asking about a problem

[shaukat mahmood]

Please explain "But, if history weighs heavy on the country, its burden of tourists has been relatively light. Unspoilt might not be quite the word to use, but Serbia offers the traveller an unpackaged authenticity,however mixed a blessing this might be." in simple English.

[Coffa]

Originally Posted by shaukat mahmood

Please explain "But, if history weighs heavy on the country, its burden of tourists has been relatively light.

The country (Serbia) has a troubled history politically, but it has not suffered from the changes that mass tourism brings, which many regard as spoiling the character of a country. The writer uses the common metaphor of someone carrying a load on their back - one load (history) is heavy, while the other (tourism) is light.

Originally Posted by shaukat mahmood

Unspoilt might not be quite the word to use, but Serbia offers the traveller an unpackaged authenticity,however mixed a blessing this might be." in simple English.

Many tourist destinations offer an artificial 'packaged' view of a country, often based around commercial resorts, which do not represent the true picture of what the country is really like. The author is saying that when you visit Serbia, you are seeing the real country and the real people - that is, you are having an 'authentic' experience. This 'unpackaged authenticity' you get, though, may be quite basic and raw - so it is a 'mixed blessing'.