Alp YURDAKUL - 6

Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Tourism has outstandingly sprouted up for human beings throughout the history of settlement. Nevertheless, some individuals are of the opinion that the tourists on abroad should get accustomed to local traditions, whereas others reckon that visited countries need to cater for helpful organizations. In this essay, one reason for each thought and the author's personal view are represented.

On one hand, the visitors in another state do not have to expect some elements related to their culture since they go to that country to learn new traditions. It is a well-known fact that a plenty of people visit new places annually and many of the lands are decorated with miscellaneous cultures. However, as foreigners do not pay attention to these traditions, they are likely to make local communities unrested. For instance, those who consume food in public areas during Ramadan in an Islamic state may not be welcomed. Hence, it is not surprising to see that local societies show negative reaction to their behavior.

On the opposite side, the reason why touristic destinations are supposed to show their tolerance to visitors is based upon the fact that broad-mindeness is globally expected from the host countries. Undoubtedly, both physical and mental comfort of foreign guests are quite essential in tourism industry. That is why, many countries try to do a lot of infrustructures related to this expectation. For example, traffic signals are necessarely expected to be signed in English because it is linga fresca, which can clearly be a warm welcome to the international tourists.

To sum up, it is obvious that visitors had better assort with regional beliefs; otherwise, some unwanted situation are likely to occur. However, host contries have to side with the different cultures because this ideally strengthens tourist satisfaction. I believe that states need to pay more attention to international demands if they are to occupy a sound place in the international touristic sector.