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?
Sample Response
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.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use parallel articles Original: the economy and environment Suggested revision: the economy and the environment Why it matters: Repeating “the” makes the two distinct areas grammatically parallel.
- 2. Clarify affected groups Original: positive impacts on our lives and economy Suggested revision: benefits for individuals and economies Why it matters: The replacement identifies the personal and economic beneficiaries more precisely.
- 3. Fix comparison structure Original: more negative impacts compared to positive ones Suggested revision: more negative than positive impacts Why it matters: A direct comparison of two quantities uses “more … than.”
- 4. Use lower case Original: International Suggested revision: international Why it matters: “International” is not capitalised in the middle of a sentence.
- 5. Improve activity phrase Original: by sightseeing in a new place Suggested revision: while sightseeing in new places Why it matters: “While” naturally connects relaxation with the simultaneous activity of sightseeing.
- 6. Use precise sector phrase Original: job opportunities in services like Suggested revision: jobs in service sectors such as Why it matters: The replacement describes employment categories more accurately and formally.
- 7. Use direct impact verb Original: affect the environment negatively in three ways Suggested revision: harm the environment in three ways Why it matters: “Harm” is clearer and more concise than “affect negatively.”
- 8. Use construction term Original: the excessive building needed by Suggested revision: the excessive construction required by Why it matters: “Construction” is the appropriate noun for building activity.
- 9. Place adverb correctly Original: and even may result Suggested revision: and may even result Why it matters: “Even” naturally follows the modal verb “may.”
- 10. Use precise increase phrase Original: more Suggested revision: increased Why it matters: “Increased” states that tourism raises existing levels more precisely.
- 11. Correct resource meaning Original: lead to the shortage of some basic human needs Suggested revision: lead to shortages of basic resources Why it matters: Oil and water are resources that meet needs, not needs themselves.
- 12. Fix danger preposition Original: on Suggested revision: to Why it matters: The effects pose dangers “to” the environment.
Suggested Rewrites
- the economy and environment the economy and the environment
- positive impacts on our lives and economy benefits for individuals and economies
- more negative impacts compared to positive ones more negative than positive impacts
- International international
- by sightseeing in a new place while sightseeing in new places
- job opportunities in services like jobs in service sectors such as
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay maintains a clear judgment throughout and develops both economic benefits and environmental or cultural costs in a logical, easy-to-follow comparison. Its main limitation is that several claims remain general or asserted rather than illustrated, particularly pollution, resource shortages and the decline of traditional work. Prioritise one concrete, fully explained example that demonstrates why the negative effects outweigh the gains.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response answers the comparison directly, sustains a clear position, and develops relevant benefits and drawbacks, though some negative claims lack detailed support.
Use one specific destination or scenario to show how environmental and cultural damage can exceed employment and income benefits.
Coherence and Cohesion
The introduction, opposing sides, and conclusion form a clear progression, although the repeated numbered signposting is slightly formulaic.
Use more meaning-based transitions between related environmental effects instead of relying repeatedly on “firstly,” “secondly,” and “finally.”
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary range is sufficient for economic, environmental, and cultural discussion, but repetition and several awkward collocations reduce precision.
Replace repeated phrases such as “affect negatively” with precise verbs including damages, depletes, displaces, and erodes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A variety of complex structures conveys the argument clearly, but recurring article, word-order, agreement, and clause-control errors remain noticeable.
Revise constructions such as “may even result,” “shortages of basic resources,” and “work in tourism services” for more natural control.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.