Recently, people have argued that foreign visitors should follow local traditions while others say that the locals should be open to cultural differences. I agree that, as the host, we should preserve the cultural behaviour of our origin by maintaining its presence, especially for the tourists.
Every tourist has different outcomes when they travel to a foreign country. Some people want to learn the country’s traditions, while others might want to enjoy their vacation and not try to fit into the new culture. Sometimes, if the tourists are careless about the local customs and behaviour, they can do something opposite to the local beliefs. For example, many cases in Bali involved bad tourists because of their disrespectful behaviour toward the locals while praying. As the locals, we should educate the tourists to follow the culture so our activities will not be disturbed.
On the other side, we can deny that people have their own culture that might be far different from the local tradition. Forcing people to do something they do not understand will be a bad experience for the visitor. For instance, Western foreigners in Indonesia usually wear thin clothes because they can not stand the tropical weather. Conversely, wearing that kind of clothes is taboo for Indonesians as it shows disrespect to the elderly. The foreigners have their choice to adapt to the climate, so we can not force them to completely follow the rules as it will affect the tourist’s health condition.
In conclusion, there are several conditions in which tourists should respect the cultural customs and behaviour of the host country to maintain local activities. While we also have to accept cultural differences, tourist should appreciate the origins when they come to their zone.