Practice E.3 Tourism and sport at the international scale 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 following graph shows the relationship between the number of leisure facilities and catchment areas across several major cities
1.[1]
State the city with the smallest catchment area
2.[1]
Identify the city with the lowest catchment to leisure facility ratio
3.[2]
Outline one reason why cities with smaller catchment areas might still have a high number of leisure facilities
4.[6]
Explain two factors that influence the number of leisure facilities in urban areas
5.[10]
Evaluate the relative importance of factors impacting the distribution of athletic facilities in at least one urban area.
Question 2
SL & HLPaper 1
1.[4]
Outline two human and two physical factors that are possible causes of desertification in a hot, arid environment.
2.[6]
Explain three reasons why there are concentrations of people in some parts of hot, arid areas.
3.[10]
Examine the severity of the different challenges for resource development in periglacial areas.
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 1
The following table shows 5 cities with the highest number of international arrivals in 2024:
| City | Country | International Arrivals (millions) | Growth from Previous Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecca | Saudi Arabia | 19.3 | +20% |
| Bangkok | Thailand | 32.4 | +37% |
| London | United Kingdom | 21.7 | +7% |
| Hong Kong | China (SAR) | 20.5 | +19% |
| Istanbul | Turkey | 23.0 | +14% |
1.[1]
State the number of international arrivals (in millions) to Mecca in 2024.
2.[2]
Identify the country with the highest number of international visitors
3.[2]
Outline two potential reasons why not every international arrival is considered tourism.
4.[6]
Describe two strategies used to manage environmental damage caused by tourism using one named example.
5.[10]
Examine the perspective that the economic benefits of tourism in one named country outweigh its social and environmental consequences.
Question 4
SL & HLPaper 1
The photograph shows tourists at a popular site in Tokyo, Japan.
1.[1]
With reference to the photograph, identify one primary tourist attraction.
2.[1]
With reference to the photograph, identify one secondary tourist attraction.
3.[2]
Using photographic evidence, suggest why the perceptual carrying capacity of this sitemight have been reached.
4.[6]
For one named international sporting event, explain how one physical factor and two human factors influenced the choice of venue(s).
5.[10]
Examine the extent to which the aims of sustainable tourism might be achieved in two different environments.
Question 5
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 6
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 7
SL & HLPaper 1
The map shows the area around the valley of the River Tarn and the town of Sainte-Enimie in Southern France. The scale is 1:100 000 and the contour interval is 40 metres. Photograph A shows the town of Sainte-Enimie.
1.[4]
Using map evidence, identify and locate two secondary tourist resources.
2.[2]
Describe how one characteristic of the valley of the River Tarn limits its environmental carrying capacity.
3.[4]
(i) State the direction in which the camera was pointing when photograph A was taken.
(ii) Referring to photograph A, suggest the evidence that the perceptual carrying capacity of Sainte-Enimie may already have been exceeded.
4.[10]
Using examples, evaluate the use of tourism as a development strategy in some low-income countries.
Question 8
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 9
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 10
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.