IELTS Speaking Practice Question Set: Travel and Tourism

Yes, I absolutely love travelling. It’s exciting to explore new places, experience different cultures and create lasting memories. Travelling takes me out of my comfort zone and teaches me more about the world and myself.

Useful language:lasting memoriesout of my comfort zone

Trains, definitely. They’re comfortable, you can enjoy the scenery and they’re better for the environment than flying.

Useful language:enjoy the scenery

Once, to Egypt. It was convenient because everything was organised, but the schedule was tight and we didn’t have much free time to explore alone.

Useful language:the schedule was tight

With friends, usually, because sharing experiences is more fun. But travelling alone once taught me to be more independent.

Useful language:more independent

An ancient cave town in the centre of the country, where people used to live in houses carved into the rocks. It felt like another world.

Useful language:carved into the rocks

I set a budget, book flights and accommodation online, and read travel blogs for ideas, but I leave space in the schedule for surprises.

Useful language:leave space for surprises

You learn about different cultures, improve language skills and become more open-minded. It also helps you appreciate your own country.

Useful language:open-minded

Yes, an old clock tower in the main square and a castle on the hill. Most visitors take photos there and visit the market nearby.

Useful language:clock tower

I’d like to talk about a memorable trip I took to Japan last spring with my best friend. We spent two weeks travelling between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

We planned the trip for almost a year and bought rail passes so we could use the high-speed trains. In Tokyo we explored busy neighbourhoods full of neon lights and tiny restaurants; in Kyoto we visited ancient temples and walked through a famous bamboo forest; and in Osaka we tried street food like takoyaki. We even took part in a traditional tea ceremony, which taught us how much attention to detail Japanese culture values.

The highlight was being there during cherry blossom season. Parks were full of families having picnics under the trees, and the pink petals falling along the rivers were breathtakingly beautiful.

The trip was memorable for several reasons. It was my first time in Asia, so the cultural differences were fascinating to experience first-hand — the efficiency of public transport, the politeness of the people and the blend of modern technology with old traditions left a lasting impression on me. We also had a few funny moments, like getting completely lost in a huge train station.

Finally, sharing it with my best friend made it even more special. We still talk about it all the time, and it has inspired me to learn some Japanese before going back one day.

Useful language:planned the triprail passesthe highlight wasbreathtakingly beautifulfirst-handleft a lasting impression

It has grown enormously. Cheap flights and online booking have brought far more international visitors, and tourism has spread from a few famous sites to smaller towns. At the same time, domestic tourism has increased as incomes have risen.

Useful language:online bookingdomestic tourism

Mass tourism can raise rents and prices, overcrowd historic areas, damage the environment and turn local culture into a commercial show. Residents may feel pushed out of their own neighbourhoods.

Useful language:overcrowdpushed out

They can set visitor caps for sensitive areas, promote eco-friendly accommodation and green transport, and introduce tourism taxes that fund conservation. Educating both tourists and residents about protecting natural resources also helps create a sense of responsibility.

Useful language:visitor capseco-friendly accommodationfund conservation

I don’t think so. VR can give a preview of a place or help people who can’t travel, but it can’t reproduce the food, the atmosphere or real encounters with local people.

Useful language:a previewreal encounters

Travel shows people different ways of living and thinking, challenges stereotypes and makes them more tolerant. Dealing with unfamiliar situations also builds confidence and independence.

Useful language:challenges stereotypestolerant

Social media inspires people to visit places they’ve seen online, but it also concentrates crowds at a few ‘Instagrammable’ spots. Some travellers spend more time taking photos than actually enjoying the experience.

Useful language:Instagrammableconcentrates crowds

Sustainable tourism can reduce the industry’s footprint by encouraging trains over short flights, energy-efficient hotels and longer, slower trips. It also protects ecosystems like forests and reefs that help regulate the climate.

Useful language:the industry’s footprintslower trips