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Unlock This CourseIn Paper 2, you won't just be asked questions out of thin air. You'll be given stimulus material things like maps, photographs, statistics, graphs, newspaper articles and short passages. Your job is to use these sources as evidence to support your answers.
Think of it like a detective case. The stimulus material is your evidence. You need to read it carefully, pick out the useful bits and use them to build a strong argument.
Key Definitions:
You might see photographs of tourist destinations, crowded beaches, or heritage sites. Look for clues: Is it busy or quiet? Are there signs of damage? What type of tourist is shown?
You might also get maps showing tourist regions, transport links, or land use. Always check the key (legend) and any scale given.
Bar charts, line graphs and pie charts are common. They might show visitor numbers over time, tourist spending, or the percentage of income from tourism. Always quote specific figures examiners love this!
For example: "Figure 2 shows that visitor numbers to Thailand rose from 15 million in 2000 to over 39 million by 2018."
Many students lose marks not because they don't know the content, but because they don't use the stimulus material properly. Here's a simple step-by-step approach you can use in the exam.
Use RILE to tackle any stimulus material you're given:
Read the title, labels and any captions carefully. Don't skip the small print it often tells you the source, date, or location, which can be really useful.
Identify the key facts or trends. What is the main message? Is tourism growing or declining? Is the destination popular or struggling? Underline or circle key data.
Link what you see to your own knowledge. Does this remind you of a case study? Does it connect to a theory like Butler's Tourism Area Life Cycle or the multiplier effect?
Use the stimulus as evidence in your written answer. Quote figures, describe what you see in a photo, or refer to the map directly. This shows the examiner you've actually used the source.
When you use stimulus material in your answer, always say which figure you're referring to. Write "As shown in Figure 3..." or "According to the data in Figure 1..." this signals to the examiner that you're actively using the source, which can earn you extra marks.
Photographs are one of the most common types of stimulus material in Paper 2. They can show tourist attractions, the impacts of tourism, or destination management strategies. Here's how to get the most out of them.
Don't just describe what you see interpret it. Ask yourself: what does this tell me about tourism at this destination?
Imagine you're shown a photo of Machu Picchu with hundreds of tourists on the narrow paths. You could write: "The photograph shows large numbers of visitors crowding the pathways at Machu Picchu. This suggests the site may be experiencing overtourism, which can cause physical erosion of the ancient stonework and reduce the quality of the visitor experience. Peru has responded by introducing a timed ticketing system to manage visitor flow."
Notice how this answer describes the photo, interprets what it means and links to real management strategies all from one image!
Numbers are your friends in Paper 2 if you use them correctly. Graphs and statistics let you make precise, evidence-based points rather than vague generalisations.
Common mistakes students make:
Use this structure when writing about a graph or chart:
Use phrases like:
Avoid vague phrases like:
Sometimes your stimulus material will be a short newspaper article, a tourist board statement, or a quote from a local resident. These are slightly different to graphs and photos you need to think about who wrote it and why.
A text extract might present a one-sided view. For example, a tourist board article will almost always be positive about a destination that's their job! A local resident might be more critical if tourism is causing problems in their community.
In your answer, you can show higher-level thinking by acknowledging this. For example: "The extract is from a tourist board website, so it is likely to present tourism in a positive light and may not reflect the negative impacts experienced by local residents."
This kind of critical evaluation is exactly what gets you into the top mark bands.
Description = saying what you can see or read directly. "The article says tourism brings £2 billion to the local economy."
Inference = working out something that isn't directly stated. "This suggests that the local government has a strong financial incentive to continue promoting tourism, even if it causes environmental damage."
Inference is worth more marks. Always try to go beyond what is directly stated.
One of the best ways to boost your marks is to connect the stimulus material to real case studies you've learned. Even if the question is about a place you've never heard of, you can use your case study knowledge to make comparisons or suggest explanations.
For example, if a graph shows rapid tourist growth in a small island nation, you could link this to your knowledge of the Maldives or Barbados even if the graph isn't about those places. You might write: "This pattern of rapid growth is similar to that seen in the Maldives, where the development of luxury eco-resorts has attracted high-spending tourists. However, rapid growth can also bring challenges such as pressure on freshwater supplies and damage to coral reefs."
This shows the examiner you can apply your knowledge, not just recall it.
Let's say you're given a photograph of a crowded beach in Thailand and asked: "Using Figure 1 and your own knowledge, explain the challenges of managing a popular tourist destination."
Step 1 Use the stimulus: "Figure 1 shows a heavily crowded beach in Thailand, with tourists filling almost every available space. This suggests the destination is experiencing very high visitor numbers."
Step 2 Interpret and infer: "This level of crowding is likely to cause physical damage to the beach environment, including erosion of sand dunes and pollution from sunscreen chemicals affecting coral reefs offshore."
Step 3 Link to own knowledge: "Thailand has experienced rapid tourism growth, with visitor numbers exceeding 39 million in 2018. This has placed enormous pressure on coastal ecosystems, particularly in areas like Koh Phi Phi, which temporarily closed to tourists in 2018 to allow environmental recovery."
Step 4 Evaluate or suggest solutions: "Managing such destinations requires a balance between economic benefits and environmental protection. Strategies such as visitor caps, zoning and eco-taxes have been used, though their effectiveness depends on strong enforcement."