Practice E.1 Changing leisure patterns with authentic IB Geography exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like physical geography, human geography, and geospatial analysis. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 1
The table shows the top 10 performers in the world by total medal count in the Olympics
Source: International Olympic Committee (IOC)
1.[2]
Calculate the range in total medal count among the top ten countries shown in the table.
2.[1]
Explain two ways that national success in international sports can contribute to:
i. Increased national pride or unity
3.[1]
Explain two ways that national success in international sports can contribute to
ii. Greater investment in sports infrastructure and training
4.[6]
Describe two possible geographical or economic factors that could explain why two countries would perform at the top of the medal table.
5.[10]
To what extent does success in global sporting events reflect a country’s level of development?
6.[10]
Discuss the role of government and private investment in influencing a nation’s success in international sporting competitions.
Question 2
SL & HLPaper 1
Below is an image of a coastal tourist destination.
1.[1]
Identify one visible feature in the image that suggests this is a coastal tourist destination.
2.[1]
State one reason why coastal areas are popular with tourists.
3.[2]
Outline one environmental problem that can be caused by overtourism in coastal areas.
4.[6]
Explain two challenges that overtourism can create for local communities in coastal destinations.
5.[10]
To what extent does overtourism threaten the sustainability of coastal environments?
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 1
The following triangular graph shows changes over time in the percentage of South Korean citizens, from three different age groups, who play football
1.[1]
Identify the age group with the highest percentage of football players in 2024.
2.[1]
State the trend in participation among children from 2004 to 2024.
3.[2]
Outline one possible reason why older adults in South Korea may have lower levels of football participation.
4.[6]
Explain two reasons for the increasing popularity of football among younger age groups in South Korea.
5.[10]
Examine the role that age structure and lifestyle trends play in shaping sports participation rates over time.
Question 4
SL & HLPaper 1
The infographic shows the Most Visited Cities in The World in 2024
Source: Euromonitor International (2024)
1.[2]
Describe the spatial distribution of the ten most visited cities shown in the infographic.
2.[2]
Outline one reason why religious tourism may contribute significantly to the ranking of one of the cities listed.
3.[3]
Suggest two possible physical or human geographic factors that might explain why Bangkok received the highest number of international visitors in 2024.
4.[3]
Contrast the visitor numbers between the most visited city and the tenth most visited city, and suggest one possible reason for this difference.
5.[10]
Using examples, examine how urban environments manage the challenges associated with being a top global tourist destination.
6.[10]
Discuss how global interactions and connectivity influence tourist flows to major cities.
Question 5
SL & HLPaper 1
The photograph shows a crowded beach resort.
Source: Heart My Backpack
1.[2]
Identify two tourist-related activities or services shown in the photograph.
2.[2]
Outline one way tourism may benefit the local economy in this location.
3.[6]
Explain three possible negative impacts of tourism visible or suggested in the photograph.
4.[10]
Examine the ways in which tourism can contribute to the development of low-income countries.
5.[10]
To what extent does income affect people’s ability to participate in leisure and tourism activities?
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 1
The graph shows The Visitor Totals in Machu Picchu between 1980 - 2012
Source: MINCETUR (Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism)
1.[2]
State the year when visitor numbers to Machu Picchu first exceeded 1 million.
2.[2]
Describe how the number of foreign visitors changed between 1990 and 2012.
3.[6]
Suggest three possible problems this increase in tourism could cause at the site.
4.[10]
To what extent does the hosting of global sporting events benefit the host country?
5.[10]
Examine how levels of economic development influence patterns of participation in leisure activities.
Question 7
SL & HLPaper 1
The graph below shows The World’s Biggest Tourism Spenders.
Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)
1.[2]
Describe two changes in outbound tourism expenditure between 2021 and 2022 shown in the infographic.
2.[2]
Suggest one reason why outbound tourism spending from the United States increased significantly between 2021 and 2022.
3.[6]
Explain three possible factors that may account for variations in outbound tourism spending between countries shown in the infographic.
4.[10]
Evaluate the role of mega-events in promoting long-term economic and social benefits for host cities.
5.[10]
To what extent can ecotourism be considered a truly sustainable form of tourism?
Question 8
SL & HLPaper 1
The map below shows how the Tourism pressures on residential areas in Barcelona, Spain.
Left to right:
A. Hotel places per 1000 inhabitants.
B. AirBnB places per 1000 inhabitants.
C. Hotel places and AirBnB places per 1000 inhabitants.
Source: Gutiérrez, Javier & García-Palomares, Juan & Romanillos, Gustavo & Salas-Olmedo, María Henar. (2017). The eruption of Airbnb in tourist cities: Comparing spatial patterns of hotels and peer-to-peer accommodation in Barcelona. Tourism Management. 62. 278–291. 10.1016/j.tou rman.2017.05.003.
1.[2]
Describe the spatial pattern of Airbnb accommodation density shown in map (B).
2.[2]
Identify two areas with both high hotel and Airbnb density and suggest one reason why these areas attract tourism.
3.[3]
Explain two possible impacts of the spatial distribution of tourism accommodations on:
i. Local residents
4.[3]
Explain two possible impacts of the spatial distribution of tourism accommodations on:
ii. The urban environment
5.[10]
Discuss the potential impacts of short-term rental accommodations on urban residential communities in popular tourist destinations.
6.[10]
Examine the role of urban planning and policy in managing spatial inequalities caused by tourism accommodation distribution.
Question 9
SL & HLPaper 1
The following is a map showing the total land area (in square meters) of public fitness venues in Dalian, China
1.[1]
State the district type (by color) that has the largest area available for public fitness venues.
2.[1]
Identify one geographical factor that might explain why some districts have fewer public fitness venues.
3.[2]
Outline why urban areas with high population density may have smaller leisure facilities than other areas.
4.[6]
Explain two reasons how the provision of leisure facilities can effect quality of life in urban areas.
5.[10]
Analyze the potential challenges urban planners face when trying to increase the number of leisure facilities in high-density areas.
Question 10
SL & HLPaper 1
The graph shows the International vs. Domestic Tourist Arrivals in Europe (in millions)
Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), 2022
1.[2]
Identify the year in which international arrivals in Europe first exceeded 400 million.
2.[2]
Calculate the absolute increase in domestic arrivals from 2015 to 2019.
3.[6]
Explain two factors that may have driven the faster growth of international arrivals compared to domestic arrivals in Europe between 2015 and 2019.
4.[10]
Discuss how advances in transport and digital technology have transformed the spatial and temporal patterns of domestic and international tourism in Europe since 2015.
5.[10]
“The growth of international tourism is increasingly shaped by socio-economic factors rather than physical factors.”
To what extent do you agree with this statement?