The graph shows the amount spent on books in Germany, France, Italy and Austria between 1995 and 2005. v.1

These days, visiting other countries has become more affordable and over the last few years, tourism has risen noticeably. In my opinion, there are more benefits than drawbacks to this increase and in this essay, I will explain why. The first positive point is that tourists buy local products to take home, this helps the local economy to grow. Gift shops, for example, have become very popular among visitors, and in the last time, they have increased their sales significantly. Secondly, hostels, hotels and inns have raised the number of workers they hire because of the increasing demand for accommodation facilities. Another advantage is that there is a continuous cultural interchange, namely, foreign food, clothes, music and customs are now shared by visitors to hosts and vice versa. On the disadvantages side, local attractions have got noticeably more expensive, due to they are targeted to international tourism. Many museums and shows in Argentina, for instance, are charged in US dollars, making local attendance to these very difficult and almost impossible. In addition, tourists have priority to buy these tickets, therefore, when local people want to go to a museum, the seats have been already sold out. In conclusion, in spite of the high amount of visitors may have worsened the affordability and availability of tickets for local events and attractions, in my opinion, it has improved the economy of the hosting country. The increase in the sales of souvenirs and the booking of accommodation are the main reasons for this. It has also enhanced cultural interchange. In that manner, national and international tourism should continue to be promoted by the governments of every country.