Nowadays, international tourism is the biggest industry in the world. Unfortunately, international tourism creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

In today’s world, international tourism is generating enormous financial wealth and has become the primary source of income for numerous countries around the globe. Although many people think this industry is likely to cause tension, my conviction is that international tourism greatly facilitates understanding between people of different cultural background. There are indeed several instances of international travel creating social conflicts. One recent incident happened when Logan Paul, a renowned Youtuber, visited Japan and made fun of Japanese traditions and lifestyles. Such mockery caused tremendous public outrage and prejudice against this young American. Another example is Chinese tourists’ inappropriate and selfish behaviour during a buffet party in a Thai tourist destination a few years ago. Even though these examples did not speak for the rest of the American and Chinese populations, they, as a matter of fact, increased tension between the countries involved. That being said, in most cases, visiting a foreign country can help tourists understand more about local customs and lifestyles. While the modern media, such as TV or newspapers, give people some foreign culture exposure, overseas tourists tend to have more authentic and unique experiences that lead to more profound understanding. This is extremely important because embracing cultural differences is key to establishing and maintaining social relationships in this day and age. In conclusion, international tourism allows overseas visitors to experience different cultures and therefore connects everyone through mutual understanding. In my opinion, we should not merely judge the industry based on a number of situations where conflicts arise from the misconduct of only a group of individuals.