People Visiting Other Countries Should Adapt To The Customs And Behaviours Expected There

People visiting other countries should adapt to the customs and behaviours expected there. They should not expect the host country to welcome different customs and behaviours. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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Band 9 IELTS essay sample

According to some people, when foreigners visit other countries they should embrace the local culture and traditions. They cannot expect the host nation to wholeheartedly accept their customs and lifestyles. I agree with this view.

When we visit other countries, it is our responsibility to show respect towards the local culture. It may be totally different from our culture. Still, when we are there we are supposed to respect it. When tourists respect the local culture, they immediately win the trust of natives. This makes the trip more pleasant for them as well as for their hosts. Conversely, if they flout the norms and insist on behaving like what they do in their own country, they may land themselves in trouble. It can lead to conflicts with the local people and in the worst case scenario, the tourist can be harmed.

Nations are different from one another in so many ways. Asian countries, for example, tend to be more conservative. Western countries, on the other hand, are are quite liberal. What is perfectly acceptable in Europe or America need not necessarily be acceptable in India or the Middle East. For example, Arab nations expect women to dress conservatively. A foreign tourist cannot walk around a city in the Middle East wearing shorts and sleeveless tops. Any tourist who attempts to do this will face disastrous consequences. Likewise, India is also an old country and tourists visiting the place are expected to dress modestly and show reverence to her old culture. Any violation of these unwritten rules breaks the trust between the tourist and the local population and makes the trip unpleasant for both the parties.

On the other hand, when the tourist adapts to the local culture, people immediately develop a liking for them. They accept the foreigner as one of their own and once this trust is established, minor transgressions are usually forgiven. Of course, this does not mean that a visitor must completely adopt the local culture. For example, an Indian traveler who is a staunch vegetarian does not have to eat meat while visiting China or Arabia just because the local population consumes it. It is perfectly all right to stay true to one’s culture and beliefs as long as one does not hurt or offend others.

In short, I fully agree with the argument that tourists visiting foreign countries should adapt to the local culture and practices. This, however, does not mean that they should fully adopt the local culture. In most cases, not showing disrespect to the customs and beliefs of the natives is more than sufficient.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.