Ielts task 2

As a result of tourism, many historical buildings and sites are being damaged beyond repair.

What could be done to prevent this?

Before the current pandemic, a lot of people traveled to places of interest. However, a segment of society is concerned that tourism has lead to the destruction of several historical places. I believe that the government can address this issue by limiting the number of tourists as well as by allocating enough funds to protect such sites.

Damages to historical buildings would be prevented if the government controlled the number of visitors to tourist areas. Several studies have shown that there is a strong relationship between the number of tourists and vandalism and littering. This problem actually prompted Venice to pass an ordinance in 2002 limiting the number of people who can tour around the city. According to the city engineers, this has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of graffitis and litters in the city, resulting in the preservation of the buildings and historical places. Given the profound impact of such rules in Venice, it would be worth expanding it to other cities as well.

Another possible effective measure to consider to prevent damages to historical buildings is that governments should allocate a substantial amount of their annual budget to the preservation and maintenance of buildings popular to visitors. For instance, by having enough funds, these structures could be periodically painted on, regularly cleaned, and checked for structural integrity. This is best exemplified by the Government of India which released a large amount of money for the preservation of the Taj Mahal in 2005. As a result, today, the Taj Mahal is still as majestic as it was hundreds of years ago.

In conclusion, if special measures are not taken to protect historical sites from the drawbacks of tourism, this issue will only escalate. I believe that governments have a critical role to play to ensure a rich world heritage for future generations.