Essay 333 – Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists

GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 333

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists and not by local people.

Why is this? What can be done to attract more local people to visit these places?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

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Model Answer:

It is an observable fact that many museums and historical attractions are essentially visited by tourists and a few local residents show their interest in such places. This essay will first discuss why familiarity and the expensive entrance fees are the primary reasons for this phenomenon, followed by a discussion of how attractive exhibitions and cheap entry fees can encourage locals to visit these sites.

There are two cogent reasons why museums and historical places are not appealing to local residents. One of the most reasonable causes is their familiarity with these sites and historical context. In simple words, local inhabitants are already familiar with their traditional customs and historical backdrop. Therefore, they do not really find these places attractive. By contrast, sightseers tend to visit places that they have never been to so that they can enrich their understanding of local culture, heritage and arts. On top of that, the expense of entry fees to these historical destinations may act as a deterrent to many local people. A case in point is the Taj Mahal in India. A visitor has to pay ten dollars to visit this place which is a considerable amount of money for average Indian people.

However, a package of measures could be designed to encourage locals to visit museums and historical sites. First, the authorities can organize appealing exhibits or programmes at these places. Didactic plays, for example, ought to be arranged in order to illustrate and commemorate historical events to attract more local inhabitants. Another measure that can be adopted is to lower the entry ticket fee for domestic visitors to encourage them to visit museums and historical buildings. New York, is a good example here that offers free entry to museums and historical sites on a particular day of the month. As a result, many New Yorkers visit them.

To conclude, locals often do not visit museums and historical attractions because of their familiarity with these sites. If authorities, however, arrange exciting programmes along with reduced entrance fees, many locals might visit these places.