1. What factors determine how people decide which country to go to?
Well it mostly depends on where their interests lie. People travel to places they find interesting for whatever reason. Most people choose a travel destination based on the local culture, the weather, the type of food, the quality of accommodation available, the tourist sights… there can be a whole shed load of factors involved. Other people may have relatives they want to see who live abroad. A lot of the time money also has a big impact on people’s decisions. If you don’t have much money then you can’t afford to travel very far, and are more likely to go somewhere close to home.
2. When people travel to places that are different to where they come from, what effects does this have on these people?
Some countries are broadly similar to your home country. For example, Canada is very similar to America: they share the same language, continent and general culture. However, other countries can differ wildly from your life back home. The feeling of discomfort and uneasiness this provokes is often called ‘culture shock’. Strange new sights, smells and tastes can leave you feeling scared and make you want to go home, but after a while you get used to it. At other times the ‘newness’ of a place is refreshing and can make you feel like a new man.
3. What is the importance of experiencing different cultures?
It’s incredibly important to experience different cultures. The world is a huge melting pot of different ideas and cultures and we all have something to learn from one another. Experiencing different cultures enriches your life, giving you new insights into humanity and how people live. It can help us to be less self-centered and learn to focus not only on our own communities but people all over the world. If more people experienced different cultures then we’d understand each other a lot more and there’d be a lot less fighting and war. People may say that blood is thicker than water and that our family home comes first, but that’s not how I see it.
4. Why do so many Chinese people want to go abroad?
I think Chinese people want to go abroad for the same reasons anyone would: so see a new country and experience a different culture. They may also want to see what other people think about China. There aren’t many foreigners living within China so it can be fine to find one to talk to. The Olympic Games recently exposed many Chinese people to the international community; they may have a new taste for international travel as well. Another reason may be to improve their English or to study at a foreign university. There are thousands of Chinese students studying for a degree or enrolled at language schools all across Europe and North America.
