More and more developing countries are increasing their tourism industries. What are the reasons for this trend, and is this a positive development in your opinion?
Stance: This essay will argue that the tourism boom across developing nations — Vietnam being a prime example — is driven chiefly by economic diversification and improved global connectivity, and that despite some real costs, it remains an overwhelmingly positive development.
This answer covers both required parts of the question (reasons and opinion) and includes the same Sapa homestay example as the higher bands, but each reason gets only one supporting detail and the concession about pollution is resolved with a plain 'However' rather than the tighter dash-marked concession-and-rebuttal used at 7.5.
More and more developing countries are growing their tourism industries, and Vietnam is a clear example of this, with places once known only to backpackers now attracting millions of visitors every year. This essay will explain why this is happening and give my opinion on whether it is a positive change.
There are several reasons behind this growth. Economically, tourism creates jobs quickly, from hotel staff and tour guides to the people who make souvenirs or run homestays. In Vietnam, places such as Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and Sapa have all become major sources of income for provinces that used to be quite poor. Another reason is that it has become much easier for people around the world to travel and to learn about new places. Cheap flights and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok can turn a quiet, unknown place into a famous destination almost overnight, simply because of one popular photo or video.
In my opinion, this growth is mostly a positive development, even though it does bring some problems. Money from tourists helps to build schools, roads, and other infrastructure in areas that would otherwise struggle to get investment, and it also allows visitors and local people to learn about each other's cultures. It is true that tourism can cause problems such as pollution, and Ha Long Bay has suffered from boat traffic and rubbish. However, in Sapa, some H'mong and Dao families now run their own homestays and tours instead of just working for outside companies, which means more of the tourist money stays in the community.
In conclusion, the growth of tourism in developing countries like Vietnam is mainly driven by economic need and better global connections. As long as this growth is managed responsibly and involves local communities, I believe it is a very positive development overall.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will explain why this is happening and give my opinion on whether it is a positive change.” — The outline sentence addresses both required parts of the question (reasons and opinion), though more plainly than the higher band's 'assess whether it constitutes a genuinely positive development'.
- LR“tourism creates jobs quickly” — A clear, correct but simple phrase; functional in meaning but without the more specific economic register of 'a comparatively fast route to foreign currency earnings and job creation'.
- GRA“Cheap flights and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok can turn a quiet, unknown place into a famous destination almost overnight, simply because of one popular photo or video.” — A compound subject with a clear result clause is used correctly, though it is a single, more linear sentence compared with the semicolon-linked comparative structure used at higher bands.
- CC“However, in Sapa, some H'mong and Dao families now run their own homestays and tours instead of just working for outside companies” — The simple contrast marker 'However' clearly introduces the counter-example after acknowledging the pollution problem, functioning like the higher band's dash-marked concession but in a plainer form.
This answer upgrades to a more evaluative outline verb ('assess'), inserts a 'combined with' phrase for added sentence complexity, and splits its concession about pollution into two linked sentences rather than one, but it still resolves the Sapa example with a single cause-and-effect statement rather than the fuller reasoning, example and 'not insurmountable' framing found at band 7.5.
An increasing number of developing countries are expanding their tourism industries, and Vietnam illustrates this trend particularly well, with destinations once known mainly to backpackers now drawing millions of visitors a year. This essay will explain the reasons behind this trend and assess whether it represents a positive development.
Several factors are driving this expansion. Economically, tourism offers a relatively quick way to generate foreign income and create jobs, ranging from hotel staff and tour guides to the artisans and farmers who supply the industry. Vietnam demonstrates this clearly: destinations such as Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and Sapa have all become major income sources for provinces that were once underdeveloped. Beyond domestic factors, improved global connectivity has played an equally important role. The spread of budget airlines, combined with the viral reach of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, can turn a once-obscure location into a must-visit destination almost overnight, sometimes driven by nothing more than a single striking photo.
In my view, this growth is largely a positive development, despite certain drawbacks. Tourist spending funds infrastructure, schools and conservation projects in regions that would otherwise struggle to attract investment, while direct contact between visitors and local communities encourages genuine cultural exchange. Concerns about environmental damage and cultural loss are legitimate; Ha Long Bay, for example, has suffered noticeably from boat traffic and plastic waste. However, these problems are not impossible to manage. In Sapa, several H'mong and Dao communities now run their own homestays and trekking tours rather than working solely for outside companies, which keeps more tourist income within the community and gives residents a stronger incentive to protect the environment they depend on.
In conclusion, the tourism boom across developing countries, illustrated vividly by Vietnam's transformation of places like Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and Sapa, is driven primarily by economic necessity and unprecedented global connectivity. Provided this growth is paired with responsible, community-focused management, I believe it represents an overwhelmingly positive development.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will explain the reasons behind this trend and assess whether it represents a positive development.” — The verb 'assess' signals an evaluative stance more precisely than the 6.5 answer's 'give my opinion on whether', showing sharper awareness of the task's dual demand.
- LR“tourism offers a relatively quick way to generate foreign income and create jobs” — The more formal 'generate foreign income' shows stronger economic register than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'creates jobs quickly', approaching the collocation used at 7.5.
- GRA“The spread of budget airlines, combined with the viral reach of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, can turn a once-obscure location into a must-visit destination almost overnight, sometimes driven by nothing more than a single striking photo.” — An inserted 'combined with' phrase between subject and verb adds a layer of complexity beyond the simpler compound subject used in the 6.5 answer's equivalent sentence.
- CC“Concerns about environmental damage and cultural loss are legitimate; Ha Long Bay, for example, has suffered noticeably from boat traffic and plastic waste. However, these problems are not impossible to manage.” — The semicolon-linked concession followed by a separate 'However' sentence creates a two-step acknowledge-then-counter move, more developed than the 6.5 answer's single-sentence 'However' contrast.
The 7.5 answer names four specific Vietnamese destinations in a single sentence (Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Da Nang, Sapa), builds a long semicolon-linked comparative sentence to explain social media's role, and resolves its concession about environmental strain with a specific H'mong/Dao homestay detail rather than a generic 'not impossible to manage' statement, giving the answer a density of real-world evidence the lower bands thin out.
An increasing number of developing countries are actively building up their tourism sectors, and few examples illustrate this trend as vividly as Vietnam, where destinations once known only to backpackers now draw millions of visitors a year. This essay will examine why this shift is occurring and assess whether it constitutes a genuinely positive development.
Several forces are driving this expansion. Economically, tourism offers a comparatively fast route to foreign currency earnings and job creation, from hotel staff and tour guides to the artisans who produce souvenirs and the farmers who supply homestays. Vietnam's own trajectory demonstrates this clearly: Ha Long Bay's limestone karsts, the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An, and the terraced hillsides around Sapa have all been transformed into major income sources for once-underdeveloped provinces. Beyond domestic policy, global accessibility has played an equally decisive role. The spread of budget airlines and, more recently, the viral reach of platforms like Instagram and TikTok have turned once-obscure locations into must-see destinations almost overnight; a single striking photo of Hoi An's lantern festival or Sapa's rice terraces can now generate more visibility than a decade of traditional advertising.
In my view, this growth is overwhelmingly beneficial, notwithstanding certain costs. Tourist spending funds infrastructure, schools, and conservation projects in areas that would otherwise struggle to attract investment, while direct contact between visitors and local communities fosters genuine cultural exchange rather than mere transaction. Concerns about environmental strain and cultural dilution are legitimate — Ha Long Bay, for instance, has faced real pressure from boat traffic and plastic waste — but these issues are not insurmountable. In Sapa, several H'mong and Dao communities now run their own homestays and trekking tours rather than working solely as employees of outside operators, which keeps a larger share of tourist income within the community and gives residents a direct stake in protecting the landscape that sustains their livelihoods.
In conclusion, the surge in tourism across developing countries, exemplified by Vietnam's transformation of Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Sapa into international destinations, is driven primarily by economic necessity and unprecedented global connectivity. Provided this growth is paired with responsible, community-led management, I believe it represents a resoundingly positive development.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will examine why this shift is occurring and assess whether it constitutes a genuinely positive development.” — A two-part outline sentence commits the essay to both explaining the trend and evaluating it, matching the task's dual requirement.
- LR“a comparatively fast route to foreign currency earnings and job creation” — Precise economic vocabulary presented as a natural collocation rather than a list of disconnected terms.
- GRA“The spread of budget airlines and, more recently, the viral reach of platforms like Instagram and TikTok have turned once-obscure locations into must-see destinations almost overnight; a single striking photo of Hoi An's lantern festival or Sapa's rice terraces can now generate more visibility than a decade of traditional advertising.” — A long compound subject joined to a semicolon-linked comparative clause demonstrates sustained grammatical control across a complex sentence.
- TR“In my view, this growth is overwhelmingly beneficial, notwithstanding certain costs.” — A clear personal-opinion statement, appropriately hedged with 'notwithstanding certain costs', sets up the sustained evaluative position of the paragraph.
- CC“Concerns about environmental strain and cultural dilution are legitimate — Ha Long Bay, for instance, has faced real pressure from boat traffic and plastic waste — but these issues are not insurmountable.” — The concession-then-counter structure, marked by the dashes and 'but', acknowledges a weakness before cohesively returning to the writer's main line of argument.