Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists rather than local people.
Why is this?
What can be done to encourage local people to visit museums and historical sites?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.
Write at least 250 words.
Although most places have sites of historical interest and a variety of museums to visit, it is predominantly tourists who come to see them, not local people. This essay will examine the reasons for this before suggesting some possible methods of attracting local people.
The main factor is the different motivations of tourists and local people. For a tourist, the aim when visiting another country, city or region, is to learn about that new place and possibly to understand its culture and history. Visiting historical sites and museums is an excellent way to do this. On the other hand, local people have often lived in the area for much of their lives, and have either learned this at school or understand it through personal experience. In addition, tourists are on holiday and have set aside time and money for these activities. However, local people may be too busy working and prefer to prioritise their spending on such things as school, shopping and socialising.
Despite this, attendance of local people could be encouraged in a variety of ways. First and foremost, the perception of museums and historical sites could be changed by holding events at these places. For example, they could hold cultural festivals or galas for the community to celebrate a unique aspect of that particular place. Another possibility is to have special promotions, such as a reduced price or free tickets provided in local newspapers and magazines. Related to this, concession cards could also be provided to local people so they are encouraged to come more regularly.
In conclusion, tourists have different motivating factors to local people, which accounts for the reasons that they are more likely to visit museums and historical sites. That said, it is possible to encourage attendance by local people through cultural events and promotions.
(300 words)
Comments
The essay on museums and historical places begins well byintroducing the topic and then explaining in the thesis statement the purpose of the essay.
The first body paragraph clearly deals with the first aspect of the question, explaining the reasons why tourists prefer to attend museums and historical sites than local people. Two reasons are given for this.
The second body paragraph then sets out possible solutions to the problem of low attendance of local people. Two solutions are presented with some examples to support them.
The conclusion then summarises the main arguments that have been presented.
The essay is thus well-organised and supported, and has a good range of grammar and vocabulary, with high levels of accuracy.
The essay would thus score highly in the IELTS test.