Some people think tourism should be banned while some disagree. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

Of all the truisms about tourism, perhaps one of the truest is that it empowers people of different cultures to interact, learn, and evolve.

Although

this

has led some to worry about local culture disappearing

as a result

of

such

interaction, my stance is that any kind of restriction or ban on tourism would not only fail to protect local culture, but

also

yield no benefits whatsoever. Granted, one might argue that by banning tourist activities in certain places, the traditions and cultures in these areas can be preserved.

This

is predicated on the assumption that with the presence of foreign travellers, native people will be affected by other cultures, ways of life and languages. According to

this

theory, local people may start to reject their own way of life and beliefs to adopt more exotic ones, thinking that these are more enlightened and modern. Without

such

interaction, perhaps they would not compare their traditional values to others’,

hence

preserving the historic and culturally unique traditions, customs and practices of their area.

However

,

this

line of reasoning

is not sound

Suggestion

does not sound

because the widespread use of the internet exposes people to foreign mores, mindsets and values regardless.

This

means that changes in different facets of life are inexorable and a form of indoctrination would ensue if the authorities decided to take away their citizens' chance to learn by deliberately restricting their access to the world. The corollary of

this

control would be the loss of critical thinking, which

subsequently

would have stultifying effects on the progress of a society.

Furthermore

, since tourism is a lucrative industry that

also

employs lots of people, especially in the service sector, a ban on

this

industry would result in huge job and economic losses. In conclusion, it is my conviction that prohibiting tourist activities for the sake of local culture is an unwise proposal. I take

this

view on account of the fact that it is pointless to try to stop change and that

such

a ban would upset the equilibrium of the local economy and cause hardship for local people whose living depends on the influx of holidaymakers.