IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.
IELTS Essay # 925 - International tourism has brought enormous benefits to many places
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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
International tourism has brought enormous benefits to many places. At the same time, there is concern about its impact on local inhabitants and the environment.
Do the disadvantages of international tourism outweigh the advantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model Answer 1:
International tourism has undeniably provided substantial benefits to many destinations worldwide. However, alongside these benefits, there are significant concerns regarding its impact on local communities and the environment. While tourism drives economic growth and cultural exchange, its disadvantages, particularly in terms of environmental degradation and cultural erosion, often outweigh these advantages.
One of the primary advantages of international tourism is its contribution to the economy. Tourism generates revenue, creates jobs, and stimulates local businesses. For instance, countries like Thailand and Spain rely heavily on tourism as a vital part of their economies, providing employment opportunities and boosting infrastructure development. Moreover, tourism fosters cultural exchange, allowing for greater understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures. Visitors often gain insights into local traditions and lifestyles, promoting global harmony.
However, the disadvantages of international tourism are increasingly concerning. Environmental degradation is one of the most significant issues. Popular tourist destinations often suffer from pollution, deforestation, and depletion of natural resources. For example, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has experienced significant damage due to over-tourism, affecting marine life and coral health. Additionally, mass tourism can lead to the erosion of local cultures. Traditional customs and lifestyles may be commercialised or lost altogether as destinations cater to the preferences of international visitors. Venice, for instance, has seen a decline in its traditional way of life due to the overwhelming influx of tourists, leading to the displacement of local residents. In my opinion, while international tourism brings economic and cultural benefits, the negative impacts on the environment and local communities are more pressing. Governments and the tourism industry must implement sustainable practices to mitigate these adverse effects.
In conclusion, although international tourism offers considerable economic and cultural advantages, the detrimental effects on the environment and local societies outweigh these benefits. A sustainable approach to tourism is essential to ensure that the positive aspects can be enjoyed without compromising the well-being of destinations and their inhabitants.
Model Answer 2:
Global tourism reaps numerous advantages to many parts of the world while causing concern about its adverse effects on local residents and the atmosphere. This essay argues that despite the disadvantages - disruption of the local community and environmental impact, I believe that the advantages are far more significant as international tourism promotes local economy and global peace.
Some express grave concerns about the drawbacks of international tourism as it disrupts the local communities and causes environmental degradation. With the rise of tourism, local inhabitants may face challenges such as strain on infrastructure, overcrowding, and changes in the economy to name but a few. For example, overcrowded destinations may increase demands for electricity, leading to frequent load shedding or power shortages. Similarly, the influx of tourists can exert a negative impact on the environment. This includes habitat destruction, land encroachment, increased waste generation, and pollution. Take the Hawaiian Islands for instance. The popular destination suffers from overtourism which leads to damage to coral reefs from snorkelling or scuba diving.
On the contrary, many believe that international tourism is a real boon to the local community. Global tourism can stimulate an exponential increase in the local economy by generating employment opportunities and revenue. It can enhance the development of infrastructure, business, and service. For example, popular tourist attractions quite often are bombarded with visitors who spend money on meals, accommodations, and souvenirs, thus contributing to the local economy. Likewise, international tourism also contributes to global peace by promoting cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and an interdependent economy. For instance, countries with huge tourism prospects are eager to maintain peaceful relations to ensure tourist flow and economic benefits. For these reasons, I contend that the benefits of global tourism reaps eclipse its drawbacks.
To conclude, the downsides of international tourism are the disruption of local communities and environmental impacts. However, I feel that economic benefits and global peace are more significant advantages.
Sample Answer 3:
People have varying views about the effects of international tourism on the economy and environment. While I accept that international tourism has some positive impacts on our lives and economy, I believe that it has more negative impacts compared to positive ones.
On the one hand, International tourism has some advantages. Firstly, tourism is a popular leisure activity for millions of people all over the world. Tourists can relax and have fun by sightseeing in a new place. This activity broadens their horizons and opens their minds by exposing them to different cultures and customs. Secondly, from an economic perspective, the tourism industry plays a vital role in many countries. People may rely on tourism for their income. Also, the tourism industry creates many job opportunities in services like hotels and restaurants. As a result, international tourism improves the standard of living in some local areas.
On the other hand, from an environmental perspective, tourism may affect the environment negatively in three ways. Firstly, the excessive building needed by the tourism industry could destroy natural habitats and even may result in the extinction of many animals and plants. Secondly, international tourism causes more pollution and waste. Finally, the tourism industry puts more pressure on natural resources like oil and water and this may lead to the shortage of some basic human needs. From a cultural perspective, tourism may affect local cultures negatively. Traditional jobs and skills like farming and fishing may die out because tourism forces people to work in their services. So, this may lead to the loss of many cultural features and values. Therefore, I believe that international tourism has more negative impacts on the environment and local cultures.
In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential dangers of international tourism on the environment and culture are more significant than the possible benefits in personal and economic sectors. Governments should impose laws to protect the environment and local cultures.
[ Written by - Safa Ahmed ]
Sample Answer 4:
It is a fact that intIt is a fact that international tourism has already become a popular and huge industry these days, and many places have reaped the benefits of it. However, some people opine that the activity hurts the local communities. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of international tourism and opine that it has more benefits than drawbacks.
On the one hand, some people think that international tourism activities bring some disadvantages to the local area. They are afraid that the local environment will deteriorate as more and more people visit there. For example, Mount Everest is one of the top destinations for international travellers, but it is reported that the amount of garbage that tourists produce has increased rapidly in the past few years. Consequently, it might have a catastrophic effect on the local environment there. Another reason for this concern is that tourists will bring some negative cultures to the local people. For instance, some Western people like to drink alcoholic beverages, and elders of the local societies are afraid that the local people would also be interested in drinking those liquors.
On the other hand, many people believe that travelling abroad for leisure activities would bring a lot of benefits for the destination places. Firstly, it creates a lot of job opportunities for the local people as some of them could become tour guides or run small businesses. Secondly, when foreign travellers come to a country, they will spend their money on various activities. It means that they will also bring revenue to the local government in the form of tax. As a result, the government would have enough budgets for maintaining the public facilities around the places and the local environment as well. Lastly, it also attracts investors in building resorts and hotels in the surrounding areas. The development of these places will absorb many employments not only from the local area but from other cities and countries as well.
In conclusion, despite its negative effects, I personally believe that global tourism industries would bring more benefits to the local inhabitants and communities. It boosts the economic condition of the country and creates job opportunities for the local people. As for the negative effects, it really depends on how the government would make clear regulations and implement them.
[ Written by - Darwin Lesmana ]
First of all, international tourism has become hugely popular and it creates many job opportunities in the hotel, transport, aviation, tour guide and related other industries. It also enhances the local business opportunity and stimulates the economy of the country. Local traders can start their own small tourism-related businesses like selling souvenirs, handicrafts, homemade cookies and so on to make a living. For instance, countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Malta, and Croatia highly depend on their income from the tourism sector and this contributes to their national development as well as maintaining a healthy employment ratio. Additionally, international tourism also promotes the host country's traditions, customs and cultures to the world. This not only represents a country's unique and special traditions but also helps promote mutual understanding and peace-keeping.
On the contrary, the influx of a huge number of tourists is often the reason for pollution and environmental degradation. It is often noticed that areas that are crowded with tourists have more carbon emissions, litter problems and other environmental pollution. So the money tourism brings often come with a heavy toll. On top of that, host countries, that are dependent on international tourism, are often very welcoming and accommodating to foreign tourists. In this process, they often lose their unique tradition and cultural aspects.
To conclude, international tourism brings both benefits and demerits. It is expected that the government of a country would focus on mitigating environmental pollution caused by tourism while enhancing this sector to reap the maximum economic benefits.
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