In this paper, there is going to be a discussion about tourism and economic development. Different sources of information are going to be considered. Several examples from different parts of the world about tourism and economic development are going to be presented. The last paragraph of the paper will give a conclusion of the paper in which a summary of the main points in the discussion is going be presented. The tourism sector is a very important sector in the world economy and serves as one of the significant sources of income for the developed as well as developing nations. This sector involves huge investment and great planning (Rahmatnia, Vejdan and Eskandarpour 139). Tourism has been found to greatly contribute towards economic development. It is pointed out that this sector is the world’s largest sector and creates the largest number of jobs within the national as well as regional economies. According to Aliqah, research undertaken in the recent past indicates that it was projected that by the year 2000, the tourism sector would generate both in a direct and in an indirect manner, 11.7 percent of the gross domestic product and about two hundred million jobs in the global economy (Aliqah 173). In the same regard, the projected figures for the year 2010 stood at 11.7 percent of GDP and 255 million jobs respectively (Aliqah 173). It is reported that the jobs which are generated by the tourism sector “are spread across the economy in retail, construction, manufacturing and telecommunications as well as directly in travel and tourism companies” (Aliqah 173). Job creation facilitated by the tourism sector through the direct means involve creating these opportunities within the sector itself and this includes such activities as tourists guidance, offering security to tourists, and transportation and travel among other similar activities. Indirect creation of job opportunities involves job creation of jobs in other sectors which engages in supplying the tourism sector with the basic needs such as foods and health care. Studies conducted indicate that the average of having creation of direct jobs in the hotel industry “was between 0.5 – 1 job opportunities for every room in the hotels’ rooms and the average increased in low incomes countries was about 1.5 or more” (Aliqah 178). According to Aliqah, who undertook a study about tourism in Jordan, considering the ratio of costs for job creation in the tourism sector to other economic activities, there is no comprehensive data that is available about the countries in the Arab World; however, some of the studies in other parts of the world give assurance that the cost incurred in the creation of a job in the tourism sector is less than the cost of creating a job in any of the traditional sectors (Aliqah 178). In Aliqah study, which was concerned with tourism in Jordan, it was found out that the government of this country looks for ways of developing employment in this sector by coming up with development plans as well as having international cooperation with “the International Funds” or IF and “international organizations to invest in the tourism sector, specifically in the tourism locations like Aqaba and Dead Sea” (Aliqah 178). In such places, the investors can get