TASK 2:
ESSAY INFORMATION:
Written by: IELTS I-Ready, 9/12/2024
Marked by: Ex-BC Examiner
(IELTS Academic – 7/12/2024)
Question: Organized tours to remote areas and communities are increasingly popular. Is it a positive or negative development for the local people and the environment?
ANSWER:
Guided trips to isolated locations and civilisations have become more ubiquitous. While such tourism may bring economic benefits and additional funding for environmental preservation efforts, I believe the detrimental influences of the erosion of local cultures and environmental degradation are more concerning.
Organised tours to far-flung regions offer certain benefits. The foremost one is that they create economic opportunities for local residents. Tourism generates income through activities such as guiding, running homestays, and selling handmade products. This additional revenue can improve living standards in remote areas, often boosting access to education and healthcare. Moreover, revenue generated from tourism can fund conservation projects, such as protecting wildlife habitats or restoring degraded areas. For example, in Kenya, proceeds from safari tours have been used to establish wildlife reserves and support anti-poaching initiatives, helping to preserve endangered species like elephants and rhinos.
However, these benefits come at a cost to local cultures and the environment. One major issue is the erosion of local traditions, which often become commodified as they are adapted to meet tourists’ expectations, losing their authenticity in the process. Festivals and rituals that once held deep cultural significance may be reduced to mere performances for financial gain. Environmental degradation further compounds these challenges. Remote areas, often ill-equipped to manage large groups of visitors, struggle with improper waste disposal, which pollutes ecosystems and endangers wildlife. This is further worsened by the transportation required for tourists, particularly by air or road, contributing to high carbon emissions and intensifying climate change. Coupled with this, the overuse of essential resources such as water and energy places significant strain on local supplies.
In conclusion, despite the financial advantages and support for conservation initiatives that structured travel to distant destinations, I find the harmful effects of loss of cultural identity and damage to natural ecosystems far more troubling.
(302 words)
