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?

Travel industry has experienced a major boom in the later part of the 20th century and has
been a boon in disguise, which has helped some weaker nations to uplift their failing
economies. While questions have been raised regarding the negative impacts that accompany
the growth in the travel sector, these definitely do not outweigh the associated benefits.

The economic boost that accompanies a successful travel industry is quite well recognised
and Thailand is the best example. The entire Thai economy revolves around tourism and the
country had been able to uplift its socio economic status through its flourishing hospitality
sector. Egypt is another nation that is heavily dependent on its hospitality sector. The growth
in the number of incoming tourists leads to innumerable prospects in terms of local
entrepreneurship & employment generation. This is also associated with international
investments and infrastructure development. The national authorities, in order to ensure
safety of the international visitors provide better law and order enforcement, improved
transportation and healthcare facilities, which in turn benefit the local population.

On the other hand, the rising influx of holidaymakers is associated with increased incidences
of crimes, prostitution and antisocial activities like drugs, human trafficking and gambling,
which affect the values of the indigenous society. The local population are also affected by the
growth in property value indices. Environmentalists are also concerned regarding
environmental remodelling, that is associated with increased tourist activities in natural
reserves. In this context, it is worth mentioning that, by enforcing stern law and order and
implementing strict legislations, governments can control most of these negative impacts of
tourism.

Henceforth, it can be confidently conveyed that, even though the growth in travel industry has
accompanying negative social impacts, these do not outweigh the contributions made by this sector towards
social development. Total Words: 296 Overall Score: Band 9 Task Achievement: 9
Coherence & Cohesion: 9 Lexical resources: 9 Grammar: 9

Writing task 1

A reporter complained about a new TV program that you like. Write a letter to the newspaper editor.

– Describe your point of view.

– Say what you like about the show and why.
– Ask the newspaper to take some action.

You should write at least 150 words.

Dear Mr Bradshaw,

I am contacting you regarding the article where you unfairly criticized Top Gear, namely Jeremy Clarkson.
Understandably Mr Clarkson is not everyone’s cup of tea, however publicly complaining then lambasting him and the
show is unfair. Their difference of opinion is under no circumstances an excuse to write a letter of complaint.

Personally I feel that the shows ingenuity largely stems from the fact that their presenters are occasionally
controversial and honest. This is unlike the modern TV shows which are bland, politically correct and just lacking any
entertainment value for my liking.
I would be very grateful if you could in future editions of your newspaper ‘The Echo’ only publish positive articles about
the programme. Failing this small request could you please refrain from any undue negative press.

Kind Regards,

B. Worthington