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Tourism has become an indispensable source of income for many countries and communities. Some people claim that some areas are susceptible to culture loss and therefore, they should be closed entirely to tourists; however others insist that this measure is not beneficial to the locals. In this essay, I will discuss both views and then give my opinion.

On the one hand, supporters of banning tourism often argue that religious, linguistic and socio-cultural behavior will likely be more affected by the influx of tourists. Tourists often interact with the local people in different ways, and the locals may adopt certain foreign practices and customs. This may be bad for traditional local culture. For example, children in touristy areas may prefer to speak foreign languages rather than native languages because they want to communicate with the tourists. Some people, therefore, feel that closing such areas to tourists is the easiest way to conserve local culture and traditions.

On the flip side, banning tourism can have an adverse effect on local economy. Also some cultural changes may inevitably happen whether we allow tourists or not. There are many local communities that survive on tourism. If tourists stop coming, local businesses will retire and unemployment rate will increase. The negative economic consequences of banning tourism are worse than any cultural loss that may occur from the arrival of tourists.

In my opinion, if we want to preserve our values and traditions it is not necessary to close tourist places, because the consequences of doing that will be profoundly devastating. Local authorities and individuals should work together to promote local culture and raise campaigns. This can be done by using many forms of communication like television, internet or radio.