Describe a famous tourist destination in your country

Describe a famous tourist destination in your country.
You should say:
•

what it is

•

what are the main attractions of this place

•

what can someone see/do there
And say why you would recommend this place to a foreign tourist.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about
what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
If an international tourist has a one day visit to Indonesia, I would recommend him to see the island
of Bali. There are various reasons why s/he should visit the island, and I will explain in details about
it.
Firstly, Bali is a small island, but it has many beautiful scenery places that people could visit in a day.
The island is famous for its' beautiful beaches such as Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua Beach. These
beaches are known for their beautiful white sands along their coast and for their waves as well, as
tens of thousands of tourists from overseas are visiting the island annually. The location of these
beaches is near therefore tourists could visit these beaches in just half a day.
Secondly, as these beaches are located near to Denpasar, which is the capital city of Bali, there are
many things that tourist could do in the city itself. After lying down on the beach, people could see
some unique entertainments in the city, such as the traditional Barong and Kecak Dance. These
traditional dances are unique and artistic because they are the combination of art, magic, philosophy
and religion. And then, there are so many traditional restaurants in Bali, where tourists could try
these culinary places. Bali is well known for its' pork ribs and fried chicken, and many tourists have

enjoyed these culinary experiences because they are crispy and spicy.
I personally believe that if an international traveller has only a day to see Indonesia, I would suggest
him to visit Bali, as it has a combination of beautiful landscape, artistic traditional performance and
recommended restaurants which people could visit in a day.
[ by - Darwin Lesmana ]
Sample Answer 2:
Greece is one of the most attractive countries in the world and it contains few of the most wonderful
places to visit. The places are highly interesting and probably the most desired places in entire
Europe. Elafonissi beach is one of the places and I am happy to describe the beach here.
Greece has many places to go to and enjoy for the visitors. Crete, the largest island in Greece, has
many things to offer to its visitors and the Elafonissi beach is one of them. This is a kind of hidden


treasure for the visitors. They will be unable to discover the beauty of the beach unless they visit it.
The beach is an interesting place to visit and pass leisure hours. But to enjoy the real beauty of the
beach, one should stay for a few days in the area. The beach area is frequently crowded with
various types of people and most of them come here to enjoy the natural views of the beach.
This is a sandy beach and got a higher rank in the top 10 list of the world. In fact, this is a beach that
nobody wants to miss while they are on their trip to Greece. They key attraction of the beach is the
sunset and sunrise scenes. A wide number of the people flock to the beach during the sunset and
sun rising hours to enjoy the scenes. The beach is well organised and the surrounding environment
is also charming. The pink sandy beach offers a great view to the horizon. The water is crystal clear
and thus suitable for almost all types of activities on the water. People swim, participate in water
sports, ride on water vehicles and more other activities. Besides, there are some small shops and
stores are available that will help you get the necessary refreshment including bar service. the town
is lively and the crowd of people is enjoyable.
The majority of the visitors come here to enjoy the beautiful sunset scenes. The sun ray looks
beautiful when it is about to set. The entire water turns in to a golden colour while the western sky
becomes reddish. The view is excellent and a good number of the visitors only come here to enjoy
the last moment of the day. By the same time, the small shops and bars allow the visitors to take

light snacks and enjoy the sunset scenes with their near and dear ones. But the view is different in
the morning or at the sunrise hour. There are fewer people at that moment for being the early hour of
the day. But there are some people who come out to enjoy the morning beauty. Water sports is a
common issue here and many of the visitors participate in the sports and enjoy themselves.
This beach is wonderful. Without seeing the beauties in own eyes, anyone will not believe that how
stunning the natural beauty of the locality is. Most of the time, foreign tourists suffer numerous
troubles when they are in a new place. But I can assure that their experience will be different in this
place. This is a safe and secured place. In fact, this is a small paradise to the visitors. The water is
clear, warm and thus enjoyable to the fullest extent. The gentle breeze will make them feel
comfortable. Moreover, the prices of everything here is reasonable. Hence, I will recommend it to
every foreign tourist to visit the beach at least for once in their lifetime. They will be in love with this
place.

Part 3 – Two-way discussion:
Q. What are some famous tourist spots in your country?
Answer: Although for the last three years I have been living in England, I am originally from Greece
and I'm going to tell you about some renowned tourist places in Greece. The most well-known and
famous tourist destination in Greece is the Acropolis. It's an area in Athens, the capital city of


Greece, with lots of cafeterias, restaurants, souvenir stores and of course. On the top of the hill,
there is the Parthenon, the most important surviving building of Greece. Apart from Athens, Greek
islands are a choice for many foreign visitors. Mykonos, Crete, Skiathos and Santorini are some of
the most popular places among the visiting tourists with thousands of tourists every year, especially
in summer. Greek food, sunlight and sea in combination with Greek hospitality make these spots
some of the most crowded and desirable places for the visitors all over the world.
Q. What are the positive impacts of tourism in your country?
Answer: First of all, tourism is an essential sector of a country's economy. As far as my country is
concerned, tourism provides employment for many people and those earning members contribute
towards the development of our country. Furthermore, as visitors spend money on different things

and activities, the whole economy is developed and it leads to increasing prosperity. Furthermore,
different types of facilities that are mainly constructed for visitors, such as airports, hotels and
hospitals, are also beneficial to the locals. Finally, tourism in Greece helps our own traditions and
customs to be well-known among the people of other nations. I would say tourism in my country is
quite important.
Q. What are the negative impacts of tourism in your country?
Answer: Apart from the positive outcomes that my country accrues from tourism, there are some
unwanted situations and negative impacts of tourism that cannot be denied. Due to a huge number
of tourists, the costs get higher each year and this is a serious problem for local people. The
increase in prices is considered a serious problem and as a result locals having difficulty meeting
their basic daily needs.Going further, dispose of rubbish is another undesirable result because
people often throw their garbage wherever they want and the places there become smelly and
unhygienic. Moreover, foreign cultures are constantly being exposed to our countrymen and this is a
serious threat for our unique traditions and customs. In Greece, a common problem of tourism is that
excessive drinking habit in such places makes people lose themselves and do unethical and petty
things
Q. What do you think are the reasons people visit new places?
Answer: This is an interesting and plausible question. From my point of view, the primary reason
why someone visits a new place is to learn about its culture and history. Culture is shaped by a
country's history and in this way people are able to learn more about other customs, points of view,
values and overall civilisation. This helps people to broaden their horizons and also leads them to
become more open-minded, accept other's opinion and also encourages tolerance and
understanding. Furthermore, it cultivates positive changes in attitude and promotes diversity. A
further reason for visiting other countries and new places is the holiday. As people want to relax and
recharge their stamina, they combine their vacation with travelling and meeting new places and
people. Finally, visiting new places is kind of refreshing and attractive. This relieved us from our
stress and gives us a fresh start in many cases.
Q. What can you tell about the future of tourism industry in your country?
Answer: This question is both difficult and uncertain. In the present, the tourism sector in Greece

seems to be an influential and profitable, but as things are becoming worse due to the recent
financial crisis, it's really debatable and the situation is constantly deteriorating. As mentioned,
especially after the financial crisis that plagues the whole country, income has collapsed and wages
have declined and unfortunately, it's becoming even worse as time goes by. But, as Greece is a
history itself, people are optimistic and they hope that this sector won't face any problems and will
continue to attract visitors from all over the world.
[Part 3 question answers have been written by - Mary, UK, Economist with Main Field of Studies in
Business Economics]

Similar Cue Card Topics
Your ability to talk about this Cue Card would enable you to talk about the following Cue
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1.

Describe a beautiful place you want to visit.

2.

Describe a place you have never been to.

3.

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Describe a place you have recently visited.

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Describe a naturally beautiful place you know about.

7.

Describe a significant tourist attraction in your country.