Tourism and Damage to Destinations
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 277 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
Some commentators argue that tourism damages the very places it celebrates, eroding the culture, environment, and authenticity that originally attracted visitors. To what extent do you agree with this view? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01Take a clear position — full or partial agreement
- 02Use named examples (Machu Picchu, Venice, Kyoto, Costa Rica) for authority
- 03Cover both environmental AND cultural damage for full task response
- 04Acknowledge counter-evidence (eco-tourism, Bhutan) to show balance
- 05Use precise vocabulary: 'commercial pastiche', 'staged performances', 'over-tourism'
- 06Conclude with a forward-looking solution, not just a restatement
Model answer
277 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Travel has long been celebrated as a force for cultural understanding and economic development, yet the same industry that funds cathedrals in Venice has filled its canals with cruise ships. I largely agree with the view that mass tourism inflicts serious damage on the destinations it markets, although I believe responsible travel can still play a positive role.
The most visible harm is environmental. Iconic sites such as Machu Picchu, Mount Everest base camp, and the beaches of Maya Bay in Thailand have all faced erosion, waste accumulation, and ecosystem collapse caused by overwhelming visitor numbers. Even ostensibly low-impact activities like snorkelling have bleached coral reefs through repeated handling and sunscreen contamination. Carbon emissions from international flights add a less localised but equally damaging dimension to the problem.
Equally serious is the erosion of local culture and community life. In cities such as Barcelona and Kyoto, residents have been priced out by short-term holiday rentals, while traditional businesses are replaced by souvenir chains catering to tourists. The very authenticity that draws travellers is gradually flattened into a commercial pastiche — staged dance performances, factory-made handicrafts, and identical 'Instagrammable' cafés. Locals can come to see visitors as a nuisance rather than guests.
However, tourism is not inherently destructive. Costa Rica's eco-tourism model and Bhutan's high-value, low-volume policy show that strict visitor caps, conservation levies, and community ownership can preserve heritage while generating prosperity. The damage results from poor management, not travel itself.
In conclusion, mass tourism as currently practised does indeed degrade the cultures and environments it celebrates. The solution is not to end travel but to redesign it around limits, local benefit, and genuine respect for place.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
14 fewer than the median answer for this task type
6 words at the shortest, 32 at the longest
2 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 18.5 words and vary by 8.4 words either side of that, running from 6 words to 32. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 5 of the 15 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
8 in total, spread across 3 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
although, however, while, yet
such as
in conclusion
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 92 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 85 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 2 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Clear stance, both sides considered, examples used
Coherence & Cohesion
Logical paragraphing and signposting
Lexical Resource
Tourism, environment, and culture vocabulary precisely used
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Range of complex sentences with concession and contrast
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