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 with this opinion?

Over the years,

tourism

has grown into a huge industry. Actually, it is the backbone of many economies.

For example

,

tourism

is the main source of revenue for countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Some people,

however

, opine that

tourism

leads to

tension

between countries. While I agree with

this

statement to a certain extent, in my opinion,

this

is not a problem that cannot be resolved. Lack of understanding of cultures and traditions often leads to

tension

between tourists and locals.

For example

, most countries in the Middle East and South East Asia are conservative by nature. Middle Eastern countries

in particular

have strict codes of conduct and dressing. When tourists, especially those from the liberal West visit these countries' problems often arise. Locals expect the foreign visitors to follow their customs and traditions. Often times, the visitors simply do not care. There have even been many cases where the locals attacked tourists for disrespecting their

culture

. In the end,

such

unfortunate incidents lead to problems between the two countries.

Hence

, the argument that

tourism

leads to

tension

between countries certainly holds some water. Even so, in my opinion,

tourism

also

fosters understanding. Actually,

this

tension

can be diffused by simply promoting a

culture

of understanding. Countries that receive a lot of international tourists should take the moral responsibility to teach their citizens about cultural differences. Locals should be taught that they cannot expect a foreigner to behave like them or to respect their customs as they do. At the same time, countries that send a lot of tourists to other countries should

also

sensitize their people about the importance of respecting the

culture

and traditions of the country they visit. These simple measures will solve most of the problems associated with

tourism

. To conclude,

tourism

may create

tension

between countries when there is a lack of understanding about

culture

and traditions.

However

, nations can combat

this

issue by inculcating an attitude of tolerance and understanding in their citizens. Do you have an essay on

this

topic? Submit it below in the comments for a free band score estimate.