Many people believe that we can boost our knowledge about different cultures via books, films, and the Internet, thus, going on a trip to other destinations is unnecessary. In my opinion, I disagree with this statement because people will face some restrictions if they learn through these channels.
On the one hand, it is undeniable that learning about culture without traveling there brings some advantages. Firstly, people can access the culture without any geographical distances, which reduces unnecessary lengthy commutes and allows them to save a huge amount of money and time. It is a fact that going on a trip to other places requires both financial factors and physical condition, which may emanate from different activities that they attend, travel expenses, and food costs during the trips. If they are unable to afford the costs incurred, this may pose a financial burden on themselves and reduce the quality of life as a result. Secondly, books, films and the Internet allow individuals to facilitate unlimited information, which provide not only audio channels but also visual channels with numerous live pictures and videos, making the ways of learning more addictive.
On the other hand, despite the mentioned benefits, I would argue that people should go to the destinations to learn about cultures because of some factors. Initially, traveling helps people not only experience local customs but also contact with indigenous people, which gives them a deeper insight on the cultures and boost their knowledge more efficiently. For instance, when visiting a country, visitors can enjoy local dishes and festivals such as Tet Holiday in Viet Nam or the lantern festival in China. Moreover, they also can have a taste of sushi if they have a trip to Japan or hamburger when they visit America. Another reason contributes to the belief that traveling to learn is indispensable is that learners can expand their relationships with foreign friends via their overseas trips, which makes them become more active and interested in cultural beauty. As a result, people will be motivated to be more successful to discover more things, especially in the academic field.
In conclusion, although there are statements that learning about cultures by books, films and the internet is sufficient, I hold a strong opinion that people still need to travel to destinations in person to have real experiences.