Completed actions in sequence: We arrived at the travel destination, checked into our luxury accommodation, and explored the tourist attraction nearby.
Single finished actions: Last summer, I booked a package holiday to Southeast Asia.
Narrative events: During my backpacking trip, I visited three heritage sites and experienced genuine cultural immersion.
Background action (interrupted): While I was exploring the off the beaten track area, I discovered a hidden scenic route.
Simultaneous actions in the past: As the tour guide was explaining the history, tourists were taking photographs at the archaeological site.
In-progress past action: During peak season, hotels were struggling with overtourism issues.
Earlier past action (before another past action): Before I embarked on my pilgrimage, I had researched the best guided tours available.
Explanation of past situation: By the time we arrived at the homestay, we had already travelled for 12 hours.
Context/flashback: The local tourist attraction had suffered from overtourism until the government implemented travel advisory restrictions.
Tourism has become one of the world's largest industries, accounting for approximately 10% of global GDP and employing hundreds of millions of people. However, the nature of tourism has undergone significant transformation in recent decades, shifting from traditional mass tourism models towards more sustainable and responsible approaches. This transition reflects growing awareness of the environmental, cultural, and social impacts that uncontrolled tourism can generate.
The rise of overtourism in popular travel destinations has sparked considerable concern among policymakers and environmental advocates. Cities like Venice, Barcelona, and Bali have experienced severe congestion, with millions of visitors annually overwhelming local infrastructure and threatening both natural environments and cultural heritage. Many heritage sites face deterioration due to excessive foot traffic, and local communities often bear the burden of noise, pollution, and disrupted daily life. Some destinations have begun implementing travel advisory systems and visitor restrictions to manage these challenges.
In response to these challenges, sustainable tourism has emerged as a key principle guiding industry development. Ecotourism initiatives encourage visitors to experience natural environments responsibly, minimising environmental impact while supporting local communities. Cultural immersion programmes allow tourists to engage authentically with local cultures rather than observing from a distance, fostering mutual understanding and economic benefit for host communities. Budget travel and backpacking movements have also contributed to more distributed tourism, spreading economic benefits beyond major tourist centres.
The concept of carbon offset has gained prominence as environmentally conscious travellers seek to mitigate the impact of flying. Airlines and tourism operators now offer passengers options to offset their carbon footprint through reforestation or renewable energy projects. Similarly, travel insurance requirements increasingly include coverage for environmental and cultural protection initiatives. Some experts argue that responsible travel itineraries should prioritise off the beaten track destinations and scenic routes, reducing pressure on overcrowded tourist attractions.
The future of tourism depends on balancing economic growth with environmental protection and cultural preservation. All-inclusive resorts and traditional package holidays remain popular, but increasingly, travellers seek authentic experiences such as homestays and guided tours led by local experts. Luxury accommodation providers are adopting sustainable practices, from renewable energy to zero-waste initiatives. The tourism industry must evolve to ensure that future generations can enjoy the world's natural and cultural wonders without compromising them for current profit maximisation.
Tourist booking a travel package with a travel agent
You should say:
I'd like to tell you about a backpacking trip I undertook across Southeast Asia two years ago. I travelled with two close friends, and we chose this travel destination primarily because we wanted to experience cultural immersion without breaking our budget, so budget travel was essential to our planning.
During the trip, we visited several heritage sites, including ancient temples in Cambodia and Thailand. We deliberately avoided the most popular tourist attractions and instead focused on off the beaten track areas, discovering hidden scenic routes and staying in homestays rather than luxury accommodation. We hired local guided tours which provided invaluable insight into each region's culture and history.
What made this trip particularly memorable was the authentic human connections we formed. Unlike typical package holidays, our journey allowed genuine cultural immersion — we learned local cooking methods, participated in community festivals, and heard stories directly from local people. The experience fundamentally changed my perspective on travel; I realised that meaningful tourism should prioritise sustainable tourism practices and benefit local communities rather than merely extracting profit.
📝 Band 8 notes: Uses topic collocations naturally (backpacking, budget travel, heritage sites, guided tours, cultural immersion, sustainable tourism). Good narrative structure with clear past tenses. Shows personal reflection and values.
Some people believe that tourism brings significant benefits to local communities, while others argue that the negative impacts of overtourism outweigh the advantages. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Write at least 250 words.
Tourism undoubtedly generates substantial economic benefits for local communities, yet the phenomenon of overtourism raises legitimate concerns about environmental and cultural sustainability. While the advantages of tourism are significant, I believe that without proper management, the negative impacts can indeed outweigh the benefits.
Proponents of tourism development rightfully highlight its economic contributions. The tourism industry creates employment opportunities, generates tax revenue, and stimulates infrastructure development in destinations that might otherwise lack investment. Furthermore, cultural exchange through tourism fosters international understanding and can help preserve heritage sites through funding and awareness. Package holidays and guided tours introduce visitors to new cultures, potentially creating appreciation for different societies.
However, overtourism in popular travel destinations creates serious consequences that often negatively impact the communities it claims to benefit. Excessive visitors overwhelm local infrastructure, driving up living costs and eroding authentic cultural practices. Many heritage sites suffer irreversible damage from foot traffic, while unregulated mass tourism generates pollution and environmental degradation. Local people, paradoxically, may be priced out of their own communities or marginalised in decision-making about tourism development.
The solution lies in promoting sustainable tourism and ecotourism practices. Rather than pursuing maximising visitor numbers, destinations should prioritise quality over quantity, directing tourists toward off the beaten track areas and implementing travel advisory systems to protect vulnerable sites. Budget travel and backpacking tourism, when managed responsibly, distribute economic benefits more widely than all-inclusive resorts that concentrate profits externally.
In conclusion, tourism's benefits are undeniable, but only when properly managed through sustainable tourism frameworks. Without such measures, overtourism threatens the very cultural and environmental assets that attract visitors initially.
📝 Band 7 notes: Clear argument throughout. Good use of topic collocations (sustainable tourism, overtourism, heritage sites, local communities). Logical structure. Some complex sentences. Would reach Band 8 with more sophisticated hedging.
The merits of tourism as an economic driver cannot be disputed, yet the burgeoning phenomenon of overtourism presents a complex paradox: destinations promoted for their unique character often suffer deterioration precisely because of their popularity. While tourism generates undeniable benefits, I contend that its negative externalities, unless rigorously managed, have increasingly come to supersede these advantages.
The economic case for tourism development is compelling. The tourism industry constitutes a major employment sector, particularly in developing economies where alternative opportunities remain limited. Revenue from tourism funds infrastructure improvements, educational initiatives, and conservation of heritage sites that might otherwise face neglect or demolition. Moreover, exposure through tourism promotes cultural immersion and cross-cultural understanding, potentially reducing prejudice and fostering global cooperation.
Nevertheless, the consequences of unregulated tourism expansion warrant serious scrutiny. Mass tourism concentrates environmental pressures on fragile ecosystems and archaeological sites, causing irreversible degradation that ultimately destroys the very assets attracting visitors. Overtourism in destinations like Venice and Barcelona has transformed vibrant communities into theme parks, with residents displaced by rising property costs and unable to navigate their own streets. The phenomenon creates a self-defeating cycle: authentic cultures are commodified and commercialised, gradually eroding the genuine experiences tourists ostensibly seek.
Rather than debating tourism's merits in absolute terms, policymakers should embrace differentiated approaches. Sustainable tourism and ecotourism models, coupled with visitor caps at sensitive heritage sites, can distribute tourism's benefits whilst mitigating harm. Encouraging off the beaten track exploration and budget travel disperses visitor pressure, whilst cultural immersion programmes, rather than commodified package holidays, foster authentic exchange. Carbon offset mechanisms address the environmental cost of international travel.
In conclusion, tourism's potential to benefit societies remains contingent upon rigorous regulation prioritising long-term sustainability over short-term profit maximisation. Without such frameworks, overtourism risks destroying the cultural and environmental foundations upon which its own viability depends.
📝 Band 8 notes: Sophisticated vocabulary and nuanced argument throughout. Natural collocation use (overtourism, sustainable tourism, heritage sites, mass tourism). Complex sentence structures demonstrating grammatical range. Strong hedging and balanced perspective.