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Unlock This CourseThis session is your full mock. That means no notes, no scrolling back, no pausing. Treat it like the real exam. You've got 90 minutes for the full Paper 2 but this mock is designed to take around 30 minutes if you focus on the core questions. Set a timer. Work in silence. Give it everything.
Paper 2 has three sections. Each section is based on a scenario with stimulus material (a photo, graph, or data table). Questions go from short (2 marks) to extended writing (8 marks). You must use the stimulus material in your answers don't ignore it!
Key Terms to Keep in Mind:
Stick to this during the mock. Don't spend 20 minutes on a 2-mark question!
Spend 3–4 minutes. One clear point with a supporting detail from the stimulus. No more.
Spend 6–8 minutes. Two developed points using P-E-E. Use the scenario data where you can.
Spend 10–14 minutes. Structure your answer. Use case studies. Evaluate. Don't just list ideas.
Queenstown is a small city on New Zealand's South Island. It is known as the 'Adventure Capital of the World' and attracts over 3 million visitors per year in a town with a permanent population of just 15,000. It offers bungee jumping, skiing, wine tourism and stunning lakeside scenery. In recent years, concerns have grown about overtourism, housing costs for locals and environmental pressure on the surrounding landscape. The New Zealand government and Queenstown Lakes District Council are working together on a new tourism management strategy.
🇦🇺 Australia: 38%
🇨🇳 China: 21%
🇬🇧 UK: 14%
🇺🇸 USA: 12%
🇮🇳 India: 8%
🌍 Other: 7%
Average stay: 4.2 nights
Average spend per day: NZ$285
Visitors arriving in peak season (Dec–Feb): 62%
Visitors using public transport: 18%
Visitors renting private cars: 71%
Adventure sports: 44%
Scenic tourism / walking: 29%
Wine & food tourism: 16%
Skiing: 11%
74% of residents say tourism has raised local house prices.
61% say roads are too congested in peak season.
49% say they feel 'outnumbered' in their own town during summer.
Read the scenario and Figure 1 carefully. Then answer each question. Do not look at the model answers until you have finished all four questions.
"Using Figure 1, describe one problem that tourism is causing for local residents in Queenstown."
⏰ Target time: 3 minutes
"Explain two ways the Queenstown Lakes District Council could use the data in Figure 1 to improve the management of tourism."
⏰ Target time: 7 minutes
"Suggest how Queenstown could use marketing strategies to attract a different type of tourist and reduce the problems shown in Figure 1."
⏰ Target time: 10 minutes
"Assess the effectiveness of sustainable management strategies in reducing the negative impacts of tourism at destinations you have studied."
⏰ Target time: 14 minutes
Only read these after you've written your own answers. Be honest with yourself when you compare. Use the mark scheme notes to understand what the examiner is looking for.
Figure 1 shows that 74% of residents say tourism has raised local house prices, which means local people may struggle to afford to live in their own town. This is a serious social impact of overtourism in Queenstown.
Award 1 mark for identifying a problem from Figure 1. Award a second mark for developing it with a specific figure or consequence. You must use the data don't just write generally about tourism problems.
Point 1: The data shows that 62% of visitors arrive in peak season (December–February). The Council could use this to introduce a seasonal pricing strategy charging higher entry fees or parking costs during peak months. This would spread visitor numbers more evenly across the year, reducing congestion and pressure on local infrastructure during the busiest months.
Point 2: Figure 1 shows that 71% of visitors rent private cars, which contributes to the road congestion reported by 61% of residents. The Council could use this data to justify investing in a free or subsidised shuttle bus network between key tourist attractions. This would reduce car use, lower emissions and ease traffic pressure on local roads.
Each point is worth up to 2 marks: 1 mark for the strategy, 1 mark for explaining how it links to the data and helps solve the problem. Vague answers like "they could advertise more" score 0 without development.
Queenstown currently attracts large numbers of adventure tourists, with 44% taking part in adventure sports. However, Figure 1 shows this is creating serious overtourism problems. One marketing strategy would be to promote shoulder-season wine and food tourism targeting older, higher-spending visitors from the UK and USA (who already make up 26% of visitors combined) through luxury travel magazines and food tourism websites. This would attract visitors in quieter months, spreading the load across the year.
A second strategy would be to use targeted digital marketing to promote Queenstown's scenic walking and nature experiences to the growing Indian market (currently 8%). India has a fast-growing middle class with increasing interest in international travel. By creating social media campaigns in Hindi and partnering with Indian travel influencers, Queenstown could attract a new segment that is less likely to cluster in peak season.
Finally, Queenstown could rebrand itself as a sustainable destination promoting its natural environment and eco-credentials. This would attract environmentally conscious tourists who tend to stay longer, spend more and cause less damage. This type of niche marketing targets quality over quantity, which directly addresses the overtourism problem shown in Figure 1.
Level 1 (1–2 marks): Simple suggestions with no development. Level 2 (3–4 marks): Two or more strategies explained with some link to the scenario. Level 3 (5–6 marks): Multiple strategies clearly explained, linked to the data and showing understanding of how they address the specific problems identified.
Sustainable management strategies aim to reduce the negative impacts of tourism while keeping its economic benefits. Their effectiveness varies depending on the destination and the type of strategy used.
Hard management strategies involve direct controls. In Bhutan, the government charges a Sustainable Development Fee of $200 per night per tourist. This limits visitor numbers and ensures those who do visit are high-spending. It has been very effective at protecting Bhutan's culture and environment, though critics argue it excludes lower-income tourists and reduces economic diversity.
Soft management strategies focus on education and behaviour change. In Costa Rica, a national ecotourism certification scheme encourages hotels and tour operators to adopt sustainable practices. This has helped Costa Rica become a world leader in ecotourism, with over 25% of its land protected. However, soft strategies rely on businesses choosing to participate, which means they are less reliable than hard controls.
In Amsterdam, the city has used a combination of strategies banning new hotels in the city centre, redirecting tourists to lesser-known neighbourhoods and running a 'Stay Away' campaign targeting disruptive visitors. This shows that combining hard and soft strategies can be more effective than using either alone.
Overall, sustainable management strategies can be effective, but no single approach works perfectly. Hard strategies are more reliable but can be unpopular with businesses. Soft strategies are more flexible but harder to enforce. The most successful destinations, like Costa Rica and Bhutan, use a mix of both and have strong government support to back them up.
Level 1 (1–2): Simple statements, no case study. Level 2 (3–4): Some explanation, limited case study use. Level 3 (5–6): Clear explanation of strategies with case study evidence. Level 4 (7–8): Balanced assessment of effectiveness, uses multiple case studies, reaches a supported conclusion. The word 'assess' means you MUST evaluate say what works, what doesn't and why.
Now go back through your answers and compare them to the models. For each question, ask yourself:
You used specific figures from Figure 1. You named real places as case studies. You used words like 'however', 'although' and 'this means that'. Your Q4 answer had a conclusion that made a judgement.
Writing generally without using the scenario. Listing strategies without explaining them. Forgetting to evaluate in 8-mark answers. Running out of time on Q4 because Q1 took too long.
Strategy: High-value, low-impact tourism. Tool: $200/night Sustainable Development Fee. Result: Controlled visitor numbers, strong cultural preservation.
Strategy: Ecotourism certification. Tool: National park system + green business awards. Result: Global ecotourism leader, 25%+ land protected.
Strategy: Reduce overtourism. Tool: Hotel ban, tourist redistribution, 'Stay Away' campaign. Result: Mixed effective in some areas, ongoing challenges.