Many developing countries are currently expanding their tourist industries. Why is this the case? Is it a positive or a negative development?
Sample Response
In recent years, many developing countries have been actively promoting and expanding their tourist industries. This essay explores the reasons behind this trend and argues that it is indeed a positive development because the growth of tourism brings numerous economic, social, and cultural benefits to these nations, fostering sustainable development and improving the overall quality of life for their citizens.
One of the main reasons why developing countries are focusing on expanding their tourist industries is the potential for economic growth and development. Tourism brings in foreign exchange through visitor spending, stimulates investment in infrastructure, and creates job opportunities across various sectors. For example, the Maldives, a small island nation in South Asia, heavily relies on tourism as its primary source of revenue. The influx of tourists has resulted in the construction of resorts, the development of transportation networks, and the creation of jobs in hospitality, transportation, and entertainment industries.
This is a positive development because this economic growth helps alleviate poverty, enhance infrastructure, and improve the standard of living for local communities. Moreover, the expansion of the tourist industry in developing countries can have positive social impacts. Tourism fosters cultural exchange and understanding between visitors and local communities. It allows for the preservation and promotion of traditional arts, crafts, and customs, as tourists often seek authentic cultural experiences. For instance, countries like Peru and Cambodia have experienced a surge in tourism due to their rich cultural heritage, including ancient ruins and historical sites.
Additionally, the growth of tourism can create environmental awareness and foster sustainable practices. Developing countries often possess natural attractions such as pristine beaches, lush forests, and unique wildlife, which draw tourists seeking eco-friendly experiences. To protect these natural resources, governments and local communities are motivated to implement sustainable tourism practices, such as responsible waste management, conservation efforts, and eco-tourism initiatives.
In conclusion, the expansion of the tourist industry in developing countries is a positive development. It brings economic growth, job creation, cultural exchange, and environmental conservation.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use standard term Original: promoting and expanding their tourist industries Suggested revision: promoting and expanding their tourism sectors Why it matters: Tourism sector is the more natural term for the industry being developed.
- 2. Remove unnecessary emphasis Original: indeed a positive development Suggested revision: a positive development Why it matters: Indeed adds emphasis without contributing meaning to the stated position.
- 3. Use precise collocation Original: brings in foreign exchange Suggested revision: earns foreign exchange Why it matters: Earn foreign exchange is the more precise economic collocation.
- 4. Keep sector terms consistent Original: industries Suggested revision: sectors Why it matters: Sectors aligns more naturally with the parallel references to areas of employment.
- 5. Clarify reference Original: this Suggested revision: such Why it matters: Such refers back more smoothly to the previously described growth.
- 6. Use natural collocation Original: enhance Suggested revision: improve Why it matters: Improve infrastructure is the more conventional collocation.
- 7. Use concise term Original: Moreover, the expansion of the tourist industry Suggested revision: Moreover, the expansion of tourism Why it matters: Tourism conveys the same meaning more concisely and naturally.
- 8. Use direct verb Original: allows for the preservation Suggested revision: supports the preservation Why it matters: Supports expresses the causal relationship more directly.
- 9. Use standard collocation Original: create Suggested revision: raise Why it matters: Raise awareness is the conventional collocation.
- 10. Separate paragraph focuses Suggested revision: Separate the economic follow-up from the social-impact discussion so each paragraph develops one clear focus. Why it matters: The paragraph begins by completing the economic argument and then shifts to a distinct discussion of social benefits.
Suggested Rewrites
- promoting and expanding their tourist industries promoting and expanding their tourism sectors
- indeed a positive development a positive development
- brings in foreign exchange earns foreign exchange
- industries sectors
- this such
- enhance improve
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay answers both questions directly, identifies economic opportunity as the central reason for tourism expansion, and develops a consistently positive evaluation through economic, cultural, and environmental benefits. Its strongest feature is the clear progression supported by relevant country examples; the main limitation is that the sustainability claim is somewhat one-sided. The priority is to acknowledge briefly that conservation benefits depend on effective regulation and responsible tourism management.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
Both parts are fully addressed through a clear economic explanation and a well-developed positive position supported by relevant social, cultural, and environmental examples.
Qualify the environmental benefit by explaining that tourism promotes conservation only when governments control waste, construction, and visitor pressure effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically from the reason for expansion to three areas of benefit, with clear paragraphing and generally well-managed cohesion.
Keep the economic justification and social-cultural benefits in separate paragraphs so each stage of the argument has one central focus.
Lexical Resource
A wide, precise range of economic, cultural, and environmental vocabulary is used naturally, with only minor repetition of key topic terms.
Refine the strong range further by varying repeated phrases such as 'positive development' and 'developing countries' where references remain clear.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide variety of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with errors rare and meaning consistently precise.
As a refinement, vary sentence openings and occasionally shorten long noun-heavy sentences to make the argument even more direct.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many developing countries are currently expanding their tourist industries. Why is this the case? Is it a positive or a negative development?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.