IELTS WRITING TASK 2: International Tourism - advantages and disadvantages.

International tourism has brought enormous benefits 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?

As air travel becomes affordable, international tourism has proved a boon to many countries, especially developing ones. However, its popularity can pose serious problems to local inhabitants and environment. In my opinion, despite drawbacks, international tourism is still economically and culturally beneficial.

To begin with, there are three main disadvantages to developing this industry. First, the upsurge of tourists can put great strain on local wildlife and ecosystems as the latter can be polluted or destroyed to make space for tourist facilities. This can seriously threaten the survival of many endangered species and affect life qualities of local inhabitants. Second, the rise of international tourism can result in many businesses striving to offer as much luxury to tourists as possible, making local services inaccessible to residents with average to low incomes. Finally, this industry can wipe out traditional businesses since more people will shift towards tourism-centred ones for greater profits.

However, I believe that such drawbacks can be outweighed by the following benefits. As a result of developing international tourism, more resources will be directed towards the conservation of natural environment, thus providing safer and better-maintained wildlife habitats. The industry also contributes largely to national prosperity and brings numerous job opportunities and stable incomes. In addition to this, such tourism model helps to promote cultural heritage which would have been forgotten otherwise. For instance, Vietnam has recently attracted an increased number of foreigners to craft villages thanks to its well-established tourist industry. The rising demand of traditional handicrafts has revived one of the oldest-known businesses that would have faded into obscurity.

In conclusion, international tourism can be a contributory factor to economic development and cultural promotion, setbacks notwithstanding.