Culture and Tourism

381 Words2 Pages
Topic: Some people believe that culture will be ruined if it is used to earn tourism revenue, but others consider that tourism is the only way of protecting a culture. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion. These days, tourism is widely considered an essential industry in most countries. There is no doubt that it has many benefits such as culture preservation. However, there are still many opponents who are in favor of the opposite argument. This essay will discuss both sides of this issue. First of all, providing economic incentives for cultural preservation is unarguably one of the main contributions of tourism. It is undeniable that cultural features appeal to tourists. This might tempt governments to invest more in the culture of their countries to attract tourists. It involves more meticulous protection of historical buildings, traditional customs, etc. Besides, money earned from a variety of activities such as entrance fee constitutes an enormous financial contribution to key historical sites' maintenance. In addition, tourism can bring about job opportunities for surrounding communities in a variety of ways such as souvenir shops, local tour guide. The higher the income level is, the better the local awareness of conserving culture for the common good. On the other hand, tourism develops sometimes at the expense of part of culture. It is obvious that if governments want to develop their countries to attract tourists, historical areas might be demolished for the construction of national parks, restaurants, hotels, etc. Furthermore, traditional styles can be altered to suit tourists' trend. If tourists are not keen on any particular traditional things such as the taste of food or traditional clothing, they are likely to be made extinct or completely changed so as to meet tourists' demand. With respect to the strong correlation between economic
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