IELTS Writing Task 2 essay with model answer

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic

International tourism has brought enormous benefit 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.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

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The international tourism industry has gone through a boom period in the last decades. This has sparked a heated debate on whether it has more benefits than drawbacks. I opine that although there are some demerits, international tourism has more merits.

On one side of the arguments, some people believe that travels between countries have negative repercussions on locals and the environment. The main disadvantage for inhabitants is that it may threaten their culture. One good illustration of this is that in some muslims countries, things which are forbidden by religious law such as alcohol are permitted to satisfy the needs of tourists. In addition to this, international tourism has a dramatic impact on the environment. In fact, since most of the travels are made by low-cost flights, this leads to excessive emission of CO2. Not only this but also, trees are cut every day in order to build resorts to accommodate tourists. Thus, it is easy to see why this view is gaining support.

Despite these repercussions, international tourism, benefits people considerably. The main reason of believing this is that tourism  boosts the economy of many nations. Apart from the direct money brought by tourists, it brings along investments in various fields which results in a rapid growth. A particularly good example of this is Thailand which expanded economically in the past years due to its popularity among travellers. Seen in this light, international tourism is correlated with economic prosperity impacting positively on people’s lives.

Having considered a range of arguments, I have drawn the conclusion that although there are some negative impacts of international travels on locals and the environment, I argue that they are outweighed by the benefits it brings to the country's economy. It is hoped that governments of the host countries put in motions ,  actions to minimize these disadvantages.

Total Words: 308

Task Achievement: 8

Coherence & Cohesion: 8

Lexical resources: 8

Grammar: 8

Overall Score: Band 8

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