You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Tourism has increased so much over the last 50 years that it is having a mainly negative impact on local inhabitants and the environment. However, others claim that it is good for the economy.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

MODEL ANSWER>>>                         

Tourism has grown to an industry which has become the economic backbone of many countries in the recent years. However, this industry often causes some problems to the local people and the environment. Whether it is advantageous or disadvantageous is still a question in the minds of many, and so a critical evaluation is needed to reach a final opinion.

The most significant advantage of tourism is the income it generates. To be precise, tourism enhances the commercial activities like the sale of local cuisines, handicrafts, and other locally-made products. This acts as easy revenue for the authorities and as a financial aid to the local population. As there is an increase in the commercial activities, more employment opportunities are opened to the people. This can solve the unemployment crisis to a great extent. Infrastructural development is another highlighted merit. The more the tourists arrive, the more these progresses occur.

On the darker side, the visible black mark is that it sheds shadows to the environmental safety.  When more and more people flow into these areas, which are environmentally fragile, the ecological system would get imbalanced. This happens when the rate of pollution increases there by means of vehicle emissions and irrational littering. The infrastructural shift, as a part of developing the industry can alter the serenity of the place, and makes it written in the pages of history. Another noticeable change  would be cultural dilutions, and often these result in changes in habits of the local people, and often clashes among them. The more the tourists arrive, the worse it becomes.

 To conclude, though tourism is something which has to be promoted owing to its benefits, I feel vigilance should be there to minimize its adverse effects on the local people and environment.

Word count: 294