Examine the contribution that ecotourism can make to the sustainability of tourism on local and global scales.

Examine the geographic relationship between the hierarchy of teams and the distribution of supporters for one named national sports league.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 1 markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials.

Ecotourism is a form of sustainable tourism that aims to reduce the impact on the natural environment and sustain the economic and social wellbeing of local people. However, in recent years, considerable doubt has been cast on whether the aims have been fulfilled and on the negative environmental, economic and social impacts. Ecotourism may not be entirely sustainable, especially on a global scale.

Possible applied themes (AO2) demonstrating knowledge and understanding (AO1):

• Ecotourism has gained in popularity as a form of sustainable and responsible tourism. It aims to conserve the natural environment and promote the economic and social wellbeing of local people.
• However, the aims may not always be realized, and ecotourism may do more harm than good in certain places.
• Poor management may harm the environment by introducing people to ecologically sensitive areas; the carrying capacity may be exceeded.
• As a destination’s popularity grows, resources suffer from overuse.
• Human activity might disrupt wildlife; encourage soil erosion and habitat loss, and put pressure on limited water resources.
• Ecotourism is promoted and advertised in the media as responsible tourism, resulting in a large increase in tourist numbers globally.
• Many ecotourism destinations are in remote areas, requiring extensive air and vehicle travel and creating large carbon footprints.
• International developers may divert money away from the local community; corrupt governments may take a large cut of the profits.
• There may be threats to indigenous cultures. However, the promotion of ecotourism may educate people of the need for responsible and sustainable tourism.

Good answers may be well structured (AO4) and may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) that show a good understanding of sustainable tourism, and may examine how ecotourism works well in particular places, but does not necessarily translate to a global scale.

For 5–6 marks, expect some weakly evidenced outlining of ecotourism as a form of sustainable tourism locally and/or globally.

For 7–8 marks, expect a structured account which includes:

• either an evidenced explanation of ecotourism at local and global scales (do not expect balance) and its contribution to sustainability
• or a discursive conclusion (or ongoing evaluation) grounded in geographical concepts and/or perspectives.

For 9–10 marks, expect both of these traits.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 1 markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials.

The position of a team in a hierarchy is shown by its position in that league. The team’s position will go up and down in the league, depending on success, over different timescales. The relative success of a team is partly related to economic power and influence. An example of a national sports league should be clearly identified.

Possible applied themes (AO2) demonstrating knowledge and understanding (AO1):

• The hierarchy of teams includes: the position of teams in the sports league, their economic wealth, and the value and importance of players.
• Teams at the top of a hierarchy, such as in the English Premier Football League, are often located in major urban areas and have a large number of supporters from a wide sphere of influence.
• They may attract supporters from a local, national and international scale.
• Teams lower in the hierarchy will attract fewer supporters, mainly from a local scale. They will have much less wealth and power.
• Reference could be made to factors such as the role of the media, sponsorship and advertising in influencing the sphere of influence.

Good answers may be well structured (AO4) and may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) of the statement, recognizing that the economic power of the top tier gives rise to a truly global scale of influence. Another approach would be to question how the relationship changes over time.

Award a maximum of [4] if a non-national league is discussed e.g. Champions League, Super Rugby.

For 5–6 marks, expect some weakly evidenced outlining of the hierarchy of a national sports league and/or the distribution of supporters.

For 7–8 marks, expect a structured account which includes:

• either an evidenced explanation of the relationship between team hierarchy and distribution of supporters in a named national league
• or a discursive conclusion (or ongoing evaluation) grounded in geographical concepts and/or perspectives.

For 9–10 marks, expect both of these traits.

There were many weak responses where candidates gave a descriptive account of an ecotourism case study (often confused with nature tourism) without connecting it to sustainability of tourism or considering the economic and social impacts. The end result was a narrative attempting to link ecotourism to sustainable tourism. Global scale proved difficult and many just ignored this part of the question. On the other hand there were some high-scoring excellent responses, especially those that used local or national examples.

There were many good responses, with a clear understanding of the concepts of hierarchy and good case study material being shown. These candidates provided detailed evidence of a national league and showed they had a strong grasp of the range of issues that affect the spread of the fan base. Weaker responses were generalized and descriptive accounts of one or two high ranking teams in a league. There were a few incorrect national league choices but far less than seen in previous sessions.