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Unlock This CourseIn iGCSE Travel & Tourism Paper 1, three command words come up again and again: Describe, Explain and Suggest. They look similar but they want very different things from you. Getting them mixed up is one of the most common reasons students lose marks even when they actually know the content!
Think of it this way: Describe is what you see. Explain is why it happens. Suggest is what you think could happen.
What it means: Say what something is like. Paint a picture with words. You are telling the examiner what you can see or observe no reasons needed.
Trigger words to use: "There is...", "It shows...", "The graph shows that...", "The area has..."
Marks: Usually 2–4 marks. One mark per valid point. Add detail for the second mark.
What it means: Give reasons why something happens. You must go beyond just saying what it is you need to say why or how.
Trigger words to use: "This is because...", "This means that...", "As a result...", "This leads to..."
Marks: Usually 4–6 marks. You need developed points with reasons, not just a list.
What it means: Use your knowledge to come up with ideas or possibilities. There is no single right answer the examiner wants to see you think. You might be asked to suggest reasons, solutions, or impacts.
Trigger words to use: "One possible reason is...", "It could be that...", "This might be because...", "A possible solution would be..."
Marks: Usually 4–6 marks. Marks are given for logical, well-reasoned ideas even if they are not in the mark scheme, as long as they make sense.
A very common mistake: students write a description when the question says explain. If the question says "Explain why tourist numbers have fallen", you MUST give reasons. Saying "tourist numbers fell by 20%" is a description it scores zero for an explain question. Always check: have I said WHY?
When you describe, you are like a reporter at the scene. You say what you see, what the data shows, or what the place is like. You do NOT need to explain why. Keep it factual and specific use numbers from graphs or maps when you can.
Question: The graph below shows international tourist arrivals to Thailand between 2010 and 2020. Describe the trend shown. [3 marks]
"Tourist numbers went up and then went down."
👎 This is too vague. No figures, no detail, no specific points. This would score 1 mark at best.
"Tourist arrivals increased steadily from around 15 million in 2010 to a peak of approximately 40 million in 2019. However, in 2020 there was a sharp decline, dropping to below 10 million."
👍 Uses figures, identifies the trend clearly and notes the change. Full marks.
Always use figures from the graph or data. Say the direction of change (increase/decrease), the scale of change (by how much) and any turning points or anomalies.
Question style: "Describe the physical features of the Maldives that attract tourists." [4 marks]
Model answer: "The Maldives consists of low-lying coral islands with white sandy beaches and clear, warm turquoise water. The islands are surrounded by coral reefs which are rich in marine life. The climate is tropical, with warm temperatures throughout the year averaging around 30°C. The landscape is flat and the islands are very small, giving a remote and exclusive feel."
💡 Notice: every sentence describes a feature. No reasons are given. That is exactly what the question asks for.
Explain questions are worth more marks because they need more thinking. You must always give a reason. The best way to make sure you are explaining is to use the word "because" or the phrase "this means that" in every point you make.
This is a simple trick that works brilliantly. Make a point, then use "because" to explain it, then use "this means that" to develop it further. Each full chain is worth 2 marks.
Point: "Tourism in the Maldives is threatened by climate change..."
Because: "...because rising sea levels caused by global warming are eroding the low-lying islands..."
This means that: "...this means that beaches are disappearing, which reduces the appeal of the destination for tourists."
Point: "Barcelona has experienced overtourism..."
Because: "...because the city receives over 30 million visitors a year, far more than its population of 1.6 million..."
This means that: "...this means that locals face overcrowded streets, rising rents and noise pollution, causing resentment towards tourists."
Question: Explain why some developing countries encourage tourism. [4 marks]
Model Answer:
"Many developing countries encourage tourism because it brings in foreign currency, which helps to improve the country's balance of payments and fund public services such as schools and hospitals. Tourism also creates jobs for local people, both directly in hotels and restaurants and indirectly in transport and food supply this means that unemployment levels can fall and living standards may improve. Additionally, tourism can fund the conservation of natural environments and wildlife, because governments can charge entry fees to national parks and use the money for protection schemes."
👍 Three developed points, each with a reason. This would score full marks.
Kenya is a great example to use in explain questions about developing countries and tourism. Tourism accounts for around 10% of Kenya's GDP and employs over 1.5 million people. The Maasai Mara National Reserve attracts visitors from around the world for wildlife safaris. Revenue from tourism helps fund conservation of elephants and lions. However, the benefits are not always shared equally many profits go to foreign-owned hotel chains rather than local communities. This makes Kenya a brilliant case study for explaining both the positive and negative economic impacts of tourism.
Suggest questions are actually your chance to shine. The examiner is not looking for one specific right answer they want to see you use your knowledge creatively and logically. You might be asked to suggest reasons for a pattern, suggest solutions to a problem, or suggest how a destination could develop tourism.
Question: Suggest reasons why tourist arrivals to a coastal resort have declined in recent years. [4 marks]
"Fewer people are going because it is not as popular. The weather might be bad. People might not like it."
👎 These are too vague. No development, no reasoning, no use of Travel & Tourism knowledge. 1 mark at most.
"One possible reason is that the resort has faced increased competition from cheaper long-haul destinations, such as those in Southeast Asia, which have become more accessible due to budget airlines. Another suggestion is that the resort may have suffered from negative media coverage, perhaps due to pollution or crime, which would deter potential visitors. It is also possible that the local infrastructure has not been updated, meaning facilities are outdated compared to rival destinations."
👍 Three logical, developed suggestions. Full marks.
Venice receives around 30 million tourists per year but has a resident population of only around 250,000. The city faces serious overtourism problems including damage to historic buildings from boat wash, overcrowded streets, rising property prices forcing locals out and strain on water and waste systems. A great suggest question might be: "Suggest strategies Venice could use to manage the impacts of overtourism." You could suggest: limiting cruise ship access (already being trialled), charging a day-visitor entry fee (introduced in 2024), promoting off-season tourism, or redirecting visitors to less-visited areas of the city. All of these are logical, knowledge-based suggestions.
Look at these three questions about the same topic. Notice how the command word completely changes what you need to write.
Q: Describe the growth of tourism in Southeast Asia since 2000.
You write: What happened figures, trends, peaks, changes over time. No reasons.
"Tourist arrivals to Southeast Asia grew from approximately 50 million in 2000 to over 130 million by 2018, with particularly rapid growth in countries such as Thailand and Vietnam."
Q: Explain why tourism in Southeast Asia has grown since 2000.
You write: Reasons why with "because" and "this means that".
"Tourism has grown because budget airlines have made flights more affordable, meaning more people from Europe and China can visit. Additionally, rising incomes in China have created a large new market of outbound tourists..."
Q: Suggest how countries in Southeast Asia could benefit further from tourism growth.
You write: Logical ideas with reasoning.
"One suggestion is that countries could invest in eco-tourism infrastructure, such as sustainable lodges in rainforest areas, which would attract higher-spending tourists while protecting natural environments..."
Use what you have learned to answer these practice questions. Remember to check the command word before you write a single word!
A photograph shows a busy beach resort in Spain with high-rise hotels, a crowded beach, souvenir shops and a promenade. Describe the features of the resort shown in the photograph.
Hint: What can you see? Describe the built environment, the people, the facilities. No reasons needed.
Explain why Spain is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.
Hint: Think about climate, accessibility, cost, attractions, infrastructure. Use "because" and "this means that" in each point.
Suggest how a small island developing state could use tourism to improve the lives of its local population.
Hint: Think about jobs, infrastructure, community tourism, training. Start each point with "One suggestion is..."
For each command word, write one sentence that would score a mark: