Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and contributes a great deal to economies around the world. However, the damage tourism can cause to local cultures and the environment is often ignored.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Tourism has become one of the world's largest industries, creating employment opportunities and generating significant income for many countries. However, I strongly agree that although tourism brings considerable economic benefits, its harmful effects on local cultures and the environment are frequently overlooked.

On the one hand, tourism plays a vital role in economic development. It creates jobs in hotels, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment while attracting foreign investment. In addition, governments earn revenue through taxes and tourism related businesses, which can be used to improve public infrastructure such as roads, airports and hospitals. For example, countries like Thailand and the Maldives rely mostly on tourism to support their economies and improve the living standards of local people.

On the other hand, the rapid growth of tourism often results in serious environmental and cultural problems. Popular tourist destinations frequently suffer from pollution, excessive waste, and the destruction of natural habitats due to overdevelopment. Moreover, the increasing number of visitors can weaken local traditions, as communities may alter their customs, festivals, and lifestyles to satisfy tourists' expectations. For example, some historic sites have experienced damage because of overcrowding, while many traditional cultural practices have become commercialised instead of being preserved in their original form.

In my opinion, these negative consequences deserve far greater attention. Governments should introduce stricter environmental regulations, limit visitor numbers in sensitive areas, and promote responsible tourism. At the same time, tourists should respect local customs and protect the places they visit.

In conclusion, while tourism is an important source of economic growth, I firmly believe that its damaging effects on the environment and local cultures are often underestimated. A balanced approach is very essential to ensure that tourism remains sustainable for future generations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have clearly stated your position in the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The arguments are well-developed, with specific examples provided for both the economic benefits (Thailand and the Maldives) and the negative impacts (pollution and cultural commercialisation). The structure is logical, and the conclusion effectively summarises your stance. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the discussion by briefly mentioning how these negative impacts might be mitigated or by exploring the nuance of whether the economic gains justify the cultural loss, though your current development is already quite strong for this task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the economic benefits and the negative consequences is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Referencing is clear, and the use of linking words like 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'At the same time' helps guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The flow is natural and does not attract attention to the mechanics of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic essay. Phrases such as 'significant income', 'foreign investment', 'public infrastructure', and 'commercialised' show a good level of precision. You use collocations effectively, such as 'sustainable for future generations' and 'sensitive areas'. While the vocabulary is accurate and fits the context well, it is consistently functional rather than highly sophisticated. To push into the higher bands, you could incorporate more precise, less common academic collocations or idiomatic expressions that sound more natural and academic, such as 'mitigate the adverse effects' or 'economic windfall'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your control of grammar is strong, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, for example, 'while many traditional cultural practices have become commercialised instead of being preserved'. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free. To achieve a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex structures, such as inversion or more advanced conditional forms, to demonstrate greater flexibility in your grammatical range.

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