Recent IELTS Task 2 International Tourism Band 7+Sample
Merits and Demerits Essay on International Tourism
By All About IELTS
International tourism has brought great benefits to many places. However, there were serious concerns about its impact on the local environment and residents. Do the negative effects of international tourism outweigh the benefits?
Over the past few decades, tourism from other nations has been flourishing across the world. While this trend brings economic prosperity in host nations by generating employment opportunities, its negative effects on the environment and local cultures are quite concerning. In my opinion, these demerits certainly outweigh the merits that it offers.
On the positive side, there is a direct role of international tourism in job creation across various sectors, such as hospitality and transportation. In many popular destinations, such as Thailand and Indonesia, people often work as hotel staff, cab drivers, guides and tour planners. Small business owners also thrive due to tourist spending, which helps strengthen the local economy.
Nevertheless, one of the most pressing issues that stems from this trend is environmental degradation. The influx of tourists often leads to excessive waste generation and pollution. This may be accredited to excessive use of airlines and other modes of travel, which increases carbon emissions and littering and plastic waste that damages the natural beauty of such places. Several renowned destinations, such as Bali and Manali have been struggling with plastic pollution recently.
Apart from that, local communities have to bear the brunt of international tourism at times. Over-exposure to the foreign cultures may have a direct impact on traditional customs, languages and attire, especially among younger generation. In order to cater the international tourists, many locals from Rajasthan, India have started abandoning their local languages in favor of English. Over time, younger generation may lose fluency in their ancestral tongues, ultimately leading to an irreplaceable loss of cultures.
To conclude, even though tourism from other nations boosts the economy of many places, unregulated mass tourism may have an adverse effect on the environment and cultures of host nations.
