The World Has Seen An Enormous Increase In Flights for Leisure - IELTS Writing Task 2

The IELTS Writing Task 2 direct-question essay, “The World Has Seen an Enormous Increase in Flights for Leisure,” asks candidates to examine the reasons behind the growth of leisure air travel and its effects on individuals and society. This essay explores the key causes of this trend and discusses whether the rise in leisure flights is a positive or negative development. This blog includes three sample answers to help learners understand different ways of approaching the question.

Question

• You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
• The world has seen an enormous increase in flights for leisure, business and commercial purposes around the world over recent years. What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of such flights? Do you think flights should be taxed more? Give reasons for your answers and include relevant examples from your own experience.
• You should write at least 250 words.

Outline

Essay Type

Direct Question Essay

Introduction 

Sentence 1: ( talk about the recent trends in air travel ) Recently, the number of air transportation has increased rapidly for business, travel, and commercial.

Body

Paragraph 1:( Benefits of air travel ) On one hand, no one can deny that the greatest benefit of flights is it helps passengers save time.

Paragraph 2: ( Disadvantages of air travel ) There is no denying that there are many drawbacks from air transportation.

Conclusion

• Provide the final opinion : I disagree with putting tax on air flights, as it will affect the economy of a country.
• Summarize your answers

The World Has Seen An Enormous Increase In Flights for Leisure - Sample Answer 1

Recently, the number of air transportation has increased rapidly for business, travel, and commercial. This trend brings a plethora of pros and cons to residents around the globe. However, besides the benefits, there are drawbacks that also need to be highlighted.

Firstly , one cannot deny that the greatest benefit of flights is it helps passengers save time. It has promoted International tourism and reduced the cultural gaps among people of different countries as passengers have to pay solely for a brief period of time travelling over long distances. This has brought nations together. Secondly, the economy has immensely improved thanks to air travel. As a result, there has been a vast reduction in the time taken for exports, such as flowers or fruits being transported quickly by airplane. This is convenient for both producers and consumers.

There is no denying that there are many drawbacks to air transportation. Environmentally, tons of fumes are released from an increased number of flights, affecting air quality and causing global warming. Air transportation also increases the level of noise pollution. People who live close to the airport suffer from air and noise pollution. An increase in the number of flights amounts to the large consumption of fossil fuel that needs to be supplied to all planes. Despite these disadvantages, I disagree with putting a tax on air flights, as it will affect a country’s economy. If the value of transportation increases, as an illustration, the costs of all commodities internationally and nationally will spike, to which customers will suffer. It could demotivate people and that they may decide to not participate in trade any longer.

To conclude, we must remember that we cannot step back on the use of technology by thinking only about the cons. However, efforts should be made to minimize the latter, which will help bring merits to people and nations in terms of economy, culture and tourism.

The World Has Seen An Enormous Increase In Flights for Leisure - Sample Answer 2

The world has seen a significant rise in flights for leisure, business, and commercial purposes in recent years. This increase has brought several advantages, but it has also created notable disadvantages. In my opinion, while air travel is beneficial for global development, higher taxation on flights may be necessary to reduce environmental damage.

One major advantage of increased air travel is economic growth. Tourism generates employment opportunities in airlines, hotels, and local businesses, especially in developing countries. In addition, business and commercial flights make international trade faster and more efficient, allowing companies to expand globally. From my own experience, affordable flights have allowed me to travel abroad for holidays, gaining cultural exposure and new perspectives.

However, the disadvantages are equally serious. The most significant problem is environmental pollution. Aircraft produce large amounts of carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. Moreover, popular tourist destinations often suffer from overcrowding, leading to noise pollution and damage to local ecosystems. Airports also place pressure on nearby communities due to traffic and noise.

I believe flights should be taxed more, particularly for leisure travel. Higher taxes could discourage unnecessary flights and encourage people to choose greener transport options when possible. Additionally, the revenue collected could be invested in environmental protection or the development of sustainable aviation fuel.

In conclusion, although increased air travel supports economic growth and connectivity, it also harms the environment. Therefore, reasonable flight taxes are justified to balance development with sustainability.

The World Has Seen An Enormous Increase In Flights for Leisure - Sample Answer 3

In recent decades, there has been an enormous increase in flights for leisure, business, and commercial purposes worldwide. While this trend has improved global connectivity and economic development, it has also raised serious environmental and social concerns. This essay will discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of air travel growth and argue that higher taxation on flights is necessary.

One of the most significant advantages of increased air travel is its contribution to economic globalization. Flights enable rapid movement of people and goods, strengthening international trade and business cooperation. Tourism, in particular, benefits greatly, as countries earn foreign income and create millions of jobs. Personally, international flights have allowed me to attend academic conferences abroad, which would have been impossible through other means of transport.

Despite these benefits, the negative consequences are substantial. Aviation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change. Furthermore, the rise in leisure travel has led to over-tourism in many destinations, resulting in environmental degradation and a decline in residents’ quality of life. The expansion of airports also increases noise pollution and land use issues.

In my opinion, flights should be taxed more, especially frequent-flyer and short-haul leisure flights. Higher taxes would encourage travelers to reconsider unnecessary journeys and push airlines to invest in cleaner technologies. Governments could also use the additional revenue to support environmental initiatives and improve public transport systems.

In conclusion, although the growth of air travel has clear economic and social advantages, its environmental impact cannot be ignored. Implementing higher flight taxes would be a practical step toward making air travel more sustainable in the long term.

The World Has Seen An Enormous Increase In Flights for Leisure - Vocabulary

The following are some of the IELTS Vocabulary found in the above writing sample answers. 

• Commercial

Meaning : making or intended to make a profit
Sentence : Commercial flights help countries earn profit.

• Drawbacks

Meaning : a disadvantage or problem
Sentence : The main drawback of using flights is the use of fossil fuels.

• Plethora 

Meaning : excessive amount of something
Sentence : A plethora of food was displayed on the dining table.

• Convenience 

Meaning : the state of being able to proceed with something without difficulty
Sentence : Services were brought to suit the convenience of customers.

• Compelled

Meaning : force or oblige (someone) to do something
Sentence : He was compelled to answer the question posed to him by the jury.

• Pros and cons 

Meaning : positives and negatives
Sentence : There are various pros and cons in online sales of goods and services.

• Illustration

Meaning : the action or fact of illustrating something
Sentence : There are illustrative examples of why trade is important.

• Minimize 

Meaning : reduce
Sentence : They had to minimize the sale of crackers during Diwali.