Some people think that we cannot preserve our culture and develop our tourism at the same time. Do you agree or disagree?

It is often said that preserving culture and progressing the travel industry cannot be done simultaneously because of conflict of interest. I completely disagree with this view and will give my reason below. Firstly, tourism is one of the best possible ways to protect a huge number of traditional customs and ancient monuments that governments often cannot afford to preserve. Developing travel enables local people and authorities to get money from sightseers through selling attractions’ entrance tickets. For instance, Hoi An is an ancient town that has many hundreds-year-old houses. Solely relying on the source of public finance, Hoi An might fail to pay a large sum of money that is used for periodical restoring these old houses. Secondly, when travel is becoming more commonplace, local people’s awareness of where they live is being raised. In fact, some native people would not have taken an interest in learning about the indigenous culture if tourism had not been developed. Although their initial purpose is monetizing from cultural traditions, it can bring many benefits in the long term as they are likely to protect their subsistence. Twenty years ago, Hoi An – where I was born and raised – was just a poor town and people did not have any notion of preserving the local historic heritage. However, the worldwide travel explosion impacts on every aspect of people there. Today, it is difficult to find anyone in Hoi An who does not have a deep knowledge of their living space. In conclusion, I hold the view that conserving conventional culture should be put in parallel with expanding tourism. In the long run, this policy not only helps to develop the national economy but also aids in the preservation of valuable heritage.