IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.
IELTS Essay # 503 - Visitors to other countries should follow local customs
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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer 1:
Some encourage people to accept and welcome other cultures which have been brought to their countries by tourists and some others believe that tourists should behave as the frame of the host country's rules and customs. This essay tries to cover both the views.
The first groups who opine that people should respect tourists’ cultural believe that introducing new cultures to a society can be suitable. In the other words, people can learn new things from tourists and it can be helpful for increasing society awareness about the way of living in each corner of the world. In the other hand, these groups believe that people and governments should be flexible and admit other cultures if they want to be successful in the tourism industry and attract more tourists. Actually, lots of countries are competing with each other for being the destination of visitors in holidays and without respecting different cultures, they may be lost in this competition.
By contrast, some others worry about their local customs and traditional cultures and they think that bringing new cultures and behaviours to one country by visitors can make a serious threaten for their cultures. Put another way, they believe that people may be interested in other countries cultures when tourists come to their countries and by this way, they forget their local customs. For example, a new style of wearing would be replaced by local clothes or new foods would be developed instead of traditional ones. Hence, they always want from tourists to behave as the host country allows. For instance, in some Islamic countries, governments prohibit drinking alcohol for tourists or ask women tourists to wear some specific dresses.
I think, therefore, tourists always would like to learn and visit local customs when they go to new places, so, host countries can make a potential for tourists to be free and also encourage them to follow local rules and customs by introducing and showing their benefits. Undeniably visitors would be interested in behaving as similar as local people if the proper strategies would be considered.
[ by - Milad Rahimi ]
Sample Answer 2:
It is always debatable whether visitors should follow local customs and behaviour or the country should be accustomed to cultural differences. At first, I would like to discuss following local customs and behaviour. As a human being, we have consciousness which helps us to decide what is right or wrong that we apply in every sphere of our life. But everybody may not apply consciousness or may not have the same level of consciousness to apply.
If one does not follow local customs, he/she may not be taken warmly by people of that country. Due to this reason, I believe that everybody who visits other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Beside this, local customs and behaviour are mostly regulated by the religion of the country which is very sensitive to most people. That is why I agree with the view of following local customs and behaviour.
In the other hand, there are many reasons to agree with the second view that the host country should welcome cultural differences. It is universally true that the civilisation is evolving from the beginning of mankind and the main reason behind this is that people are travelling from one place to another to explore the world which brings new cultures to new places. If one fails to welcome cultural differences, he/she will not be able to cope with cultures of other countries. This will impact the economy in terms of tourism and modernization as well as evaluation of civilisation.
A good example of welcoming cultural differences is Malaysia. People of western countries are travelling to Malaysia and most of them are not used to follow local customs and being a Muslim country, Malaysia also providing freedom to visitors until laws are broken. Malaysia has become an example for other countries to welcome cultural differences. That is why cultural differences should always be welcomed until it hurts your philosophy or religion.
[ by - Safayet Ullah ]
Sample Answer 3:
Nowadays the tourism industry is growing at a tremendous speed. Due to the boom in transport industries and holiday packages, people often travel other countries for holidays and on official trips. There is a debate ongoing on whether the visitors from other nationality should follow local customs and behaviours during their stay in host countries. I will discuss this in below paragraphs.
Firstly, when the foreigners visit other countries they carry their culture along with them. But, during their stay in the host country, if they adopt the local customs, it will be helpful for them to get better communication with the local people. Meanwhile, when they adjust themselves to the local people's behaviour, it will make them easier to socialise with them. Also, this will help local people to better understand the foreigners.
Secondly, this will help the foreigner to have a good idea about local cultures and rituals. This understating helps our culture to spread globally, thereby more and more people get attracted toward the local culture. This, in turn, attracts a number of visitors from different country's to visit. This will help in increasing the tourism industry and also helps in giving employment opportunity in the related industries.
On the other hand, when the foreigners share their culture and behaviour with the local people it gives an opportunity to local people to a better understanding of their culture and characters. This will have an immense influence on local people's opinion about foreigners and their culture. Also, this helps them to identify the negative aspects of their culture and gives them an opportunity to correct it.
To sum up, by considering the above benefits, I personally believe that the balanced exchange of cultures and behaviour of foreigners with local people will benefit both the countries to come together and calm down if there are any frictions between the countries. Also, this will have a positive impact on the economy of both countries.
[ by - Prakash Chandra ]
Sample Answer 4:
It is noticeable that people tend to travel more frequently these days than they used to do in the past. While I agree that the travellers should follow the host country’s traditions and cultures, I also think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
On one hand, travellers should adapt to the culture of their host country and feel happy with the idea of trying new things. Nowadays, people not only consider travelling as a way to relax but also they think it is a chance for self-improvement and exploring the world. Travelling is a good opportunity to try new things such as traditional cuisine, music and customs and those who just travel to view landscapes waste a perfect chance to learn something new. For example, people who have visited places like India, Egypt or China have been very excited when they tried the local food or wore the traditional dress. An experience like this broadens people’s horizons and enriches their knowledge.
On the other hand, for many reasons the host country should accept and understand the different backgrounds of tourists. Firstly, for many visitors, it would be difficult to follow the host culture and customs because these usually different than their own and in some cases they may even be incompatible with their beliefs and morals. For example, Indian or Arabs who go to European countries may find it difficult to get used to the European taste in food because it does not contain as much spices as they have in their food. In addition, if travellers feel they are welcomed in the new country despite the cultural differences they will feel more comfortable to visit this place again.
In conclusion, I believe that it could be beneficial for travellers to get exposed to different cultures and customs. However, tourist destinations should be opened to the cultural diversity of its newcomers.
[ by - Omnia Touski ]
Essay Topic:
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
My essay:
Every country has a distinctive population and their way of life, tradition, belief, religious norm and customs. In this scenario, a section of society believes that tourists should abide by the host country's customs. Meanwhile, another section of people argues the hosts should be flexible enough to accommodate these differences to make the temporary stay of the visitors comfortable. This essay will discuss both views before reaching a reasonable conclusion.
The main reason behind the thought that travellers should follow the host country's culture and tradition is the fear of losing the identity of a nation. There will be tourists from different countries and if they are allowed to showcase their way of life, it can easily attract locals to follow it. For instance, the western culture, which appeared so attractive to many countries in the world, is spreading faster in manu other nations who are fighting hard to overcome that influence. Moreover, there is conscious thinking among citizens in every country to keep their customs alive as that is how they get valued in other countries.
On the contrary, there are pragmatic compulsions to believe that the host nation should be more accommodative because the world is a global village now. Firstly, due to the influence of internet, every other country knows about the other. Secondly, the way modern life moves on is identical in every corner of the world. For instance, the culture and tradition of countries are transcending borders due to the current lifestyle of people around the world. This thinking will become more crucial when we understand these are the majority of the people who visit each other for various reasons.
To conclude, pluralism is gaining momentum, narrowing down borders. This essay discussed the causes why the countries asserting their lifestyle on visitors and also pointed out how the world is changing to be more considerate. So, in my opinion, as time moves on, to make our planet a better place to live, people should be more accommodative and consider our way of life to be a private affair.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Essay:
While some individuals think that the tourists should adhere to the local traditions of the country they are visiting, others believe that it is the country that should be culturally open. This essay will elucidate both views. Personally, I think that visitors should follow local traditions and adhere to the customs of the host country.
On the one hand, some people prefer that visitors maintain the customs and traditions of the local society as it helps protect the national identity of the host country. That, according to this group of people, shall lead to the prosperity of their residents. Moreover, the customs and mannerisms of some tourists might not be morally accepted by the local habitants of the host country. Consequently, following the traditions of a host country is generally considered as a sign of respect towards the country and its people. For example, while wearing very short dresses by women in some countries is normal, it is unaccepted in other countries.
On the contrary, many people believe that the acceptance of different traditions by the host society contributes to ameliorate its culture as well as its national income up to a great extent. When people from different regions of the world visit a country, they bring an insight into the cultural differences which increases the international cultural consciousness. This opportunity, from their perspective, helps build strong international connections.
To conclude, both views have their advantages. Having discussed both schools of thought, I completely concur with the former opinion, which suggests that visitors should follow the traditions and customs of the host country, as it is the best way to foster local culture and eliminate any tensions among visitors and local people.
Those who believe foreign visitors should act according to indigenous culture may argue that this would protect their culture from the influence of foreign cultures. The reason for this is that as visitors from other countries tend to behave in their way and wear clothing which is reflective of their backgrounds, the locals can be affected by such conventions. Supposedly, this might then lead to the loss of cultural identity for the host country. In contrast, if tourists pursue the domestic customs and conventions, the ostensibly negative effect of foreign cultures would not be exacerbated.
However, my view is that the above point of view is too rigid and cultural differences of tourists should be welcomed by local people. This is because foreign passengers typically travel to destinations in which people with their varieties of traditions or cultural backdrops are respected. Conversely, if some host nations force them to behave in a particular way or to wear in conformity with the prevalent dress code, these tourists then are less likely to make a journey there. Consequently, host nations might lose their international tourists and the money they would have received with a free and welcoming policy for visitors.
In conclusion, although having strict laws against foreign visitors may help to protect the local culture from being affected, my firm belief is that visitors with various cultures should be welcomed irrespective of their way of behaviour and customs as this opens up more financial support for hosting countries.
Essay Topic:
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Answer:
Whether tourists should comply with the local traditions and social behaviours of the host country or the host country should be open to the visitors' cultures of various kinds is often debated. I personally believe that the host country should welcome cultural differences while the tourists should not do anything that hurt the sentiment of local tradition and people.
The main reason for my belief is that tourism is a highly lucrative industry. It is also a competitive industry all around the world, which implies that other nations will be attempting to change the public vantage points towards tourism as a source of income for their country. If we do not keep up with others in the race of providing the tourists' comfort, we will lose the game.
However, deregulation of social rules and cultural customs does not mean putting them aside for the sake of our guest's ease and joy. After all, the host exclusive cultures like local cuisines and related customs revolving around how to serve food and drinks is a part of the trip attractiveness for tourists which might make their vacation more intriguing. Moreover, we should respect, protect and preserve our culture which defines our identities. If so, tourists will also respect our culture and are more likely to visit our country again in future to practice some of our social customs.
Put it all together, I personally believe that we should embrace the cultural discrepancies that tourism brings to our nation to make their visit a special memory. However, I also believe that adherence to our cultural roots is important in tourists' minds, as many of them are eager to practice our different customs as a part of their adventure.
On the one hand, travellers should adapt to the culture of their host country and feel happy with the idea of trying new things. Nowadays, people not only consider travelling as a way to relax but also they think it is a chance for self-improvement and exploring the world. Travelling is a good opportunity to try new things such as traditional cuisine, music and customs and those who just travel to view landscapes waste a perfect chance to learn something new. For example, people who have visited places like India, Egypt or China have been very excited when they tried the local food or wore the traditional dress. An experience like this broadens people’s horizons and enriches their knowledge.
On the other hand, for many reasons, the host country should accept and understand the different backgrounds of tourists. Firstly, for many visitors, it would be difficult to follow the host country's culture and customs because these are usually different from their own, and in some cases, they may even be incompatible with their beliefs and morals. For example, Indian or Arabs who go to European countries will find it difficult to wear dresses that Europeans prefer. In addition to this, if travellers feel they are welcomed in the new country despite the cultural differences, they will feel more comfortable visiting this place again.
In conclusion, I believe that it could be beneficial for travellers to get exposed to different cultures and customs when they travel to a foreign country. However, nations should be open to the cultural diversity of their visitors as well.
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