Describe a tourist attraction you enjoyed visiting.
You should say:
- what this tourist attraction is
- when and why you visited it
- what you did there
and explain why you enjoyed visiting this tourist attraction.
[Instruction: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Sample Answer 1
After changing my job about a few years ago, I didn’t get a chance to take any long vacations or holidays because I was just too busy to enjoy one. But, I was lucky to have some time off from my job about a couple of months ago, and that’s when I decided to visit a nice tourist destination.
Of course, this tourist destination is not in any foreign country. Instead, it sits very comfortably in my beautiful country in its northwest part. I have always wanted to visit this beautiful and exotic place, but I couldn’t because my busy schedule didn’t allow me to have my wish until a few months ago. When I got a vacation from my office, I wanted to use it to visit a beautiful place, and as planned, I took the opportunity and visited this tourist spot with my family.
Moving forward, this tourist destination is situated by one of my country’s most extensive natural forests, which also hosts a beautiful lake. While the majestic view of the natural green forest and crystal clear water of the beautiful lake captivate the hearts and minds of thousands of tourists, mostly foreigners, the main attraction of this place, in my humble opinion, is probably the incredible sightings of deer fights. In fact, I think that most tourists, including me, mainly came to enjoy the impressive show of the “hormonally-charged” male deer, surrounded by many female deer, as if the male deer were desperately trying to court the female deer. By the way, even though, tourists of all ages can be found in this beautiful place, miles away from the hustling and bustling of city life, most of them, including me, are on the young side. I went there to spend quality time in a beautiful, relaxing environment close to nature, which is precisely what I did.
Anyway, I enjoyed visiting this tourist attraction because it was so calm and peaceful that one could easily find peace. Besides, exchanging views with many foreign tourists there was refreshing since it allowed me to learn and understand many aspects of their life. Finally, I liked visiting this tourist destination because it made me feel very connected to mother nature – a connection I have been missing all these years.
Sample Answer 2
I like to travel whenever I get the chance and have the means to afford the costs. As a student, I can not afford much time and money to travel as frequently as I otherwise would have, yet, I do not miss traveling to a few nice places at least twice a year. For this topic, I would like to share my experience traveling to a lovely beach, one of our country’s most popular tourist destinations.
The name of this tourist destination is “Sky blue beach” – a natural beach with mesmerizing views located near a famous ocean in our country. It offers a diverse range of activities for tourists of all ages, and you can just idly lay on the beach and enjoy the clear blue sky, crystal clear sea water, synchronized tide, and ebb, and listen to the music of the gentle breeze all day long without worrying about other things!
I visited this attractive destination almost a year ago after my semester break. A few friends planned to visit this heavenly place just after we completed our fifth semester at the university, and I did not want to miss the chance to spend some quality time away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I thought it would be refreshing and invigorating, and I was proven right. I thought I was taken to the fairyland just after I reached there!
I enjoyed the view the most. It was like nothing else that I had ever experienced. The serene nature of the surroundings, the floating breeze of the coast, the vast ocean, the soft sandy beach, the blue sky, and the vast openness blew away my mind. I also enjoyed local foods, tried a boat ride, enjoyed some music concerts at night, and did barbecue parties with my friends.
I relished visiting this tourist attraction because it was a marvelous beach area with many things to see and do. I enjoyed a relaxing, soothing, and peaceful vacation after a long and the experience was so charming that I liked it a lot. This was the first time I realized how nature holds so many kinds of beauty that could equally thrill and excite us.
Part 3
Discussion topics: Different kinds of tourist attractions
What are the most popular tourist attractions in your country?
Answer: Well, with enormously huge territory and long history, my country, China, has many popular tourist attractions that one can see and explore. Some more popular tourist attractions are, of course, the Great Wall of China in Beijing, the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu (some prefer to call it “China’s national treasure” also), the Terracotta Army in Xi’an (2000 years old underground army), and the yellow mountains near Shanghai. Besides the jade dragon snow mountains, Victoria Harbour are also very popular with some tourists.
How do the types of tourist attractions that younger people like to visit compare with those that older people like to visit?
Answer: Young people and older generations have different mindsets and ways of doing things; therefore, it is only natural that they will choose different tourist destinations. For example, older people would generally prefer to go to tourist spots where they can relax, be quiet and laid back, and spend quality time with their families and friends. On the other hand, young people would prefer to visit places where they can have more fun, try new things, and become adventurous while doing things like skydiving and mountain hiking.
Do you agree that some tourist attractions (e.g. national museums/galleries) should be free to visit?
Answer: Well, nothing comes “free” in this world since someone somewhere has to pay for it in one way or another. Having said that, however, some tourist attractions like national museums and galleries should be free to visit, in my humble opinion, because museums and art galleries have an essential role in preserving a nation’s history and heritage for its new generations. Free access to these places would ultimately encourage more people to find out about their country and help promote feelings of national solidarity and cultural identity among them.
Topic: The importance of international tourism
Why is tourism important to a country?
Answer: Tourism impacts a country in significant ways. First, because of tourism, a country’s economy gets diversified while generating more revenues and job opportunities simultaneously. Besides, it also helps promote cross-cultural awareness among the citizens of countries while simultaneously improving the brand image of those countries. Finally, tourism can also help our mother nature through conservation and by creating nature-based tourism, encouraging authorities to protect forests, lakes, coastlines, state parks, wildlife, and gardens.
What are the benefits to individuals of visiting another country as tourists?
Answer: There are just too many benefits of visiting another country. First, it allows us to do and discover new things that perhaps would never be possible otherwise. When traveling to another country, there is hardly any dull moment since it allows you to break from the mundane of everyday life. Besides, it also helps us to become familiar with the history, culture, and language of a different country in a more intimate fashion. Finally, foreign travel can also open opportunities for experiencing new climates, terrains, plants, and animal life.
How necessary is it for tourists to learn the language of the country they’re visiting?
Answer: It certainly helps to learn the language of the country a person is visiting, but is it necessary? The answer is, no, it is not necessary since the basic human needs of a person, no matter where he/she lives or travels, are pretty much the same. In other words, one person doesn’t need to learn a foreign language if he or she needs to communicate something because these “communication” things can also be done through some signs or expressions when needed. Moreover, if we plan to learn a language before visiting the country where it is spoken, we might never visit it!