Millions of people all over the world are fond of travelling. They travel to see other countries and continents, to discover different ways of life, to meet different people and to practise foreign languages. It goes without saying that travelling broadens the mind. While travelling we can see and learn a lot of things that we can never learn staying at home and watching TV or reading books. No wonder that a lot of people enjoy visiting new places.
Today tourism is the world’s second largest industry. The Mediterranean shores have a resident population of 130 million, but this increases to 230 million each summer because of the tourists. In Spain, France, Italy and most of Greece there is no undeveloped coastline left. In Notre Dame in Paris 108 visitors enter each minute during opening hours. Global tourism is big business. It can bring substantial economic gain to developing regions. But what are the effects of tourism?
The Mediterranean is the dirtiest sea in the whole world. Most popular resorts are polluted: litter has become a major problem. A lot of ancient monuments are being destroyed by unstoppable march of tourism. For example, the prehistoric paintings at Lascaux in France were being slowly ruined by the breath and bacteria from 200,000 visitors a year. The caves have now been closed to the public and a replica has been built.
At the entrance to one of the ruined temples of Petra in Jordan there is an inscription chiselled into the soft red rock. It looks as if it has been there for centuries. But closer inspection reveals that it is not so ancient after all. It reads: Shane and Wendy from Sydney were here. April 16th 1996.
Many of great cities of Europe, such as London or Rome, are now finding that their historic centres are fast becoming occupied by tourists with clicking cameras and left by all local residents except for the souvenir sellers. So what’s the way out?
In my opinion tourism should be given a humanistic direction. Cultural and environmental groups should work together to assure that tourism can maintain long-¬term benefits. Governments should create special programmes to support local residents and to protect cultural monuments.
But first of all people should change their attitude to tourism. We shouldn’t buy cultural artefacts or products made from wild animals. We should try not to pollute our environment, try to accept different cultures and support traditional lifestyles.
Write true or false:
1. The Mediterranean shores have a resident population of 120 million, but this increases to 230 million each winter because of the tourists.
True/False
2. The writer says that most popular resorts are polluted.
True/False
3. The writer is sure that governments should create special programmes to support local residents and to protect cultural monuments.
True/False