Shaping Tourism Trends The Commercial Perspective Reading Answers

Jun 5, 2025

Shaping Tourism Trends - The Commercial Perspective Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Shaping Tourism Trends - The Commercial Perspective Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the first question set, you have to choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings (I-X). In the next question set, you have to choose the correct letter. In the last question set, you have to match the statement with the correct statement (A-H)

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognise essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practising these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 SHAPING TOURISM TRENDS - COMMERCIAL PERSPECTIVE

It is the commercial sector which converts tourism trends into reality through availability of money and response to market to make a profit. Tourism projects do not occur unless there are commercial results coming from them. Even governments and local authorities are now applying commercially based techniques to evaluate tourism, and are asking for rates of return on community investments. Commercial evaluation is a common ace in tourism and the only trends that are going to emerge in the future are those that make money. exploitable trend is the one which will survive and be developed. For example, the demographic trends in Europe show an increase in an ageing population and adequate market research, and an in-depth understanding

of the needs of this sector of the population has given rise to a whole industry based on holidays for the 55-65 age groups.

A. Let's look at the commercial hotel sector's response over 25 years ago to an occupancy problem in London, UK, at weekends. Hotels were empty, The answer was the weekend break in London with train ticket and hotel combined. The mini-break or weekend away in a hotel is now an established part of UK life, and there are non-trends within that differentiation of mini-weekends into those based on activities, culture, learning and so on. A trend created and exploited originally by one hotel company but now part of the UK lifestyle.

Another demographic trend - the larger number of travel businesswomen -has given rise to the female executive bedroom now being promoted by hotel companies and quite a changed attitude on the part hotel restaurant managers to women dining on their own. The trend in fitness and health is currently being successfully exploited by tour operators, travel agents, hotels and restaurants in the form of activity-centred holidays, health food menus and even non alcoholic wine lists. The commercial hotel sector has established the trend towards a much more sophisticated hotel product including clubrooms, 'no smoking rooms, rapid check out and pre-reservation. And provision of a greater range of facilities in the room is being given a great deal of attention by many groups, and minibars. In-house videos/films, hair dryers, more sophisticated lighting controls and panel controls for radio, TV. etc are now quite common.

B. The growth in the ski market -there are now some 600,000 skiers in the UK - is not just the creation of suitable packages by the travel trade but also has retail backing in ski-wear by firms like Marks and Spencer. The spin-off of the exploitation of this trend into the sales of thermal underwear is probably as good a demonstration of the induced tourism multiplier as anyone will need. This is a concerted commercial effort to increase the business volumes and to develop the area where the winter holiday becomes an accepted part of life. Providing new good-standard hotels in Cairo enhanced that destination's attractiveness and opened it up to a much wider market where volume travel and volume accommodation could work hand in hand. The inhibiting factor developing Istanbul as a much more viable tourist destination is the lack of volume of good standard accommodation. This is an opportunity waiting to be exploited which will not only benefit Istanbul but also the southern coast of Turkey as it raises the whole potential of two-destination holidays - the wealth of history of Istanbul plus the beaches of the southern coast. This example is typical of the potential that exists in tourism, just requires commercialisation. This potential had already been recognised by the Turkish government who provided the necessary infrastructure. So creating the trend towards Turkish as opposed to Spanish or Yugoslav or Greek holidays is already underway.

C. Commercial trend shaping does not just happen by accident; it has to be adequately researched, planned, developed and carefully executed. There are still people with fixed attitudes towards tourism who think that investment in tourism is suspect - much tourism infrastructure has little alternative use. It is for that reason that the commercial approach to tourism has to be thorough, based on sound marketing, and has to show an adequate return on investment. In a number of instances negative attitudes to tourism investment have meant that in order for the economic benefits of tourism to be realized governments have had to provide the impetus for that development either in terms of providing the infrastructure or in the form of grants and loans for tourism purposes. Governments do, however, realize substantial tax and fiscal income from their tourist industries. There are great cases for governments being able to help themselves by investing in their own tourist industries. They can obtain an excellent return from any investment they make in the industry. Also, partnerships between government and commercial interests can produce excellent benefits for both.

D. Shaping a trend in tourism is concerned with opportunity identification and creating a level of expectation which then has to be met through product development and providing the customer with what is promised. The final judge of the received value of the commercial tourism product is the customer and it is customer's reaction that keeps the concern in business. The customer is therefore the logical starting point in commercial tourism. Social trends have already shown shifts in age groupings, and people with more disposable income, more leisure time and fewer children. These are the opportunities for commercial tourism already being exploited. More customers for tourism are being created daily. The first-time holiday taker has quite different needs from the experienced traveller and these are the opportunities for new types of budget accommodation (for example) for these new markets. Identifying these new customers and being aware of the changing requirements of existing customers represents the commercial opportunity which can be developed and the way in which a trend can be established.

E. There are, of course, a few negative aspects to the commercial approach in tourism. Commercial exploitation has had a bad name. That attitude, fortunately, is now changing and development these days tends to go ahead in a much closer and controlled partnership with government local authorities, the local environment, the people and the commercial sector. The future is bright, but with increasing competition from new developing destinations and sophisticated attractions, commercial decisions in tourism will themselves become more sophisticated. The commercial sector can develop a trend, and has produced many innovations in tourism. It is a wealth and job creator. To continue that role, the commercial sector must be allowed to proceed without interference. Tourism is a success, but it needs to be able to respond to market circumstances unrestrained.

Questions 1-4

Choose the correct heading for sections A-D. Write the correct number, i-ix.

LIST OF HEADINGS

i. Trend exploitation by firms and governments

ii. Customer reaction to commercial tourism

iii. Trend in fitness and health

iv. Government tax income from tourism

v. Accommodation commercialisation by governments

vi. Investment in tourism

vii. Commercial exploitation and future trends

viii. Tourism trend change in age grouping

ix. Tourism trend in hotel sector

1. Section A

Answer: IX

Supporting statement: A trend created and exploited originally by one hotel company but now part of the UK lifestyle.

Keywords: trend, UK

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 5-6

Explanation: Paragraph A contains information about the tourism trend in the hotel sector, such as the fitness and health trend and the trend of a much more sophisticated hotel product being offered by the commercial hotel sector.

2. Section B

Answer: I

Supporting statement: the spin-off of the exploitation of this trend into the sales of thermal

Keywords: exploitation, trend

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 3

Explanation: Paragraph B contains information about trend exploitation by firms and governments, for example, a big firm such as Marks and Spencer selling thermal ski-wear in areas where winter holidays are more popular.

3. Section C

Answer: VI

Supporting statement: There are still people with fixed attitudes towards tourism who think that investment in tourism is suspect

Keywords: tourism, investment

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 3

Explanation: Paragraph C mentions information regarding doubts about whether investment in tourism results in any good, and the government's attitude towards tourism investment.

4. Section D

Answer: II

Supporting statement: The final judge of the received value of the commercial tourism product is the customer

Keywords: judge, product

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 3

Explanation: Paragraph D contains information regarding customer reaction to commercial tourism, as the customer is considered the final judge of the products received in the tourism business.

Questions 5-8

Choose the correct letter.

5. Hotels has developed many more sophisticated products in the tourism trend EXCEPT

A. non-smoking areas.

B. fast check-out.

C. free breakfast provision.

D. Clubrooms

Answer: C

Supporting statement: The commercial hotel sector has established the trend towards a much more sophisticated hotel product including clubrooms, 'no smoking rooms, rapid check out and pre-reservation.

Keywords: commercial, hotel product

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 12-13

Explanation: According to the text, Clubrooms, "no smoking" rooms, quick check-out, and pre-reservations are just a few of the more advanced hotel amenities that the commercial hotel industry has set the trend toward, except for free breakfast provision.

6.Istanbul is less likely to be developed as a tourist destination mainly due to

A. very few places of interest.

B. lack of good-standard hotels.

C. Inconvenient transport.

D. little publicity to tourists.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: The inhibiting factor developing Istanbul as a much more viable tourist destination is the lack of volume of good standard accommodation.

Keywords: Istanbul, tourist

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 9

Explanation: According to the text, Istanbul has no chance of becoming a tourist destination due to its poor accommodation facilities for tourists.

7 According to negative attitudes to tourism Investment, governments should

A. cooperate with commercial organizations in tourism investment.

B. prevent the excessive investment in tourism.

C. stimulate tourism development through infrastructure and funds.

D. invest in tourist industries by themselves for benefits.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: governments have had to provide the impetus for that development either in terms of providing the infrastructure or in the form of grants and loans for tourism purposes.

Keywords: governments, infrastructure

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 7-8

Explanation: The text states that the government should provide funds and infrastructure for the development of tourism.

8. Shaping a new trend in tourism is concerned with

A. sufficient government investment.

B. good-standard accommodation provision.

C. travel agency management.

D. opportunity identity and customer response.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: new customers and being aware of the changing requirements of existing customers represents the commercial opportunity

Keywords: customers, opportunity

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 10-11

Explanation: According to the text, the new trends in shaping tourism are directly affected by the customer response and the opportunities.

Questions 9-13

Look at the following items (Questions 9–13) and statements below.

Match the statements with the items, A-H.

9. female executive bedrooms

Answer: D

Supporting statement: has given rise to the female executive bedroom

Keywords: female, bedroom

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 8

Explanation: According to the text, the rise in the number of travel-related businesswomen has led to a shift in hotel and restaurant managers' attitudes to women dining on their own and the promotion of the female executive bedroom by hotel firms.

10. activity-centred holidays

Answer: A

Supporting statement: fitness and health is currently being successfully exploited by tour operators, travel agents, hotels and restaurants in the form of activity-centred holidays,

Keywords: exploited, holidays

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 10

Explanation: According to the text, the fitness and health trend is currently exploited in the form of activity-centred holidays by tour operators, travel agents, hotels and restaurants

11. in-house videos

Answer: C

Supporting statement: In-house videos/films, hair dryers, more sophisticated lighting controls and panel controls for radio, TV. etc are now quite common

Keywords: In-house videos/films, controls

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 15

Explanation: According to the text, in-house videos are a common facility provided in hotel rooms.

12. ski wear

Answer: H

Supporting statement: ski-wear by firms like Marks and Spencer.

Keywords: ski-wear, Marks and Spencer

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the text, ski-wear is now sold by some UK retail firms, one being Marks and Spencer.

13. good-standard hotels

Answer: E

Supporting statement: Providing new good-standard hotels in Cairo enhanced that destination's attractiveness

Keywords: good-standard, Cairo

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 7

Explanation: According to the text, Cairo became a tourist destination only after it started providing good standard accommodations to the tourists.

A. are now successfully exploited in tourism trend in fitness and health

B. are negatively treated by hotel restaurant managers

C. are quite common facilities provided in hotel rooms

D. are currently promoted by hotel companies

E. are provided in Cairo enhancing the destination's attractiveness

F. are provided in both Istanbul and the southern coast of Turkey

G. are not given much attention by mini-bars

H. are sold by some UK retail firms

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