Topic: Some people think that international travel will broaden knowledge while others think it will lead to tensions between local residents and travelers. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
ANSWER:
Never before has international travel flourished like now. While some people assert that travelling abroad would expand the knowledge of the tourists, the opponents argue that international tourism is the source of clashes between the locals and the tourists. I find the former more convincing.
There is little doubt that exposure to an alien country will broaden the horizon of people’s mind. Travelling offers exceptional opportunities to experience new culture first-hand. Escaping from the familiar surroundings, the Western travelers, for example, have chances to dwell in huts near the exquisite tropical beaches or stilt houses in the remote mountainous area in Vietnam, which they would hardly experience in their civilized country. Similarly, exotic taste of local cuisine and traditional music lingering on is also unforgettable. Such aspects of foreign culture will enrich the travelers’ life and concurrently, help them to develop an appreciation of their own culture. The introduction to external culture will hit the visitors that their own culture is unique and urge them to discover more about it.
On the other hand, tourism can irrefutably result in undesirable friction between the natives and the tourists. In the limited time span of the trip, it is fairly difficult for tourists to acclimatize to the local culture. To illustrate, Westerners in casual clothes visiting the religious temples might offend the locals. Also, language barrier can cause misunderstandings. Different places have its own communication pattern including gestures and expressions. Unaware that in Bulgaria while a side-to-side nod means a “yes”, the nod of the head up indicates a “no”; the tourists may find the Bulgarians obnoxious.
In conclusion, despite cultural misunderstandings or antipathy might arise among between visitors and locals, international travel, in my opinion, can lead to improved understanding and greater cultural awareness.
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