It is often believed that individuals should adapt and follow the local customs and behavior of the countries that they visit, while some disagree and believe that the host country should welcome cultural differences. In my opinion, I agree that visitors should follow local customs, without ignoring that the host country should also welcome cultural diversity.
Many believe that visitors should adapt with local customs and behavior. Just like the saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” which highlights that individuals must adapt with local customs as a form of respect towards the locals. Moreover, cultural influences might also ruin a place’s identity as a whole due to the assimilation that might happen. A real life example is Bali, who was known for being a sacred island but nowadays people visit Bali to go clubbing. This results in Bali being westernized even though Bali’s identity as a sacred place is valuable to stand out in the international world.
However, others believe that the host country should value and welcome cultural differences that are brought by visitors. First main reason is that these visitors cannot adapt to the host country’s culture right away, as they have been living their whole lives with their culture. Second reason would be how cultural differences support the recognition of another culture. For instance, Korean Kebaya is a product of cultural differences that are welcomed by Indonesia, which results in Kebaya becoming even more popular in the international market.
In conclusion, it is crucial for visitors to local customs, as not doing so would result in a form of disrespect towards the locals and could ruin a place’s authentic identity. Last but not least, cultural differences being welcomed by the host country is also important, considering that visitors cannot adapt to new cultures in an instant and that cultural differences might support a culture to grow.