Tourism is one of the biggest industries worldwide. It has grown, especially over the last few decades, by leaps and bounds. This is happening because the global citizen now takes even the slightest of chances to visit uncharted territory. So, all the countries are eager to invest more and more in tourism. It has its rich rewards, but there are drawbacks too. At the forefront of all demerits of tourism is the impact on local culture. Still, in my opinion, such demerits cannot outweigh the benefits of the tourism industry.
In the modern age the culture of one country or society is open for all to observe and take part in. When in coming tourists get in touch of a local culture they do not necessarily destroy it. It is understandable that they leave a bit of their own cultural identity in the place they have visited. But that is not destruction rather a healthy demonstration of cultural mixing that is happening incessantly all over the world in other ways too, e.g. international media.
On the other hand, if we miss out on the far reaching benefits of the tourism industry being foolishly bogged down by the illusionary ghouls of cultural destruction, we are only loosing. In reality tourism does not taint a local culture, rather it fortifies it. Tourist visiting places do not only sight-see but want to experience the diverse heritage and customs also. So, since destroying or transforming the local culture only makes a locality less attractive to spectators, tourism provides ample motivation to preserve our cultural identity.
To conclude, we must declare tourism as a boon that encourages the peoples of the world to be themselves, not like the others, while rewarding those who have valued and glorified their culture in terms of much needed revenue.