Tourism today creates a variety of problems, such as pollution due to flights, traffic congestion and water pollution. Some people think that governments should impose extra taxes on flights and accommodation to restrict today’s tourism industry. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal?
Sample Response
Tourism contributes significantly to the economy of many countries around the world but it also comes with a cost. Some argue that governments should impose extra taxes on flights and accommodation to restrict tourism and reduce its negative impact on the environment. However, I believe that this approach is not the best solution to the problems caused by tourism.
Firstly, imposing extra taxes on tourism-related activities will discourage people from travelling, which can negatively affect the economy of countries that depend heavily on tourism. In some countries, tourism is the main source of income and job creation. If fewer people travel, local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and transportation, will suffer, leading to higher unemployment rates and reduced income for the country. Moreover, imposing extra taxes will not necessarily lead to a decrease in pollution or traffic congestion. Tourists may still choose to travel despite the added costs, and local transportation systems may continue to struggle with congestion. Instead, governments should focus on implementing more effective and sustainable policies to address these problems.
In addition, many countries have already implemented eco-friendly policies, such as promoting sustainable tourism, reducing plastic use, and improving waste management. These policies not only reduce the negative impact of tourism but also promote sustainable tourism practices that benefit local communities and the environment.
In conclusion, imposing extra taxes on flights and accommodations to restrict tourism is not the best solution to the problems caused by tourism. Instead, governments should focus on promoting sustainable tourism practices and implementing more effective policies to address environmental issues.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add a joining comma Original: world but it Suggested revision: world, but it Why it matters: A comma is required before “but” when it joins two independent clauses.
- 2. Use the standard idiom Original: with Suggested revision: at Why it matters: The conventional expression for a disadvantage is “come at a cost.”
- 3. Avoid excessive certainty Original: will Suggested revision: may Why it matters: The modal “may” accurately presents the effect as a likely possibility rather than a certainty.
- 4. Use a concise verb Original: negatively affect the economy Suggested revision: harm the economy Why it matters: The single verb expresses the same negative effect more directly.
- 5. Use parallel nouns Original: income and job creation Suggested revision: income and employment Why it matters: The two nouns now describe the economic benefits in parallel terms.
- 6. Name businesses consistently Original: restaurants, and transportation Suggested revision: restaurants, and transport providers Why it matters: The list names businesses, so the final item should also refer to providers rather than an abstract sector.
- 7. Use an economic term Original: reduced income for the country Suggested revision: reduced national income Why it matters: “National income” is the concise standard phrase for country-level income.
- 8. Use a direct verb Original: lead to a decrease in pollution Suggested revision: reduce pollution Why it matters: The direct verb removes unnecessary nominalisation.
- 9. Use formal wording Original: eco-friendly policies Suggested revision: environmentally friendly policies Why it matters: The full expression is more formal in an academic essay.
- 10. Use uncountable accommodation Original: accommodations Suggested revision: accommodation Why it matters: In this general British-English usage, “accommodation” is uncountable.
- 11. Link the policy examples Suggested revision: Open by linking these existing environmental measures to the alternative policy approach proposed at the end of the previous paragraph. Why it matters: The paragraph adds examples abruptly without explicitly continuing the preceding alternative-solution argument.
Suggested Rewrites
- world but it world, but it
- with at
- will may
- negatively affect the economy harm the economy
- income and job creation income and employment
- restaurants, and transportation restaurants, and transport providers
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay maintains a clear opposition to extra tourism taxes and develops a coherent economic case, while proposing sustainable policy alternatives. Its strongest feature is the logical explanation of possible harm to tourism-dependent employment and businesses. The main limitation is that the alternative policies remain generic; the highest-priority improvement is to explain how one targeted measure would reduce flight emissions, congestion, or water pollution more effectively than taxation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear and well supported through economic consequences and policy alternatives, though the environmental solutions need more specific development.
Develop one concrete alternative and show precisely how it addresses a named tourism problem more effectively than an extra tax.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is logically sequenced, paragraphs have clear functions, and cohesive devices guide the reader without impeding flow.
Give the alternatives paragraph equal depth to the economic paragraph for a more balanced argumentative structure.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is accurate and sufficiently flexible, though sustainable tourism, problems, and policies are repeated rather than precisely differentiated.
Use more specific terms such as emissions pricing, public-transport investment, visitor caps, and wastewater controls where relevant.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence structures is used accurately, with only rare minor issues that do not affect communication.
Maintain this control while adding more complex cause-and-effect explanation to the policy alternatives.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Tourism today creates a variety of problems, such as pollution due to flights, traffic congestion and water pollution. Some people think that governments should impose extra taxes on flights and accommodation to restrict today’s tourism industry. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.