RR Tourism by Ng Ying Han

I disagree with the author that tourism threatens to destroy a country's culture.

With more tourists going to visit a country, its culture will in fact be enhanced, as more people will learn about their culture and hence have a greater respect for it. While the author argues that well-known tourists destinations are also hotspots for prostitution and human trafficking, I see otherwise. Most tourists visit countries like the Philippines to learn about their traditions or try their local delicacies, not to look for people who are being made used of. In Singapore's case, tourists from all over the globe who visit us are fascinated by our harmonious multi-racial society, the plethora of food we offer and, of course, our world-class infrastructure. This helps to promote our country's culture to the rest of the world, all while benefiting our country's economy. A similar situation is present in Philippine's case. The promotion of a country's culture has several advantages, including the improvement of the country's economy and increased patriotism and social cohesion. An improvement in economy and increased social cohesion will enable the salaries of the local people to rise and a more close-knit society to be created, therefore benefiting the local people positively. Ergo, I believe that tourism does not destroy a country's culture, but rather, makes it more appreciated by others from all corners of the world, in turn improving socio-economic conditions in the country.