How

If youcreating
pay them,
wildlife
they will
crossings
come: can
the US
helpcity
reindeer,
giving tourists
bears – and
casheven
to visit
crabs
Level: Intermediate

1
  Warmer

a. In 2019 (before the pandemic), these were the six most visited countries by foreign tourists.
Put them in order from 1 (the most visited) to 6 (the least visited).

China

the USA

Italy

Turkey

France

Spain

2
  Key words

a. Find the following words in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. an adjective meaning relating to large companies (para 1)

2. a verb meaning stopped completely (two words, para 1)

3. a verb meaning develop new ideas through a discussion in which people make suggestions and
the best ones are chosen (para 3)

4. an adjective meaning unnecessary (para 4)

5. an adjective meaning extra (para 6)

6. a noun meaning something that makes you want to do something because you know you will
benefit by doing this (para 6)

7. a noun meaning things that need a lot of skill, energy and determination to achieve
(para 7)

8. a plural noun meaning money you have for a particular purpose

(para 7)

9. a noun meaning accommodation (para 7)

10. a noun meaning an effect or an influence (para 9)

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 How
If youcreating
pay them,
wildlife
they will
crossings
come: can
the US
helpcity
reindeer,
giving tourists
bears – and
casheven
to visit
crabs
Level: Intermediate
Hallie Golden 6 Santa Maria Valley, in California, has created
9 April, 2021 a similar programme, presenting the first 500
visitors who booked at least a two-night stay
1 Businesses in Microsoft’s hometown of in one of its hotels with a 100-dollar Visa gift
Redmond, Washington, used to rely on card. It sold out in two days, with another
corporate travel. Then the Covid pandemic 2,543 additional people on the waiting list,
started and visitor numbers dried up. Now according to tourism director Jennifer Harrison.
Redmond is using a very simple technique to She said the success was not just because
restart tourism – paying people to visit. of the financial incentive but also the timing
(“people were ready to travel,” she said) and
2 The small city just east of Seattle is home to the community’s clear commitment to social
Microsoft’s headquarters, as well as Nintendo distancing and masks.
of America, the aerospace company SpaceX
7 In Redmond, Klauser said, the programme
and Facebook. So, on 4 March, 2020, when
initially faced some challenges with simply
Microsoft recommended its tens of thousands
getting local businesses to agree to be a part
of employees in the city work from home and
of it but, in the end, about 50 businesses joined
other local companies did the same, many
the programme, including restaurants, fitness
local businesses suffered, particularly the hotel
centres, salons and bookshops. Officials
industry. “The hotels went from 65 per cent to then used funds from the city’s 1 per cent
85 per cent full, down to 6 per cent or 9 per lodging tax, most of which was unused from
cent,” said tourism manager Peter Klauser. the previous year, to pay for the programme’s
“There were times when one hotel had just one 50,000 dollars-worth of incentives.
guest in the entire hotel.”
8 Klauser said that, less than two weeks after
3 Months later, Klauser was brainstorming the programme started, they had booked 750
creative solutions to attract visitors back to the of the expected 1,000-room nights and given
city when he joked to colleagues: “Why don’t more than 30,000 dollars to visitors. “Hotel
we just give them some cash.” The idea led owners are saying that their phones haven’t
to “You Stay, We Pay”, a programme which stopped ringing and they are very excited,”
involves giving the first 500 visitors who stay explained Klauser. “You know, they’re getting
two or more nights at a participating hotel more reservations than they’ve had in more
100 dollars. than a year.”
4 Redmond is not the only city doing this. 9 On 22 March, Microsoft announced it would
Glenwood Springs, Colorado normally soon reopen its campus in Redmond to
welcomes 1.5 million visitors a year. But after employees, which Klauser considers great
its hotels were closed to non-essential travel in news for the city. But he doesn’t think it will
April, 2020, the town started offering 100-dollar have an immediate impact. In fact, he’s
certificates to visitors who booked hotel rooms. already looking into starting a second incentive
programme after this one finishes. “The
5 Director of tourism Lisa Langer said the momentum has been so great that we want to
programme didn’t bring them back to normal try to keep it going for a little longer if we can,”
visitor levels but it kept them going through a he said.
very difficult time. “Now I feel like we are on
the right track and we’re going to come back © Guardian News and Media 2021
First published in The Guardian, 09/04/2021
strong. I’m not as worried as I was last year at
this time,” she said.
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 If you pay them, they will come: the US city giving tourists cash to visit
Level: Intermediate

3
  Comprehension check

a. Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any that are false.

1. Before the pandemic, businesses in Redmond relied on corporate travel. T/F

2. In March 2020, Microsoft advised its employees to work from home. T/F
3. After this, hotels in Redmond went from 6 per cent to 9 per cent full to between
65 per cent and 85 per cent full. T/F
4. Visitors have to stay more than two nights to get 100 dollars under the ‘You Stay,
We Pay’ programme. T/F
5. After a similar programme in Glenwood Springs, visitor numbers are back to normal. T/F
6. Lisa Langer is now more worried than she was in April 2020. T/F
7. The programme in Santa Maria Valley offered the first 500 visitors who booked
a two-night stay a Visa gift card. T/F
8. In Santa Maria Valley, they still follow social distancing rules and people have
to wear masks. T/F
9. In Redmond, they paid for the incentives using money from the 1 per cent lodging tax. T/F
10. When Microsoft reopens its campus to employees, Peter Klauser thinks this will have
an immediate effect. T/F

4 Using key language

  

a. Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions.

1. the right track

2. the waiting list

3. rely

4. just east Seattle

5. back normal

6. last year this time

7. the end

8. great news the city

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 If you pay them, they will come: the US city giving tourists cash to visit
Level: Intermediate

5
  Discussion

a. Discuss these statements.

• “Giving visitors money is the only way to get tourists back.”

• “Working from home will change the world for the better.”
• “The pandemic will lead to the end of air travel.”

6 In your own words

  

a. One of your friends from another country is going to visit your town or city for a weekend
break. Your friend has asked you to recommend:

• some interesting places to visit

• some things to do (e.g. sporting activities)
• some specialities of your region to try (food and drink)
• the best way to travel around
• some interesting gifts for friends back home.

Write an email to your friend with some advice.

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 If you pay them, they will come: the US city giving tourists cash to visit
Level: Intermediate – Teacher’s notes
Key:
Article summary: The article describes how 1. corporate
some places in the USA have started to offer 2. dried up
financial incentives to people to encourage
3. brainstorm
them to visit.
4. non-essential
5. additional
Time: 60 minutes
6. incentive
Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing 7. challenges
8. funds
Language focus: Vocabulary 9. lodging
10. impact
Materials needed: One copy of the
worksheet per student 3. Comprehension check

a. The corrections given are only suggested answers

and students may correctly answer the questions in
1. Warmer different ways, e.g. in number 4, they may say ‘They
have to stay for at least two nights’, and in number 6,
a. The purpose of this activity is for students to use
they may say ‘She was more worried at this time last
their knowledge of the world to decide which
year’ or similar.
countries are the most visited by foreign tourists.
The figures for 2019 show that France was visited by
Key:
90 million overseas visitors, while Spain, in second
1. True.
place, had 83 million. Turkey, in sixth place, was not
2. True.
so far behind with 51 million.
3. False. They went from 65 per cent to 85 per
cent full to 6 per cent to 9 per cent full.
Key:
4. False. They have to stay for two nights or more.
4. China
5. False. The programme didn’t bring them back to
3. the USA
normal visitor levels.
5. Italy
6. False. She’s not as worried as she was in
6. Turkey
April 2020.
1. France
7. True.
2. Spain
8. True.
9. True.
2. Key words 10. False. He doesn’t think it will have an immediate
impact.
a. Ask students to do the exercise individually and
then compare their answers in pairs or small groups.
Encourage students to use some of this vocabulary
actively by asking them questions such as ‘What
travel is essential and what is non-essential?’, ‘What
incentives can cities offer to attract more visitors?’
and ‘What will the long-term impact of the pandemic
on tourism be?’ Point out that rivers, streams and
water sources can also dry up, but the verb is
often used with words that refer to business and
commerce, e.g. Funds / Exports / Sales have dried
up during the pandemic.
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 If you pay them, they will come: the US city giving tourists cash to visit
Level: Intermediate – Teacher’s notes

4. Using key language 5. Discussion

a. Students could be asked to do this exercise a. Allow students time to note down their ideas about
individually and then compare their answers in pairs. each statement and encourage them to say why they
Highlight the fact that ‘in the end’ means ‘finally’. agree or disagree with each one.
Learners often incorrectly say ‘at the end’, which
refers to a specific time or location and is usually 6. In your own words
followed by ‘of’ and a noun, e.g. ‘at the end of the
film’, ‘at the end of the lesson’. a. As an alternative, students could be asked to
recommend places to visit and things to do in either
Key: the capital city of their country or a town or city
1. on known as a tourist destination. Preparing ideas for
2. on the email could be done as a pair or group activity
3. on and the actual writing of the email could be a
4. of homework task.
5. to
6. at
7. in
8. for

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