At the entrance to one of the ruined temples of Petra in Jordan, there is an inscription  in the soft red rock. It looks as if it has been there for centuries. It could have been carved by one of King Herod's soldiers, when they were imprisoned in the town in 40 BC. But closer examination reveals that it is not so ancient after all. It reads: Shane and Wendy from Sydney were here. April 16th 1996, The ruins of Petra were discovered in 1810 by a Swiss explorer, and a recent report has just concluded that 66they are in grave danger of being destroyed by the unstoppable march of tourism". More than 4,000 tourists a day pour into Petra's rocky tombs. They wear away the soft red sandstone to powder and (occasionally!) scratch their names into the rock. It is not just Petra that is under threat of destruction. With more than 60,000 visitors to Venice each day, cruise ships that have made Venice tourists' top destination bring one of the most significant dangers to the city, leading to tides that are further damaging the foundation of the Venetian structures. The prehistoric cave 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, Will there be more replicas like in Lascaux? There already are. Heritage theme parks are springing up everywhere. Many of the great cities of Europe are finding that their historic centers are fast becoming theme parks, filled with clicking cameras and whirring camcorders, abandoned by all local residents except for the souvenir sellers. Until recently, we all believed that travel broadened the mind, but now many believe the exact opposite: "Modem travel narrows the mind". What's the author's attitude towards tourism?
Critical Supportive Objective Unclear