Unit 1 travelling

Reading

Read the texts below attentively in order to immerse into the atmosphere of the topic under discussion and be able to use information and ideas from them in the activities following afterwards.

Text 1.1

TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In addition to being a source of income and employment, tourism is frequently a source of amenities for the resident population of the tourist destination. Because of visitor traffic, residents may enjoy a higher standard of public transport, shopping, and entertainment facilities than they would be able to support otherwise. The provision of incomes, jobs, and amenities for the resident population may therefore be regarded as the three main beneficial effects of tourism which apply to a greater or lesser extent to any tourist destination.

They are of particular significance to developing countries and to underdeveloped regions of a country. In comparison with other forms of economic development, an improvement in living standards may be generated through tourist traffic and its expenditure relatively quickly. No sophisticated technology is required to establish the basic facilities. As much of the industry is labour intensive, tourism can absorb unemployed labour resources, which is particularly valuable in areas with surplus unskilled labour. Many operational skills are relatively simple and can usually be imported. To say this is not to minimize the amount and quality of planning required to establish a tourist industry in a new area, but rather to indicate some of the advantages and attractions it may have as compared with other types of development.

In some locations tourism may provide an infrastructure, which in its turn forms the base and the stimulus for the diversification of the economy and for the development of other industries. Tourism itself may be expected to create some demand for goods and services necessary for the creation and expansion of some local industries — to maintain the facilities, to meet the requirements for supplies, and to meet the requirements of the visitors directly. But over and above this, an established infrastructure often acts as an attraction to new and less directly related economic activity. Tourist expenditure may therefore be said to stimulate an economy beyond the sector concerned with tourism.

Last but not least, to a developing country tourism offers the prospect of early and substantial foreign currency earnings; moreover, where exports are largely dependent on only one or few primary commodities with widely fluctuating prices in world markets, tourism may provide a stabilizing influence on the country's export earnings.

Text 1.2

TOURISM

More and more people nowadays travel and visit various places in the world for pleasure. Travelling has become easier, faster and more comfortable because of a wide variety of different means of transport. Cars, buses, trains, ships and planes help tourists reach even the remotest destinations easily. The World Tourism Organisation estimated that the number of people who travelled abroad in 2001 amounted to nearly 700 million. The most mobile globetrotters are the Germans, Japanese, Americans, British, French, Dutch and Italians. Among them, however, there are more and more Poles who travel to all kinds of exotic locations all over the world. In 1990 they crossed the border twenty-two million times, and in 2001 - fifty-six million. Their favourite destinations in Europe are Spain, Italy, Croatia and Greece but they also visit Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, Thailand or China. Poles must have travelling in the blood since one may come across them in the farthest and most unusual places on all the continents: on Madagascar, in the Brazilian jungle, in Papua-New Guinea or New Zealand.

Many surveys show that travelling is popular among all social groups in Poland. Even those who are less well-off, can afford to go on a package tour or organise a holiday on their own. Young people usually hitch-hike from place to place, carrying only a rucksack with a tent, air mattress and a few clothes. The older ones often look for a budget accommodation in a hot and sunny country where they can just lie on the beach and relax. There are also more and more enthusiasts of specialist tourism for whom travel agencies organise Mount Everest climbing, rafting the Orinoco, trekking in the Himalayas, paragliding in South Africa, diving in the Gulf of Mexico or going on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.

It is often said that travel broadens the mind. Indeed, travelling abroad gives tourists an opportunity not only to relax or experience exciting adventures but also practise foreign languages, become familiar with different cultures and traditions, absorb the local atmosphere and get to know the inhabitants of other countries. In that sense travelling is certainly an instructive experience.

Text 1.3

HOTEL TYPES

Hotel is a place where a traveller may find food and shelter. The ideal hotel has big rooms, with comfortable beds and good facilities, including a business center. It should be as near to the centre of the town as possible but within easy reach of the airport. There are several types of hotels.

Luxury hotel — it provides every facility a wealthy guest might need.

Resort hotel — it is situated in a place where tourists .like to stay, often near the sea, lake or in the mountains. Guests usually book it in advance.

Commercial hotel — it is often situated in a town centre, and provides accommodation for travelling businessmen, staying only one or two nights.

Congress hotel — it provides everything necessary for large meetings and conferences, with a lecture theatre and exhibition facilities.

Airport hotel — it provides accommodation for people going to or coming from other countries, usually only staying for one night.

Country house hotel — it is situated in pleasant scenery, and provides comfortable but informal accommodation for people who want to relax in a quiet place.

Guest house — it provides low-priced accommodation, usually on a small-scale, for holiday visitors or for long-stay guests.

Motel — it is built specially to provide a service to motor­ists.

B&B — it is a small hotel, a kind of boarding-house, which provides home-like low-priced accommodation and the morning meal for visitors. The letters B&B stand for "bed and breakfast".

The hotels may be: 5-star hotel, 4-star hotel, 3-star hotel, etc.

5-star hotel: luxury hotels offering the highest international standards.

4-star hotel: hotels offering a high standard of comfort and service with all bedrooms providing a private bathroom/shower with lavatory.

3-star hotel: hotels offering a higher standard of accommodation 20 per cent of bedrooms containing a private bathroom or shower with lavatory.

2-star hotel: hotels with more spacious accommodation with two thirds of the bedrooms containing a private bathroom/shower with lavatory, fuller meal facilities are provided.

1-star hotel: hotels and inns generally of small scale with good facilities and furnishings, adequate bath and lavatory arrangements.

Text 1.4

DIFFERENT MEANS OF TRAVEL

Alex: Personally I hate seeing people off. I prefer being seen off myself. I'm extremely fond of travelling and feel terribly envious of any friend who is going anywhere. I can't help feeling I should so much like to be in his place.

Bert: But what method of travelling do you prefer?

A.: For me there is nothing like travel by air; it is more comfortable, more convenient and of course far quicker than any other method. There is none of the dust and dirt of a railway or car journey, none of the trouble of changing from train to steamer and then to another train. Besides, flying is a thrilling thing. Don't you agree?

В.: I think 1 should like to say a word or two for trains. With a train you have speed, comfort and pleasure combined. From the comfortable corner seat of a railway carriage you have a splendid view of the whole countryside. If you are hungry, you can have a meal in the dining-car; and if the journey is a long one you can have a wonderful bed in a sleeper. Besides, do you know any place that is more interesting than a big rail­way-station? There is the movement, the excitement, the gaiety of people going away or waiting to meet friends. There are the shouts of the porters as they pull luggage along the platforms to the waiting trains, the crowd at the booking-office getting tickets, the hungry and thirsty ones hurrying to the refreshment rooms before the train starts-No, really! Do you know a more exciting place than a big railway-station?

Cecil: I do.

A.: And that is?

C: A big sea port. For me there is no travel so fine as by boat. I love to feel the deck of the boat under my feet, see the rise and fall of the waves, to feel the fresh sea wind, blowing in my face and hear the cry of the sea-gulls. And what excitement, too, there is in coming into the harbour and seeing round us all the ships, steamers, cargo-ship, sailing ships, rowing boats.

A.: Well, I suppose that's all right for those that like but not for me. I'm always seasick, especially when the sea a little bit rough.

В.: I've heard that a good cure for seasickness a small piece of dry bread.

A.: Maybe; but 1 think a better cure is a large piece of dry land.

David: Well, you may say what you like about airplane flights, sea voyages, railway journeys or tours by car, but give me a walking tour any time. What does the motorist see of the country? But the walker leaves the dull broad highway and goes along little winding lanes where cars can't go. He takes mountain paths through the heather he wanders by the side of quiet lakes and through the shade of woods. He sees the real country, the wild flowers, the young birds in their nests, the deer in the forest; he feels the quietness and calm of nature.

And besides, you are saving your railway fare travelling on foot. No one can deny that walking is the cheapest method of travelling.

So I say: a walking tour for me.

Text 1.5

AT THE CUSTOMS

Every day many people travel throughout the world either on business or for pleasure. Those who cross the frontier of the state have to gо through customs.

The customs service is designed for carrying out customs control to regulate import and export of goods and currency. The place where customs or duties are paid is called a customs house.

Every country has its own customs legislation, and if you are going abroad you are supposed to learn the rules of leaving and entering the foreign state. To be on the safe side, you should know what is allowed or prohibited to be brought in or taken out. Before packing your luggage consult the prohibited articles list which is available at the customs.

Among the articles that are prohibited for taking out of the country in accordance with customs legislation of all the states you will find works of art, different types of prints, manuscripts, valuable musical instruments, cancelled securities, numismatics, stamps and other articles of artistic, historical and cultural value.

Though strict prohibition applies to antiques, you may be allowed to take some original painting or drawing out provided you got a special licence for it and paid duties.

The list of prohibited commodities both for bringing in and taking out also includes arms, explosives, military equipment and narcotics.

Everybody leaving for a foreign country ought to know that there can be articles liable to duty and duty free. As a rule, personal belongings, gifts, and souvenirs (the cost of the, latter must not exceed a certain limit stipulated by the customs regulation) are duty free. Money declared, and therefore concealed from the customs control is liable to confiscation as smuggling. Prohibited or restricted articles though declared are usually detained, and the traveller can collect them on his way back.

When the passenger enters or leaves the country, he must fill in an entry or exit declaration which is to be produced to the customs officer. The passenger is to fill in his name, citizenship, country of residence, permanent address, purpose and duration of his visit in block letters. He must also declare all dutiable articles.

To make a trip to most countries every traveller must have a visa, single, multiple or transit, which is issued by the foreign Embassy or Consulate. The visa may be prolonged in case of necessity, but the time for which it is valid must not expire, otherwise the traveller will not be allowed to leave the country. The overseas passport is also necessary. All the documents are carefully studied by the customs officer.

To go through customs means to have your luggage inspected by customs men. The traveller puts his bags and suitcases on the moving conveyer belt for checking. To prevent smuggling, modern methods and techniques have been developed which help customs officers examine the inside of the luggage. TV-cameras and monitors are installed everywhere at the customs house. When the passenger puts his hand luggage on the conveyer belt, special monitors are scanning the enclosure. They are able to detect everything, even if it has been concealed in the very secret corner. Customs men know from experience the exact places of concealment of goods. It may be a double bottom or cover of the suitcase, a hollowed book, an inside pocket, a tooth-paste tube, a stick; even toys and dolls can be used for that. Customs officers are trained to recognize travellers who are carrying illegally and they can prevent smuggling. The smuggling of drugs has increased a great deal in recent years and has become a world problem. Customs men in different countries supply one another with helpful information.

In the United Kingdom there is a system of red and green symbols in operation at big airports.

If you have nothing more than the allowances and no prohibited or restricted goods or goods for commercial purpose go straight through the channel indicated by the green symbol unless the officer on duty asks you to stop.

If you have more than the allowances or if you carry prohibited or restricted goods or goods for commercial purpose go to the channel indicated by the red symbol.

So, if you follow the customs instructions and if you do not break any law, you will enjoy your trip abroad.

Text 1.6

HOLIDAY ADVICE ON TRAVELLING ABROAD

Many foreign countries have completely different laws, regulations and customs from ours. Since we can only count on ourselves, on our knowledge about the country of our holiday and on what we have in our wallet and suitcase, we should be well-prepared before setting off on a journey abroad.

To start with, we must be aware of the differences in the customs procedures which are often bothersome, irritating, surprising or absurd. Even if we have a valid passport and visa, we may not cross the border. When we go to Libya or Sudan, for example, we are not allowed to import any alcohol, even a can of beer. We must also declare all our money, or otherwise it may be confiscated. We mustn't bring in any pornographic materials to Indonesia and Pakistan, video cameras to Ethiopia, chewing gum to Singapore, razor blades to Guyana, or pork to Kuwait.

We can expect some equally strange formalities when leaving. In Vietnam, for instance, the customs officer may question our undeveloped photographic films. In India and Tanzania there is export ban on all goods made of ivory and leather. We cannot export any wooden products from Angola, and even ordinary sea shells from Kenya.

Even if we are not exporting or importing anything, we may still face some problems if we do not have a vaccination certificate. Most African countries require an inoculation against yellow fever. In Iraq tourists must have a special doctor's certificate confirming that they are not HIV carriers. Although in some exotic countries showing a vaccination certificate is not obligatory, we should anyway be inoculated against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis and polio. If we are going to visit any country in Africa, Asia and Latin America, we should also provide ourselves with some medicines, bandages, disposable syringes, anti-mosquito medications and sun-block. Above all, we must remember never to drink tap water in tropical countries otherwise we may fall ill with amoeba.

Most of us will probably agree that an understanding of cultural differences is essential when going abroad. Since the differences in views, religious beliefs, behaviour patterns, body language and dress codes can vary enormously from country to country, we should take them into account if we want to avoid serious problems. In most Arab countries, for example, women mustn't wear sleeveless mini dresses or open-toed shoes. In Iran both young girls and women must put on scarves to cover their hair, and long coats to cover their legs. A bareheaded tourist can even end up in prison. If we visit any Islamic country during Ramadan, for instance, we mustn't drink, eat or smoke in public places. In Sudan we mustn't take any pictures, and if we try to import any drugs, we can be sentenced to death. The above examples show what may happen if we fail to do our homework before setting off on a journey abroad.

To sum up, our dream holidays may become a nightmare if we do not prepare ourselves well. Therefore, we should not only take some safety precautions but also learn as much as possible about the country we are going to spend our holiday in. If we fail to do so, we may have a bad time instead of the time of our life.

Text 1.7

THE ART OF TRAVELLING ABROAD

Though recent years have witnessed a great improvement, it must be confessed that many people still betray woeful ignorance of the various rudiments of the art of travelling abroad. One should bear in mind that one cannot reasonably expect the manners of the people among whom one is staying to be altered for one's particular benefit, and that it is not the nationality which makes the gentleman, but his actions.

Wherever you decide to go, it is sensible, unless you are an experienced traveller, to consult some friend who has been there before as to the kind of climate you may expect, the kind and quantity of clothes you will need and to get any advice he may be able to give you in general which may add to the ease and comfort of your trip. Your friend will not be at all bored by the questions as there are few topics more welcome to anyone who has "been there before!"

When travelling abroad it is odious perpetually to be instituting comparisons. It is discourteous to those with whom you may be temporary thrown; and it detracts from your own comfort and pleasure. You may dislike this, that, or the other thing, but all the grumbling in the world is not likely to alter it. The matter complained about may, and very likely does, exactly suit the taste of the foreigner, and as he prefers his own taste to yours, you must either accept it or remain in your own country. What is more, by grumbling you display your ignorance of the habits and customs of foreign countries. The true traveller, if dining on salt fish in Iceland, would never tell the Icelanders that roast beef is better, whatever he might think.

And this attitude should apply to everything. The women may not dress so tastefully, according to your notions, as your sisters or daughters at home. The men may be too noisy or too quiet. The houses may be ridiculously inconvenient, or clumsily built. No matter wherein lies the difference, institute no comparisons. Remember you are in a strange country, where you must expect to see strange things. Be especially careful not to say or do anything that will touch the pride of the people, or show disrespect of their religion.

Remember too, that, though in some respects the comparisons you may be mentally drawing may be flattering to your own country, the reverse will be true, over and over again if you study things dispassionately.

Text 1.8

TOURISM CAN BE A PROBLEM

Most countries in the world now welcome tourists because of the money they bring in. Many countries make great efforts to encourage tourism, and many also depend on what they earn from it to keep their economies going.

People who like adventure will even try to visit countries where travel is difficult and costs are high. Companies regularly arrange trips through the Sahara desert, or to the Himalayan mountains for whoever enjoys such trips, but the numbers of visitors are small. Most tourists try to choose whichever places have fairly comfortable, cheap hotels, quite good food, reasonable safety, sunny weather and plenty of amusements or unusual things to see. Their choice of a place for a holiday also depends very much on when they can get away; it is not very pleasant to go to a place when it is having its worst weather.

One of the big problems for a nation wishing to attract a lot of tourists is the cost of building hotels for them. Building big hotels swallows up a lot of money, and many of the countries that need the tourists are poor. What they spend on building has to be borrowed from foreign banks. And sometimes the money they can afford to borrow produces only chains of ugly hotels wherever there are beauty spots that arc supposed to attract the tourists.

Another problem is that more and more big international соmpanies are building hotels all over the world, so that the profits from a hotel often do not stay in the country in which it has been built.

And there is also the question of training staff; teaching them foreign languages, how to cook the kind of food that foreign tourists expect, and so on. In many countries, special colleges and courses have been set up for this.

Crime can also be a problem. Seeing tourists who seem to be much richer than themselves, the local inhabitants are often tempted to steal from them. Sometimes tourists resist and get killed, and then other tourists refuse to come to the country.

But an even greater problem in many countries is the effect that the sight of foreigners has on the local population. A man, who lives in a very small house, owns almost nothing works very hard for his living and has very strong rules about modesty in dress and not drinking alcohol sees foreign tourists rejoicing in what to him is great luxury, owning radios, wearing very few clothes and drinking a lot of beer. These tourists may be ordinary workers back home, but to the poor inhabitant they seem to be very rich. And of course, he either feels envy for them or thinks them shameless.

Tourists, too, often feel shocked by the different customs and habits that they see around them. They refuse the local food, and insist on having only what they eat back home.

They say that travel broadens the mind; but it is doubtful whether this is so; often, it narrows it.

Text 1.9

KILLING THE GOOSE

Tourism has grown so quickly during the last quarter of a century that it has become a problem in both industrialised and developing nations. And it is only during the 1980s that the problems of poor or non-existent planning have been seen and tackled. In short the problem is this: tourism as it developed in the sixties and seventies is self-destructive. It destroys the very things tourists come for. It is a classic case of killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

In Europe the damage is largely environmental: polluted beaches and lakes, erosion of mountain paths, traffic jams, air pollution and unsympathetic architecture. But there has also been a negative impact on the cultural and social life of communities. Some of the best-known and obviously visible examples are certain Mediterranean resorts. Previously quiet fishing villages have been overrun with poorly planed and shoddily built hotels and apartment blocks, which are now -just twenty years later - no longer acceptable or fashionable. The life-style of the locals has changed beyond recognition, and although many are richer, they are not necessarily happier as a result.

Environmental damage caused by tourism manifests itself in many different ways. Skiing, now a major winter sport in Europe is causing many problems in the Alps. Hundreds of square kilometers of forest have been destroyed to make way for ski pistes, cable cars, buildings and access roads. Pollution of the Mediterranean caused at least partly but untreated sewage from tourist developments makes it a potential health hazard in some areas. This undermines the very notion of a beach holiday and in Hungary, tourism and industrial development around the shores of Lake Balaton have rendered the lake biologically dead. Fishing is one activity no longer on the tourist agenda.

The potential for damage in the Third World is infinitely greater than that in the industrialised nations. Environmental issues are really high on the lists of Third World governments, many of which have viewed tourism as a panacea for economic ills - often with disastrous results.

Tourism seems on the face of it to be a big earner of foreign currency, but the effective economic gains by the host nations are usually rather less than might be expected. This is particularly true of mass package organised from industrialised countries. Valuable foreign exchange is lost by importing foreign foods, drinks and other luxury goods. This "leakage" of foreign exchange is very difficult to quantify but can mean that the host nation ends up with practically no gain. An analysis of 1980 data by the World Bank showed that on average only 9.1 per cent of all gross foreign exchange earnings were retained in the host country when typical "leakage" was taken into account.

It is the change in traditional lifestyles that alarms many anthropologists. Even small-scale development of tourism in some societies can have an adverse effect on local population. The young are keen to adopt the "Coca-cola culture", and leave behind their rural homes and traditional lifestyle. Yet it is often these traditional lifestyles, arts, crafts, and culture which tourists come to see.

In some cases tourism can help a country rediscover and focus on its own heritage, and can revitalise indigenous arts and crafts by providing new markets. But "culture" in this sense becomes divorced from its true role as part of everyday life. And it's worst, it can become fossilised and adapted to suit the needs of tourists.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Step 1. Exchange your points of view on the questions below. Work in groups.

1. What drives people to travel? Curiosity? Adventure? Challenge?

2. Have you ever experienced a wonderful feeling of expectation of a new trip or tour? What can you compare it with?

3. Which would you choose for yourself: a package or an individual tour? Why?

4. What can you say about your last trip? What were the highlights, difficulties and pleasantries of it?

5. Why do tourists often feel embarrassed when they travel to foreign countries?

6. Why do many people prefer working through a travel agent while preparing for a trip?

7. Could you give any tips for an inexperienced traveller who is going abroad?

8. What necessary formalities does each tourist go through when he/she travels abroad?

9. What’s the difference in facilities and services that hotels provide?

10. What are the ways of making reservations these days? Which do you personally prefer? Why?

11. What does the choice of accommodation depend on?

12. Why a cruise holiday is considered the most luxurious and exciting these days?

13. What places of interest would you show to foreign tourists if you had to organize a one day coach tour around your native town/city?

14. What are the benefits of international tourism for the tourists and for the places they visit? Should it be encouraged?

15. Why are holidays so important to many people?

16. Where would you spend your ideal holiday?

Step 2. Respond to the following statements reasoning your own opinion.

1. “Travel” is the name of a modern fast-spreading disease.

2. A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.

3. Proper and thorough preparation for a travel adds much to the success and enjoyment of it.

4. Tourism has grown so quickly and has become a problem in both industrialized and developing countries.

5. Before you choose your favourite way of travelling you should experience all of them.

6. Travel narrows the mind.

7. Every means of travel has its pros and cons.

8. There is such a variety of ways of spending your holidays.

9. The trip around the world is the greatest adventure of one’s life.

10. On the European continent, as the number of stars of a hotel decreases, the number of services also decreases.

11. Accommodation is not very important for the comfort of the travel.

12. Today it’s next to impossible to walk into a hotel and ask for a room in it unless you arrive off season.

13. Travelling gives us wonderful life experience.

14. Our expectations of a travel never come true.

15. A great selection of package tours is offered by tourist agencies in all big cities.

Step 3. Comment on the quotations below. Express your own attitude towards their essence.

1. “I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move”. Robert Luis Stevenson.

2. “Travelling is one way of lengthening life”. Benjamin Franklin.

3. “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive”. Robert Luis Stevenson.

4. “The world may be known without leaving the house”. Lao-Tzu.

5. “He travels the fastest who travels alone”. Rudyard Kipling.

6. “Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. Benjamin Disraeli.

7. “The main thing is just to go”. Marek Shooting.

8. “The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases”. William Hazlitt

9. “People say you have to travel to see the world. Sometimes I think that if you just stay in one place and keep your eyes open, you are going to see just about all that you can handle”. Paul Aster.

10. “A vacation is a sunburn at premium prices”. Hal Chadwicke.

11. “The longing to get away from it all never was so great as in our present time of tension and trouble. We want something to lift us out of the mess into which much of life seems to have fallen”. Glenn Stewart.

Step 4. Make up situations to illustrate the following proverbs and sayings.

1. When in Rome do as the Romans do.

2. The wider we roam the welcomer home.

3. One feels a stranger in a foreign country.

4. East or West, home is best.

5. A change is as good as a rest.

Step 5. Read the beginning of the text and develop the idea touched upon in it.

It’s obvious that these days many countries try their best to encourage tourism. Both highly-developed and developing nations see o lot of profit in welcoming tourists. No doubt concerning this point. But as far as potential damages of tourism are concerned, they can also be enormous. To begin with, let’s consider environmental damage caused by tourism…

Step 6. Make up and act out conversations that would be appropriate in the suggested situations. Work in groups of 2 or 3.

1. You are staying at a hotel. Complain to the manager about the dreadful state of your room and inadequate facilities.

2. You are looking for a place where to go on holiday. Make a phone call to a travel agency to find out what package tours are offered. Ask about itinerary, type of accommodation and prices.

3. You are looking forward to your first trip abroad. You are all excited about it. Luckily enough, your friends have just returned from the same trip. Have a meeting with them in order to get some valuable tips concerning food, climate, currency and prices, places to visit, etc.

4. You are planning your holidays together with your friends. Each of you has brought an advertisement (see below) and is convinced that you should go on a trip of your choice. Try to persuade your friends that your option is the best.

• Walking in Switzerland

A wonderful week walking through the Swiss Alps. Simple accommodation in friendly farmhouses and on campsites. Includes climbing, canoeing and boat trips.

• See the real India!

Cross India by Landrover. See the real India on our camping tour, and get off the beaten track into mountains, deserts and jungle. Flight to Delhi, and then two weeks on the road. Adventure lovers only please.

• Canal cruise

Travel back through time on the rivers and canals of France. Our boats sleep four adults, and are fully equipped as holiday homes on the water. Dream the miles away through the heart of the French countryside.

Step 7. Arrange a group discussion on the following issues.

1. Sometimes people show absolute ignorance of the basic rules of travelling abroad. Are you personally aware of them?

2. These days holiday-makers can choose different types of accommodation in order to make their travel comfortable and enjoyable. What is your ideal type of accommodation? Explain your preference.

3. People think that proper and thorough preparation for a travel adds much to the success and enjoyment of it. Do you think the same way?

4. If you were trying to attract visitors to your area what attractions would you mention? Scenery, history, hospitality, weather… Explain your choice.

5. There are many things that make your journey enjoyable. What are they in particular? What’s your favourite type of holidays and what activities should it include?

6. Is tourism of any good to Belarus? Speak about positive aspects of it.

7. Sometimes our expectations of a trip do not come true but nevertheless, they

always remain in our memory. Do you also think this way? Recollect some specific examples from your travelling experience.

Step 8. Debate on the controversial statements given below. Work in two groups. One group should agree with the statement and the other should disagree. Try to bring each other round to your point of view.

• The ideal place for an unforgettable journey is only a five-star hotel.

• Taking holidays in your own country is a waste of time.

• Why travel? You can do it with the help of TV or the Internet.

Step 9. Fulfill the following written assignments.

1. Write a letter of complaint to a travel agent because you feel you were cheated by the attractive booklet advertising your trip.

2. Write a thank you letter to the travel agency that organized an individual tour for you mentioning that all your expectations have come true.

3. You have found your trip abroad really embarrassing. Write a magazine article entitled “What do you need to know before going abroad”.

4. Write about your experience of going on a cruise aboard a Holiday Liner.

5. Write a description of a hotel (guest house, camp site, self-catering flat, holiday camp, B & B, motel) you prefer staying at when on holiday.

6. Write an argumentative essay “There can’t be any holiday without having the blues”.