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Speaking 1
Your English friend Terry is coming to visit Spain with his young daughter. The three of you are
going to spend a week together near the sea. You have downloaded an app that compares
hotels, and have narrowed down your research to three possible places. Your friend is on a
budget and wants to be close to the beach. Leave a voicemail for your friend, recommending
one of the hotels. Compare it to the other options and explain why it is the best option.
Speak for approximately two minutes.

Casa Cádiz Águilas Bay The Castillo

Beach Hotel
Check in from noon 2 pm 3 pm
Check out until 10 am noon noon
Credit card payments accepted ✓ ✓ ✓
Breakfast included ✓ ✓ ✓
Wheelchair access ✗ ✓ ✓
Restaurant on site ✗ ✓ ✓
Free parking ✓ ✓ ✓
Free Wi-Fi ✓ ✓ ✓
SERVICES
24-hour room service ✗ ✓ ✓
Currency exchange ✗ ✗ ✓
Laundry & ironing services ✓ ✓ ✓
On-call doctor ✗ ✓ ✗
Babysitting service ✗ ✓ ✗
Transfer from Región de Murcia International Airport €10 FREE FREE
FACILITIES
Swimming pool ✓ ✓ ✓
Gym ✗ ✓ ✓
Spa ✗ ✗ ✓
ROOMS
Air conditioning ✓ ✓ ✓
TV ✓ ✓ ✓
Minibar ✗ ✓ ✓
Safety deposit box ✗ ✓ ✓
Pets permitted ✓ ✗ ✗
Price €€ €€€ €€€€
Distance from beach (walking route) 1 km 50 m 200 m

2 © Express Publishing
 1 Writing

You have been asked to give a presentation in English at an international conference on

Sustainable Tourism. Your audience will consist of people involved in the tourist industry, and
your objective is to encourage them to consider small-scale tourism as an alternative to mass
tourism. Use the chart and the leaflet to write the notes you are going to use as guidelines
during your presentation (280-320 words).

MASS TOURISM DRAWBACKS

CULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC

Huge hotels
Local people give Tourists stay in
up traditional jobs hotels run by
to work in mass Overcrowding: Construction: loss international
tourism industry increased soil of habitat, wildlife, operators
erosion, pollution, biodiversity
waste production
Forget history and
customs: lose Stop growing local
Money does not go Food and supplies
cultural identity food and running
back into the local delivered from
local businesses
economy. external sources

The Benefits of Small-Scale Tourism

The benefits of tourism on a small scale can be divided into three main sections: cultural, environmental and
economic, although, inevitably, there will be some overlap.
Environmental
The environmental effect of small-scale tourism as opposed to sprawling hotels and resorts is profound. Small-scale
tourist operations are run by locals who live in the area permanently. Therefore, they make every effort to ensure
pollution is kept to a minimum and waste is disposed of responsibly. In addition, with fewer visitors, local ecosystems
are preserved and wildlife continues to inhabit the area.

Economic
Small-scale tourism supports the local economy. Tourists stay in accommodation owned by locals, eat food grown
and prepared by locals, and spend money in shops run by locals. All the revenue is fed back into the local area, and
is invested in improving the lives of the people that live there.

Cultural
The cultural impact of small-scale tourism is two-way. As the effect on the culture of the destination is minimal,
tourists are able to experience it in its purest form, and gain an understanding of the customs and history of the place.
The local people are able to maintain their cultural identity, and preserve their traditions for generations to come.
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© Express Publishing
ISBN 978-1-4715-9838-8