International travel makes people prejudiced rather than broad-minded. What are its causes and what measures can be taken to solve this problem?

It is irrefutable that international

tourism

has taken mammoth dimensions. Unfortunately, sometimes, international

tourism

creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures. In

this

essay I intend to delve into the causes of

this

situation and suggest some ways forward. The most important reason why some are opposed to international

tourism

is that tourists may unknowingly show disrespect for local

culture

.

For instance

, we generally cover our heads in a religious place. A

tourist

may not do so or take his shoes inside a temple.

This

may offend the local people. Sometimes, youngsters may be attracted towards the western

culture

which the tourists bring with them and many may find

this

as a threat to the local

culture

.

Moreover

, the

tourist

dollar may not be helping the local people. We all know that tourists stay in five star hotels and enjoy the best facilities. They may be taking two showers a day where as the local people may not have enough water to drink.

This

has been the case in Shimla which is a very popular hill station in Himachal Pradesh India. On top of that when tourists buy souvenirs from local artisans, they bargain a lot. The poor artisans, who look up to tourists for their livelihood, end up earning the bare minimum.

Finally

,

tourism

creates pollution, which helps nobody. We are all suffering the consequences of global warming. The solutions are not simple. We cannot discourage

tourism

. It is the backbone of many economies of the world.

First

of all, the tour operators should take the onus of guiding the tourists about the main things of local

culture

.

Secondly

, the tourists should stay with locals as paying guests.

This

would be a win-win situation for both. Local people would earn and the

tourist

would taste the local

culture

.

Finally

,

ecotourism

should be promoted.

For example

, if an elephant ride is possible, the

tourist

should avoid using

car

Suggestion

a car

the car

. After

all a

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all, a

good

tourist

is one – who takes away nothing but photographs and leaves behind nothing but footprints. To put it in a nutshell, I pen

down saying

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down, saying

that, international

tourism

does have a downside to

it but

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it, but

many steps can be taken to lessen the negative effects.