TOPIC: CULTURE

Some people feel that cultural traditions are ruined when people use them to make money from
tourists. On the other hand, it is argued that this method is the key to saving traditions too. This
essay will discuss both ideas including my perspective.

First of all, as technology advances, it is becoming simpler to travel throughout the world
regardless of time or cultural differences. Furthermore, the number of people who want to make
money from tourism activity is growing faster than ever before. Moreover, many traditional
customs are commercialized and end up losing their originality and value. For example,
thousands of ancient pagodas and historical buildings in Bagan, Myanmar are being wrecked by
money-maker. To get tourist attractions, some of them are replaced with modern buildings and
theme parks.

In contrast, there are various reasons why monetizing cultural traditions is the only means of
protecting them. First, if people are not making renovations to old buildings and other traditional
things, they are more likely to collapse by the damage of natural disasters. Second, by exhibiting
cultural traditions in public, the government could raise public awareness of the importance of
preserving these traditions. For example, the Vietnamese government has constructed several
museums throughout the country that solely exhibit examples of ethnic minority cultures in an
attempt to protect cultural values without affecting the lives of these ethnic people; however,
these museums have received widespread public attention and support.

In conclusion, using cultural traditions as money-making attractions has both positive and
negative impacts on the preservation of such traditions.