Nowadays, international tourism is the biggest industry in the world. Unfortunately, international tourism creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures. Agree or disagree?

There is no doubt that the

tourism

industry has become one of the most significant contributors to the economic growth of many countries around the world.

However

, it is still a topic of public interest regarding the pros and cons of travel, especially international travel. A school of thought holds that travelling aboard actually fuels tension between foreign visitors and the indigenous people, rather than bringing them together. I personally disagree with

this

view. On the one hand, many subscribe to the notion that international

tourism

rises disagreements between the locals and foreigners, and justifiably so. The key rationale here is that international tourists who may be foreign to local social etiquette, could do things that are considered irreverent to the religious belief of the host

country

.

However

, I would contend that

this

reasoning is not sound. In light of the fact that local

tourism

agencies have been more involved in international trips, it has today been the norm for foreign visitors to hire a local tour guide when they traverse a new

country

. With

this

very guidance from a local, it is unlikely that they would do anything offensive to people of the host

country

.

On the other hand

, cultural aspects notwithstanding, I believe that there are direct benefits that local people could reap from international

tourism

.

First

, the locals could earn handsomely from providing services

such

as accommodation or transportation to foreign visitors who are very likely to employ these local services.

Second

, a myriad of job opportunities could be offered to local residents should the international

tourism

industry flourishes. Given how more competitive the job market has now become,

this

is certainly a welcome development for local residents, especially who are struggling to secure employment. In conclusion, I believe it is too much of a grim view that international

tourism

could bring pressure between foreigners and local residents, and that the locals actually would have tremendous merits when there are more foreign tourists visit their

country

.