Globalization is essentially a process by which an ever tightening network of ties that cut across national political boundaries connects communities in a single, interdependent whole, a shrinking world where local differences are steadily eroded and subsumed within a massive global social order (Mowforth and Munt, 1998: 12). The globalization definition given makes tourism the cause and effect of globalization. Tourism can be argued to be one of the world's largest industries that continues to develop rapidly. Tourism is generally involves travel for recreation, leisure, religious, family or business purposes, usually for a limited duration. Tourism is commonly associated with international travel, but may also refer to travel to another place within the same country. In sociological perspective, "tourism consists of the of phenomena of space movement connected with voluntarily temporal change of place in space, change of life rhythm and environment accompanied by making personal contact with the visited environment Mpofu (2009)Both tourism and globalization can have positive and negative impact on socio-cultural, economic, political and environmental aspects of indigenous (local) peoples. .
The main aim of this essay therefore is to examine the impact of tourism and globalization on indigenous peoples. The essay submits that tourism and globalization may be argued to be a deadly mix for indigenous peoples or host communities due to the negative impacts it has brought about such as commodification and erosion of culture, loss of cultural identity, social problems such as diseases and environmental problems to mention only a few. However, the essay also acknowledges that tourism and globalization have brought with them positive effects such as, increased revenues and foreign currency earnings, created additional employment, introduced new technologies in transport, communications and e-commerce as well as improved tourism facilities and services to meet international standards.
