Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists rather than local people. Why is this? What can be done to encourage local people to visit museums and historical sites?

Although

most places have sites of historical interest and a variety of museums to visit, it is predominantly tourists who come to see them, not local people.

This

essay will examine the reasons for

this

before suggesting some possible methods of attracting local people.  The main factor is the different motivations of tourists and local people. For a tourist, the aim when visiting another country, city or region, is to learn about that new place and p

ossibly

Suggestion

possible

to understand its culture and history. Visiting historical sites and museums is an excellent way to do

this

.

On the other hand

, local people have often lived in the area for much of their lives, and have either learned

this

at school or understand it through personal experience.

In addition

, tourists are on holiday and have set aside time and money for these activities.

However

, local people may be too busy working and prefer to prioritise their spending on

such

things as school, shopping and socialising. Despite

this

, attendance of local people could be encouraged in a variety of ways.

First

and foremost, the perception of museums and historical sites could be changed by holding events at these places.

For example

, they could hold cultural festivals or galas for the community to celebrate a unique aspect of that particular place. Another possibility is to have special promotions,

such

as a reduced price or free tickets provided in local newspapers and magazines. Related to

this

, concession cards could

also

be provided to local people so they are encouraged to come more regularly.  In conclusion, tourists have different motivating factors t

o

Suggestion

for

local people, which accounts for the reasons that they are more likely to visit museums and historical sites. That said, it is possible to encourage attendance by local people through cultural events and promotions.