During the 20th century, contact between different parts of the world has developed rapidly and thanks to air travel and telecommunication for this. <br><br> To what extent do you agree that societies benefit from the increased contact and closer relationships with foreigners brought by international tourism and business? v.1

It is sometimes argued that increased contact and closer interrelationships between countries bring several benefits to a society and thank goes to air travel and telecommunication for this. Personally, I believe that there are also some negative effects of the above trend, as will now be explained. There are some downsides to increased commerce and increased relationships between nations in the world. The most significant of these disadvantages is that it can weaken national culture and traditions. The main reason is that people can easily adopt the aspects of strangers and more interesting lifestyles from foreign countries and usually neglect the traditional values. For example, a stand of Vietnamese folk songs might be gradually faded away because young Vietnamese people tend to opt for more attractive Korean music. The second disadvantage is that in the face of imported goods and services, local producers, especially in a less developed country, fail to compete with foreign ones in their own domestic market, which leads to a number of bankruptcies, then holds back society from development. There are some major points to make in favour of increased business and closer relationships worldwide. Firstly, it can drive the world's economy forward. Granted, big corporations such as Microsoft and Apple can easily expand their branches in any corners of the world, thanks to increased business interaction, which can also create more employment opportunities, especially in a third-world country. Secondly, revenues from tourist activities can contribute to the economic growth. Undoubtedly, tourism jobs such as photographers and tour guides can help increase income for the locals. Finally, the more we share habits, products and services, the better we understand each other, and this reduces prejudice against other nations. In conclusion, I believe that the closer contact and increased commerce worldwide bring about both cons and pros and cheap air flights and mobile communication have accelerated that.