• Read the marking criteria Below. You need to evaluate (not just describe) at least two issues from two countries.
• This needs to be in essay format (not report), with a title, an introduction paragraph, a series of body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You will not use sections and headings. You may consider writing out an essay question for yourself then go about answering that question.
• Pay attention to referencing – use quality sources (not Wikipedia), use quotation marks where excerpting text, and cite all sources.
• Pay attention to evaluating (looking at the positives and negatives) not just describing issues.
• Use evidence to back up your arguments, claims and generalisations.
• You do not have a lot of words to use so creatively use tables, figures to demonstrate your points.
• Try as much as possible to place your countries-issues in the wider academic literature about tourism impacts. It may help if you can have a conceptual model of impacts or similar that you can use to structure your case studies.
Marking criteria
Your essay will be graded according to the following criteria:
• evaluates and discusses the positive and negative impacts of at least two current issues (economic, environmental, and/or sociocultural)
• uses specific examples from at least two countries from the Pacific Asia region to support your argument
• evidence of engagement with relevant theory and academic literature
• clear essay structure: introduction, body with paragraphs and conclusion (do not use headings)
• innovative use of visual devices (e.g. maps, figures, and tables)
• clear and concise expression
• consistent Harvard in-text referencing and reference list.
Task
Critically discuss the following statement: “The positive economic, sociocultural and/or environmental benefits that tourism can achieve for the host community far outweigh any negative impacts brought about by tourism.”
In your discussion you need to use a minimum of two current impact issues (economic, environmental, and/or sociocultural) and discuss both the positive and negative impacts of the issues you choose. Use specific, concrete examples from at least two countries of the Pacific Asia region to demonstrate your argument(s). You may compare and contrast how these impact issues play out in different geographic contexts. These could be, for example, economic benefits versus costs, environmental benefits versus costs, and sociocultural benefits versus costs. Try to explain why there are different outcomes in your different country case studies and how these may be best managed. Finally, conclude whether or not “The positive economic, sociocultural and/or environmental benefits that tourism can achieve for the host community far outweigh any negative impacts brought about by tourism.”
