This is a touristy

area
B1 | The Economist
 Objectives
2. Listen to two different
opinions on how to
reduce the negative
1. Discuss the effects of overtourism
advantages and 3. Have a debate about
disadvantages of the effects of
tourism overtourism

2
 Do these problems exist in your city?

Congested streets Unfamiliar neighbours Rubbish/trash

Do these
Does problems
tourism make
exist
thesein problems
your city?
better or worse?

3
Pollution Gentrification
 Where are these cities?
1. 2.

Barcelona, ___________ Dubrovnik, ___________

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 Read the meaning of overtourism

overtourism: a situation when too many

people visit a place on holiday, so that life is
more difficult for the people who live there

1. Overtourism happens when too many ___________ visit a city at the same time.
2. A street is _______crowded when it’s more crowded than it should be.

3. ___________ + noun/verb/adjective = too much or too many

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 Match the definitions with the words

2. When someone is 3. When an airline 4. A situation when

1. To react in a strong
more confident than has sold more tickets too many people are
or extreme way
is necessary than seats available living in a country

A. overpopulation B. overconfident C. to overreact D. overbooked

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 Listen to the radio programme
Some activists for responsible tourism have produced a radio
documentary about the negative effects of overtourism
around the world.

Filip and Alba, from Barcelona, and Mia, from Dubrovnik, will
explain their thoughts about this subject.

Which problem do Filip, Alba and Mia talk about?

A. Tourists are leaving their rubbish everywhere.

B. The city centre is getting too crowded.
C. Local businesses are closing because of
overtourism.

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 Listen and choose the correct person
Mia Filip & Alba
1. The police should stop tourists from
having parties in the street.
2. The city should reduce the number of
people who can visit the city centre.
3. The government should give more attention
to alternative tourist destinations.
4. The city should promote and support
local businesses.

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 Put the ideas in the correct category
rubbish new shops overcrowded tourist
and restaurants streets apartments

more jobs better public traffic gentrification

services

higher pollution new diversity

prices/rents neighbours

Advantages of overtourism:
Disadvantages of overtourism:
The

more jobs,
overcrowded streets,

The
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 Debate

Student A Student C
Student B
You’re a local university You’ve lived in the city centre for
You’re the owner of a restaurant
professor who is enthusiastic years. You’re happy to see more
in a touristy area. You’re worried
about increased tourism. You tourists on the streets because
about the negative effects of
think that more tourists will they spend money at
overtourism, such as more
bring more money to the local neighbourhood shops and
traffic, rubbish everywhere and
economy. This means an restaurants. However, you’re
overcrowded streets. You’re
increased diversity of upset about the increased
also concerned about the influx
customers and new business number of tourist apartments in
of tourists from cruise ships
opportunities. It also means your building. Some of the
who won’t spend money in the
that the local government will tourists have very noisy parties
neighbourhood and that the
have more money to fund at the weekend. Plus, you’re
tourists will make life more
services such as schools and worried that your landlord will
difficult for local people.
public transport. increase your rent.

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 2. Overtourism can have
Remember
both advantages and
disadvantages for a city:
● Advantages e.g. new
shops and restaurants,
1. We can use the prefix over- new neighbours
to say that there is too much or ● Disadvantages e.g.
higher prices/rents, 3. When you have a
there are too many of
gentrification discussion or debate,
something:
think about what the
● overtourism
other person might
● overcrowded
say. This will help you
● overbooked
to better defend your
● overconfident
own opinion.
● to overreact

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 Great work!
Review The Economist lesson in our B1
English course. Go a step further and do
lessons 52-53 in our B1 English course.

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 Additional material

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 Match the fact to the city

1. As a result of the Summer Olympics, this city became a popular tourist destination. ___________

2. Both Game of Thrones and Star Wars have used this city’s historic buildings to represent important
locations. ___________

3. This city’s church opened one of the world’s first pharmacies. It’s still open today! ___________

4. This city is home to one of the largest football stadiums in the world. ___________

A. Barcelona, Spain B. Dubrovnik, Croatia

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 Answer key (1)
P. 4 P. 6
1. Barcelona, Spain 1. C. to overreact
2. Dubrovnik, Croatia 2. B. overconfident
3. D. overbooked
P. 5 4. A. overpopulation
1. people/tourists
2. overcrowded P. 7
3. over C. Local businesses are closing because of overtourism.

P. 8
1. Alba
2. Filip
3. Filip
4. Alba

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 Answer key (2)
P. 9 P. 14
Advantages of overtourism: more jobs, new 1. Barcelona
shops and restaurants, better public services, 2. Dubrovnik
diversity, new neighbours 3. Dubrovnik
Disadvantages of overtourism: overcrowded 4. Barcelona
streets, tourist apartments, traffic,
gentrification, higher prices/rents, pollution,
new neighbours

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