Nowadays, international tourism is the biggest industry in the world. Unfortunately, international tourism creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
DISAGREE
Rendering a window to the people - both hosts and guests - to appreciate diversity and interact with each other in a cordial and conducive environment: helps remove misplaced notions about disparate ethnicities by providing an opportunity for an open interaction. This is a two way communication, both appreciate the differences, building bridges and fuelling a feeling of brotherhood.
A strange but pleasant bonhomie develops between both the sides, the visitors and the visited, when former come and appreciate and shower praises for the hospitality.
Advent of alien travellers opens up venues of employment and business for the locals, both directly and indirectly. This makes the natives proud of their society and persuades them to adopt a friendly attitude towards the aliens, which is reciprocated in similar manner
AGREE
Tourism is hampering relations rather than building bonds
Contra view is held by conservatives and purists: it is their fear that aliens bring along their mannerisms - which may be incompatible with the local aspirations and customs - and influence locals, especially youngsters, in undesirable ways. This can cause distortions in local ways of life.
Some tourists, although rarely,behave erratic and which can offend locals
The litter and pollution that results due to foreign tourists, is cleaned by levying taxes on the local inhabitants.
Although tourism has become a prolific sector that is generating humongous economic opportunities, it is often criticized for engendering discord among people hailing from disparate cultural backgrounds. However, this perception is misplaced and can be challenged on several grounds.
The resurgence nomadic culture of bagpackers has led to opening doors for a conducive dialogue between peoples belonging to diverse region of the globe; those travelling to experience the diversity of traditions and ways of life, tend to interact with hosts with liberal and empathetic mindset, and are reciprocated with warm and friendly treatment, helping generate harmony among both the parties. To corroborate, a long term study by the World Travel and Tour Organization, spanning over 20 years, has found that an overwhelming number of tourists admitted returning home with enriching experiences about different ways of life. Similarly, the destination societies also expressed satisfaction about receiving visitors from other parts of the world, serving them, and getting to know about the customs and beliefs of the guests.
Nonetheless, those critical of this activity quote quite infrequent incidents to malign the image of this industry. They say that alien visitors bring along their mannerism, disregard local aspirations, expectations and ways of life making hosts feel (very cautious) wary of foreigners entering into their country. Nevertheless, these allegations have little substance, especially in the modern times that are dominated by information revolution, and those travelling for leisure and enjoyment have developed the propensity to not only inform/ enlighten themselves about the food, language, and clothing, but also about the native etiquettes overruling any chance of conflicts.
In hindsight, disputes aside, this notion cannot be deemed acceptable at all, for this sector is bridging gaps between heterogeneous societies, and helping forge a congenial global environment that sans bitterness.
