IELTS Essay # 90 - International travel is extremely popular these days. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend? Include your opinion and examples from your own experience.

 Essay # 90

International travel is extremely popular these days. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend? Include your opinion and examples from your own experience.

I believe life is all about having new experiences, and travelling is the best way to do that. More than ever, people are into travelling abroad nowadays. Although this can be a wonderful adventure, we shall in this essay, also consider some drawbacks related to international travel, and weigh both the aspects.

On discussing why travelling abroad has become so popular, the first reason can be that it gives you perspective. Meeting people from foreign cultures will teach you that the way you’ve been looking at the world isn’t the way everybody else does. This also creates meaningful relationships and these people become some of the most valued names on your contact list. Travelling internationally also gives you cool stories to tell about your escapades. Travelling to a historical place stokes your curiosity and you discover academic and scholastic approaches of travelling. I believe travel is full of moments of joy and tests that reveal our capabilities like never before. All these experiences are a must in one’s life, at least for young people.

On the other hand, high expense is the biggest disadvantage of travelling abroad. You might learn several things, but as a foreign tourist you will face some uncertainty, like price discrimination, robbery, hijacking, being misled and so on. I’m not saying it happens to everyone; it may be in a sizeable proportion for some, and in a negligible proportion for some others. For example, I have seen that foreign tourists are charged for insane amounts when they street shop in my country, which is very unfortunate. I can say that knowing all details that you can about the place you’re going to, and not visiting localities on a whim, can help tourists be safe.

In conclusion, if you’re open and willing, travelling abroad will make you an incredibly well-rounded human being. Moreover, facing all the challenges associated with it gives you a sense of accomplishment. So without thinking much, I think people should just take that trip abroad and explore the world and themselves.

(338 words)