Plan this opinion essay about tourism with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
With the internet, virtual tours and video, people no longer need to travel abroad to learn about other places.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
With the internet, virtual tours and online videos, some people argue that there is no need to travel abroad in order to learn about other places. I disagree with this statement, although I accept that digital resources are valuable.
The internet certainly makes information widely available. Anyone can look at photographs of Japan, take a virtual tour of the Louvre or watch documentaries about the Amazon from home, and this is both cheap and convenient. It also saves the environment, since no flights are needed, and the quality of virtual reality is improving all the time. For people who cannot afford to travel or who have health problems, these tools provide a way of exploring the world that would otherwise be impossible.
Nevertheless, I believe that physical travel offers a far richer experience. A video can show what a place looks like, but it cannot reproduce the smell of a street market, the taste of local food, the heat of the sun or the atmosphere of a crowded square. These sensory details create memories and understanding that screens cannot. More importantly, travel involves meeting people. Talking to residents, sharing meals and handling everyday situations in an unfamiliar environment teach lessons about other cultures that cannot be learned from a website. Travelling also challenges people, making them more adaptable and open-minded, as they have to solve problems and deal with differences.
In my opinion, the internet is a good complement to travel, not a substitute. It can help people to prepare for a trip and to learn about places they will never visit, but it should not be thought of as equivalent to being there.
In conclusion, digital tools provide convenient and inexpensive information, but the personal contact and sensory experience of real travel cannot be replaced, so people will still benefit from visiting other countries.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| virtual tour | online visit to a place |
| first-hand experience | direct personal experience |
| immerse yourself in | become fully involved in |
| armchair travel | experiencing places through media |
| travel experience | what you learn when travelling |
| broaden your outlook | expand your views |
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