwin speaks at the ICRT Global Summit in London.
Coming year: ICRT plans to launch a professional certificate in local economic development.
Travel Outlook
The ICRT methodology arrives as governments continue to measure tourism mainly by arrivals and foreign exchange rather than local economic outcomes. Its success will depend on whether destinations adopt metrics beyond visitor volume.
Travelers who want to support local economies can ask providers whether their spending stays in the destination. Checking whether a tour operator uses local employment and sourcing can help guide bookings.
The takeaway
Tourism's benefits to local people depend less on how many visitors arrive and more on how much economic value stays in the destination. Travelers can favor providers that employ local workers and buy locally.
Further reading
Explore more on Travel — General for broader context on how tourism affects host communities worldwide.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Travel Weekly UK.
Live Poll
In your area, is tourism helping local residents or pushing them out?
