IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Nowadays, international tourism is the biggest industry in the world. Unfortunately, international tourism creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
You should write at least 250 words.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Model Answer:
The world we live in is a global village. People in different regions are able to reach their destination within a day, even the other side of the globe without difficulty. This does not mean that relationship between nations is getting close together. Unfortunately, international tourism fails to achieve concord with nations to a great extent which might lead to mayhem.
To begin with, cultural clashes can occur due to the differences in languages, lifestyles and values, cultures, ethnic and religious groups, and levels of prosperity. Comprehend a culture is a matter of long time and most of the cases tourists have limited time to know about the culture of host country. Veiling of women is a good example here. In Islamic countries, women strictly maintain veil in order to respect their values and religion. Sometimes this leads to tension when a tourist mistakenly acts contrary to this norm. Tourists’ behavior and customs may cause hostility due they have little knowledge about the communicating pattern of the local people. For example, Bengali people are very friendly and have a warm relationship with foreigner and they expect that tourists act as they behave. This kind of difference causes harm on harmony and creates annoyance to local people. In addition, difference between languages might translate into misunderstanding. Moreover, religious groups may violently react when sacred sites and objects are not be respected as they are perceived as goods to trade.
From what has been discussed above it can be said that international tourism creates tension rather than celebration for many differences. Personally, I believe that knowing adequate information about the host country and open minded attitude can create a friendly atmosphere and enhance international understanding. Finally, some pigeonholes have to be smashed in order to build mutual communication.