With the advent of globalization, countries worldwide have come to boast the exact same offers of restaurants, stores and even products. While many people contend that this is a positive development, others believe otherwise. In this essay, I will delve into both views to ultimately express my opinion.
First and foremost, it is undeniable that globalization has brought about easy access to a variety of products worldwide. Indeed, while before people traveled to different countries to experience their culture and enjoy their cuisine first-hand, today that same cuisine is just a phone call away from them. Take, for example, McDonalds; there is no developed or developing country in the world that does not have a McDonalds restaurant. Furthermore, these franchise restaurants and shops look exactly the same, so much so that when you enter one of them, you feel transported to another country. This has huge benefits for people whose economic situation does not allow them to travel as frequently, as they have the opportunity and access to foreign products and restaurants in their home country.
On the other hand, globalization and the spread of multinational companies has led to a sharp decline in the number of local businesses worldwide. In fact, local shops and restaurants have fallen upon hard times since franchise stores and restaurants have taken over the service sector. This has spurred many neighborhoods to raise awareness of the issue and save local businesses. Take, for example, Toronto whose neighborhoods have suffered a shocking transformation in the recent years, as multinational companies have overtaken the hospitality sector. However, the citizens have organized local movements to promote small businesses over multinational companies.
While there are many advantages to having ready access to international products and restaurants, I personally believe that the availability of international products threatens to erase the uniqueness of each country and their culture, which is why local communities should stand up for themselves and fight to preserve their culture, traditions, as well as their local products and local businesses, since that is precisely what makes them unique.