TOURISM - BINDING THE NATIONS TOGETHER ??
Gilbert Keith Chesterson rightly said, “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land (Proverbia)”. Essentially, what he means to say is that the purpose of travelling should not only be to learn about new cultures, but also to experience your own culture in a different light..
Good morning everybody... myself rosena from.... am going to highlight us all about how tourism has helped link cultures amazingly. Cultures... we all know that culture is a set of symbols, ceremonies, and myths that communicate the underlying values and beliefs of the place to the people. In the case of tourism,
"Culture" is one of the chief factors since experiencing unusual cultures can be educational for the visitor and brings highly new streams of change into a community.

Over the last twenty years or so, tourism has undergone enormous changes and development. The demand of tourism is growing with a rapid speed all over the world. With a fast growth, tourism has become a potential industry not only in developed but also developing countries. Tourism today is a global issue.but as the theme for today suggests, tourism has definitely helped in linking cultures. A very simple example. The foreigners loved the beaches of india, aren’t they the ones who brought about the trend of beachwear as in swimsuits to india???
Today the interaction between tourists and the host community can be one of the major factors due to which cultures of different states o countries have interacted so well .Tourism is an important element of emergent transnational cultural economies” Tourism provides a great opportunity for cultural exchange. Tourists have been amazingly sensitive to local customs, tradition and standards of the host country. though there may be Large cultural differences between tourists and residents , when tourism is properly enhanced, the gap between the tourists and resident cultures is reduced and the potential to promote social development through employment creation, is emphasized , thus promoting the chances increase for people to develop mutual sympathy and understanding and to reduce their prejudices. Local communities and people, especially those coming from the developing countries, would like to communicate with people from other cultures, discover new perspectives of life.
Thus helping to also foster a sense of community pride and promote a local involvement. not only this, but Tourism also promotes local cultures when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are displayed to tourists. Tourists also demand for souvenirs, arts, entertainment and other commodities which they then take back to their own countries to cherish.
Take for example our very own nation, Tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner in India but is that it ??? no!! India has fascinated people from all over the world with her secularism and her culture. There are historical monuments, beaches, places of religious interests, hill resorts, etc. that attract tourists. Every region is identified with its handicraft, fairs, folk dances, music and its people.not only do ppl just fall in love with the culture of india and take back ideas ..but they also leave back long lasting effects on the peoples mindsets due to which they in turn enhance our culture too!! Thats how we link my friends !!
This is a force to world peace. Travelling brings people into contact with each other and, as tourism has an educational element, it can foster understanding between peoples and cultures and provide cultural exchange between hosts and guests.
Such the case in Vietnam, nowadays a large number of tourists come from America, Vietnamese and Americans can forget about the past and get a better relationship between two nations. In conclusion, it is essential to develop tourism in the developing world. Tourism can benefit not only economies by providing a fast source of income for local government but also mainly and most importantly, encouraging culture exchange between the developed countries and the developing world.

ROSENA FERNANDES
TY.B.C.A