essay on wildlife tourism

Why wildlife tourism matters

Tips for wildlife encounters that promote sanctuary, not selfies..

Right away Elephant Valley Thailand felt different. The property, nestled in the forest on the outskirts of Chiang Rai, a small city in northern Thailand, was the fifth elephant attraction I’d visited in a week. I’d seen shows where elephants kicked soccer balls and twirled hula hoops. I’d watched people ride on their backs and swing from their trunks. I’d peeked into the stalls to which elephants returned after working, where they’re chained by their ankles to posts.

But Elephant Valley was quiet. It was the first time all week that I’d seen elephants from a distance. Onewas bathing in a pond, alone. Another two were eating in the middle of a field. Wooden fences surrounded most of the fields — to keep us out, not them in, John Lee, a manager at Elephant Valley, told me. That’s what struck me most: No one was allowed to touch the animals. These were elephants being elephants.

Elephant Valley Thailand, home to five elephants that previously worked in trekking camps and the logging industry, is unlike most other elephant attractions in Thailand. Many of the country’s 3,800 captive elephants live in camps that offer up-close, interactive experiences that allow visitors to ride or bathe the animals or watch them perform in shows. The activities are a massive draw for travellers from around the world, part of a lucrative global industry that puts people together with exotic animals for once-in-a-lifetime encounters.

It’s what brought me to Thailand, a monthlong stop on a reporting trip for National Geographic magazine that took photographer Kirsten Luce and me to four continents over a year and a half. Our goal was simple: to look at the animals that entertain us and the people who seek them out. Those people are you and they’re me. I have a photo of myself at two years old, perched on an elephant’s back at a zoo in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. Eight years ago, on my honeymoon, I went swimming with captive manta rays in Mexico. But seven years later, while reporting the story, I found myself watching a group of tourists pass around a tiger cub after paying a couple of dollars to feed him a bottle of milk — and wondering if anyone else was questioning why he wasn’t with his mom.

It’s complicated. People love animals and naturally want to get close to them — and genuinely want to learn more about them too. It’s a desire that’s increasingly fueled by social media, where travellers share their experiences instantaneously. The reality that many tourists don’t see is that to stay in business, elephant interactions—and photo ops with tigers and swimming with manta rays — rely on a steady stream of working wild animals, all of which have been caught or bred or trained into submission.

And it’s all too easy to misread signs of suffering. Captive elephants sway their trunks back and forth — almost as if they’re dancing. In reality, it’s a sign of psychological distress. Sloths seem to love cuddling, but their hug is really just an attempt to cling to what feels to them like a tree trunk. Dolphins appear to be smiling but that’s the natural set of their mouths.

Travellers are increasingly recognizing that many animal tourist attractions may not be ethical. More and more backpackers are shunning elephant riding.

The industry knows it. Dozens of properties in Thailand now call themselves 'sanctuaries'. Many look a lot like Elephant Valley and boast five-star ratings on travel sites such as TripAdvisor. But Kirsten and I found that, unlike Elephant Valley, almost every one offers elephant bathing for visitors who wish to splash with an elephant in a river or mud pit. Often the bathing is repeated all day long. And only trained elephants will submit to baths.

Jack Highwood opened Elephant Valley in 2016. The 40-acre property is his second elephant sanctuary, following a much bigger one he established in Cambodia. He chose to go small with the Thai sanctuary, installing inexpensive wooden fencing and minimal infrastructure because he wanted to make the model as easy as possible for others to copy. It felt peaceful, several visitors at Elephant Valley told me. As if the elephants didn’t even know they were there.

While travelling the world, I spoke to tourists everywhere. In restaurants and hostels. At aquariums and monkey shows. I would often ask people if they prefer to have an up-close experience with an animal in captivity or observe it from afar in the wild. More often than not, they told me the latter. Yet captive encounters remain extremely popular. Maybe because an animal sighting is assured. Maybe because the animals seem happy, and it seems that your admission fee is going to contribute to someone’s paycheck. Maybe, perhaps most compelling of all, because it gives you a photograph — you, together with an exotic animal — that can go straight to your social media feed, where likes and comments are guaranteed.

Across the Pacific, on the North Shore of Oahu, in Hawaii, there’s a beach called Laniakea. People more commonly call it Turtle Beach, because sea turtles regularly come ashore. They’ll pick a spot and sleep in the sun, sometimes for hours at a time. Volunteers are there every day to keep people away from the animals. When a turtle emerges from the sea, the volunteers block off space for it with rope, giving the turtle ample room to relax in peace.

One weekday in September, I sat with dozens of tourists behind the rope and watched them watching a turtle. For the most part, people were respectful. A few asked why they couldn’t touch. It’s illegal to touch sea turtles in Hawaii, the volunteers explained. And it’s important to respect their space, they added. This is their beach too, after all.

It can be hard for most people to tell the difference between ethical and problematic wildlife experiences. There are many shades of gray. But you might follow a few simple guidelines:

— Seek experiences that offer observation of animals engaging in natural behaviors in natural environments.

— Do your research. A highly rated place may not necessarily be humane. Read those one- and two-star reviews. It’s often in the pans that visitors chronicle animal welfare concerns.

— Beware of buzzwords like 'gives back to conservation' and 'rescue'. If a facility makes these promises yet offers extensive interaction, that may be a red flag.

Individual actions don’t happen in a vacuum. When travellers decide they want something different, the wildlife tourism market will change.

Natasha Daly is a staff writer and editor at National Geographic. Her story on hidden suffering in the wildlife tourism industry appears in the June 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. To read more, visit natgeo.com/wildlifetourism

• Wildlife Watching
• Travel and Adventure

• Prof. Development

Redefining Wildlife Tourism: Ethically Interacting with Animals Abroad

By Nick Callos

Few things captivate like seeing:

A  cheetah  running in the grassland… A grizzly bear fishing for salmon… A lion roaring at night…

These sorts of  wildlife encounters  make you stop, and appreciate the impressive beauty and dignity of animals and nature.

Sadly, not all animal interactions are what they seem. Travelers often aren’t aware of it, but many wildlife tourism activities actually hurt the creatures.

The reality is: Wildlife tourism is a complex industry. As an  article in National Geographic  notes, “discerning the difference between ethical and problematic wildlife experiences” is a difficult task.

But not all is lost.

Ethical animal interactions and wildlife volunteer projects exist. You can have a positive impact on wildlife, even as a tourist. What’s needed is more education and awareness, and a better understanding of what wildlife tourism should look like. This way, you know to join the right activities.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the dark side of wildlife tourism and explain the right way to interact with animals. We’ll also  highlight reputable organizations and projects  so you can explore ethical wildlife encounters and animal volunteer work.

The Dark Side of Wildlife Tourism

Perhaps you’ve read about  Kim Kardashian  riding on an elephant in Indonesia. A quick Google search shows all the criticism she received for it.

Whether the criticism was deserved or not, stories like Kim Kardashian’s should serve as positive learning moments. They should motivate us to learn more about the realities of wildlife tourism, and understand why elephant rides can damage the species.

Here’s an overview of the main issues with wildlife attractions:

Wildlife tourism takes animals out of their natural habitat

Many facilities that specialize in elephant treks, tiger petting, swim with dolphin experiences, and other interactions hold animals in captivity. Given the lack of regulations and oversight, many places don’t offer animals sufficient space and resources to live naturally.

Furthermore, the situation often gets worse than just not enough space. A  study of 3,000 elephants in the wildlife tourism industry by World Animal Protection  (WAP) found that 75% lived in ‘severely cruel’ conditions (more on this below).

Animal cruelty and abuse is widespread in wildlife tourism

The National Geographic feature,  Suffering Unseen , details shocking scenes: shackled elephants, declawed and drugged tigers, abused bears in the circus, and more.

Whether it’s elephant rides or tiger petting, up-close animal interactions may not be as cheery as they look. If the wildlife tourism attractions aren’t prioritizing animal welfare, the creatures you encounter may be experiencing intense suffering.

Some kinds of wildlife tourism don’t prioritize animal rights

The University of Oxford carried out an  extensive study on animal welfare in the wildlife tourism industry . Researchers analyzed wildlife attractions across five categories:

• Animal interactions like riding on elephants and swimming with dolphins
• Wildlife sanctuaries that  protect endangered and injured animals
• Wildlife farms, like farms where crocodiles are bred for meat
• Animal entertainment, such as street performances
• Wild attractions, such as gorilla sightseeing

Among all the wildlife attractions, only wildlife sanctuaries earn positive scores for animal welfare and conservation. Animal entertainment receives negative scores for both.

As researchers noted, increased demand, a focus on profits, and travelers’ lack of awareness all contribute to the growing animal welfare problem in the tourism industry.

The Right Way to do Wildlife Tourism: No More Elephant Rides or Tiger Petting

Consider this statistic: Wildlife tourism accounts for  between 20-40% of global tourism .

Now, we know why wildlife tourism is so popular:  Animals amaze us!

But the economics of wildlife encounters create problems.

As stated in the article,  Suffering Unseen , the “wildlife tourism industry caters to people’s love of animals but often seeks to maximize profits by exploiting animals from birth to death. The industry’s economy depends largely on people believing that the animals they’re paying to watch or ride or feed are having fun too.”

Tourists, eager to make memories while  traveling abroad , don’t consider the possibility of animal cruelty. Even more concerning, animal cruelty can be tough to spot. And pictures on social media only add to the confusion of what’s acceptable.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The solution is educating yourself before you interact with wildlife. Here are a few tips:

Read the bad reviews

Even for wildlife attractions that have poor animal welfare standards, they may receive good ratings from tourists. When you look up reviews, read the bad ones to see what they say.

As a rule of thumb, David Macdonald, Director of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, recommends avoiding any wildlife attraction that scores  under 80% on sites like TripAdvisor .

Investigate the facility

Look for evidence the facility focuses on animal welfare and conservation. Find out if:

• the total area is sufficient
• there is space to escape the crowds
• crowd size is limited
• the facility upholds animal rights (for animals in captivity, the ASPCA says animals should have the  freedom to express normal behavior , as well as freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort and pain, injury and disease, and fear and distress)

Finally, ensure animal interactions only benefit the animals. View pictures, check out the website, and read reviews. They absolutely should not offer elephant rides, tiger petting, monkey performances, and other similar wildlife encounters. These activities hurt and stress the animals, and can cause long-term trauma.

Unless you’re giving medical attention, or providing care to captive-born wildlife that can’t return to the wild, you should not have physical contact with wild animals. Activities should be observation-based and include tasks designed to support their existence in nature.

Go into the wild

The best way to avoid the mistake of supporting a harmful wildlife attraction is to only visit natural environments. This includes observations of animals in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Such places protect animals from activities like illegal poaching and pet trading.

For instance, through  Global Vision International  (GVI), a leader in  ethical volunteer abroad adventures , you can join a wildlife research project in Kruger National Park. As a  volunteer for big cats in South Africa , you can see lions, cheetahs, and leopards in their natural habitat, and you can improve conservation strategies to ensure they can thrive in the wild.

Look for international certifications

Ethical wildlife attractions have obtained certification and have undergone third-party inspections. Some common certifications that demonstrate a commitment to animal welfare include:

• Blue Flag certification : awarded to sustainable  marine tourism  operators
• Fair Trade Tourism certification : awarded to those who follow best practices of responsible tourism

Volunteer for animals abroad

If you want to encounter wildlife but don’t want to contribute to anything unethical and harmful, volunteering offers you a solution. Just look for organizations that focus on ethical animal volunteer work.

For example,  Via Volunteers , an  ethical volunteering organization in South Africa , only works with the most responsible wildlife sanctuaries and projects. Their  Lion Sanctuary project near Cape Town  has earned international praise for exceptional care of captive-born lions. As a volunteer, you’ll ensure lions get treated with dignity and respect, and are protected from commercial use and breeding.

What do Ethical Animal Interactions Look Like?

Now, you know wildlife tourism should NOT entail:

• selfies with lions
• elephant rides
• tiger petting

What wildlife tourism should involve is:

• animal rescue and care, such as  caring for rescued sea turtles
• observing creatures in the wild, such as  ethical safaris in Tanzania
• conservation, research, and protection, like  panda research in China

If you want to observe and study animals in the wild, or take part in work to protect endangered wildlife, consider conservation and research projects. Organizations like  Projects Abroad  run wonderful conservation initiatives around the globe, from  shark conservation research in Fiji  to  Big 5 wildlife conservation in Botswana .

So, even though you’ll actively avoid wildlife tourism activities like petting a tiger and riding on an elephant, you still have plenty of options. And by opting to participate in only ethical activities, you can make a real and lasting contribution.

We Have the Power to Change Wildlife Tourism

In the following sections, we detail the different ways you can ethically interact and volunteer with animals abroad.

Don’t think of these activities as alternatives to wildlife tourism. Rather, think of them as a form of responsible wildlife tourism.

After all, we can redefine wildlife tourism. By making more  educated and ethical choices  about how we interact with animals, and also by spreading the word to others, we can inspire collective action. And we can make the focus of wildlife tourism about animal welfare and conservation.

Wildlife Protection, Rehabilitation, and Release

The  National Wildlife Federation  has summarized main threats to wildlife:

• exploitation of resources by humans
• spreading of invasive species and disease
• habitat degradation and loss caused by  climate change  and  pollution
• poaching, illegal pet trading, trophy hunting, etc.
• the abuses of the wildlife tourism industry

Whether it’s deforestation from commercial logging or more drought from changing precipitation patterns, animals face a variety of threats. Many majestic creatures, such as the  chimpanzee , deal with displacement and diminishing room to call home.

Many of these animals, especially those that have experienced cruelty in the wildlife tourism and illegal pet trade industries, have become seriously hurt and ill. They require medical attention and sanctuaries just to survive.  This is where you can make a difference.

If you want to ethically interact with animals abroad, focus on helping animals in need get back on their feet (or wings!). Volunteer with animals at wildlife sanctuaries and responsible rehabilitation and rescue centers. Plenty of great organizations support projects throughout the globe (see below).

Plan My Gap Year (PMGY)

Founded in 2011,  Plan My Gap Year  (PMGY) has become a leading volunteer travel organization. They send 4,000+ volunteers abroad each year and consistently receive great ratings from project participants.

Operating across 17 countries, PMGY’s fees for  wildlife conservation and animal rescue projects  begin from just $225. PMGY’s affordability, transparency, and strong ethical commitment make them a terrific organization to choose if you wish to volunteer with animals abroad.

Wildlife Rescue in Thailand

Price:  from $210 per week ($1,014 for two weeks; $2,514 for 12 weeks)

Length:  1 to 12 weeks

Habitat degradation and loss have pushed many of Thailand’s creatures near extinction. At the  wildlife rescue center , you’ll assist with rehabilitation and release efforts for animals that have been injured or fallen ill. The shelter houses gibbons, langurs, lorises, bears, otters, wild cats, and other amazing animals. Your work won’t involve physical interactions with the animals, but you will create environmental enrichments, prepare and distribute food, clean enclosures, and maintain forest areas.

You’ll stay in a bungalow with other volunteers during the program. When you’re not volunteering with animals, explore the scenery of Kaeng Krachan National Park and the beaches of Cha-am.

Sound like the perfect trip?  Apply to be a wildlife rescue volunteer in Thailand!

Wildlife Rescue in Bali

Price:  from $218 per week ($729 for two weeks; $3,489 for 16 weeks)

Length:  1 to 16 weeks

Indonesia’s forests are home to wonderful biodiversity, but animals face rapid deforestation and environmental degradation from rubber and palm oil plantations. Many endangered animals, such as the Javan lutung, pig-tailed macaque, palm cockatoo, sea turtle, and grey-headed fish eagle, have lost their native habitat or been abused in the wildlife tourism industry or illegal pet trade.  As an animal volunteer with PMGY , you’ll work at a center dedicated to rehabbing and releasing these rescued primates, birds, and reptiles. Duties include:

• mangrove conservation for biodiversity preservation
• feeding and enrichment (hands-off tasks)
• enclosure cleaning and maintenance
• assistance with release back into the wild

When you’re not volunteering with animals in Bali, do yoga, relax on the beach, hike in the forests, and more.

Already thinking about Bali?  Register now!

Projects Abroad

Projects Abroad began in 1992 with the goal of connecting volunteers to impactful service projects. To date, they’ve placed more than 125,000 volunteers overseas on a variety of projects, including ethical animal conservation initiatives. 

Projects Abroad is a champion of Responsible Travel and works towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They get great reviews on Volunteer Forever , with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars across nearly 350 reviews. If you want to volunteer with animals abroad, Projects Abroad deserves your consideration. They thoroughly vet each wildlife volunteer project for ethical commitment, quality, safety, and impact. So, you can be sure you’re doing good for wildlife. 

Giraffe and Lion Conservation in Kenya

Price : $2,970 for 1 week; $4,260 for 4 weeks

Length : 1 to 52 weeks

Want to protect endangered animals in the savannah? Then head to Kenya, where you’ll work with conservation experts at Soysambu Conservancy, an entity in charge of protecting and conserving local flora and fauna and wildlife. As a volunteer with the conservancy, your tasks will include:

• Researching endangered species in the area, such as Rothschild’s giraffe
• Setting up cameras to monitor wildlife behavior
• Planting trees and removing invasive plants
• Managing waterholes the animals use

As you can see, this wildlife conservation project in Kenya doesn’t involve harmful tourist activities, like elephant rides or tiger petting. The goal is to collect data so that we can protect endangered animals and help them thrive. 

Interested in signing up? Click here !

Animal Rehab in Peru

Price : $3,220 for 1 week; $4,660 for 4 weeks

Journey to the Amazon and help with wildlife rehabilitation and reforestation. As a volunteer, you’ll work to protect wildlife, indigenous plants, and the future of one of the world’s most important natural areas. Duties range from helping with turtle and butterfly breeding programs to collecting data for biodiversity studies. You’ll also assist with rescuing, rehabbing, and releasing injured wildlife, which is really cool. In this program, your work goes a long way in protecting life in the Amazon rainforest . 

If you want to do animal volunteer work abroad in the heart of the Amazon, look no further. The project is based at Taricaya Ecological Reserve, and you’ll have time for travel to popular cities and sites in Peru, such as Cusco and Lima.

Ready to go? Sign up as a wildlife rehab volunteer in Peru here !

Animal Rescue, Care, and Adoption

Think about this: In the USA alone, more than  6.5 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year , according to the ASPCA. Across the world, animal rights and animal ethics still have a long way to go, and that’s causing widespread homelessness and cruelty.

As Maximo Nivel, a  leading volunteer abroad organization in Latin America , describes, in many countries, “a lack of education and understanding of  animals and their unique needs ” has left side streets filled with “abandoned dogs and cats.” Moreover, “exotic species are sometimes illegally captured and kept as pets,” and farm animals get neglected because farmers lack resources to care for them.

Clearly, domesticated animals, including farm animals, and exotic wildlife are enduring an animal rights crisis. From hunger to physical and emotional illness, the consequences have become tragic.

Your service is needed . From  Vietnam  to  Ghana  to  Mexico , animal volunteers can make a significant impact by joining an  animal rescue and care project , like the ones below.

Maximo Nivel

If you want to  volunteer with animals in Latin America , look no further than  Maximo Nivel . A leading organization in study abroad and educational travel in the region, Maximo Nivel began in 2003 and is an  internationally accredited organization .

Maximo Nivel is committed to promoting animal rights in Latin America. Their  animal care and wildlife volunteer programs  strive to protect and heal those creatures that have suffered from abuse, neglect, illegal trading, and other forms of animal cruelty. From horse rescue and rehabilitation in Guatemala to volunteering for exotic animals at a zoo in Peru, you have plenty of opportunities to save animals in need!

Dog and Cat Shelter Volunteering in Guatemala

Price:  from $314 per week ($645 for 1 week; $1,255 for 4 weeks)

Length:  1-4+ weeks

Make the trip to Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage City known for its Spanish colonial buildings. There, you’ll care for stray cats and dogs that deal with hunger and health issues. When you  volunteer with the stray animals , you’ll offer much-needed human company, provide food, groom the cats and dogs, and assist with veterinary care. You’ll help solve a public safety problem as well. Other duties include carrying out educational outreach, running fundraising campaigns, and getting involved with spay/neuter programs.

During off-hours, view the architecture in Antigua, hike in the nearby mountains, and immerse yourself in local culture. Sounds like quite the volunteer vacation, right?

Reserve your place at the dog and cat shelter in Guatemala!

Alpaca Farm Volunteering in Peru

Love alpacas? Then  join this unique farm animal volunteer program in Cusco . You’ll help out at a family-owned farm that produces traditional Peruvian textiles from alpaca and llama wool. The alpacas and llamas are ethically raised, and your job as a volunteer will be to care for them. That includes feeding, cleaning pens, and doing light farm construction.

What’s also nice is that Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes, sits close to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and other Inca Empire sites.

Ready to go?  Sign up to volunteer with alpacas now!

Love Volunteers

Love Volunteers  has become known for their affordability, transparency, and  commitment to making a lasting impact . Founded in 2009, Love Volunteers prioritizes intercultural exchange and serving local communities in a way that truly benefits them. With an  average rating of 96%  from past volunteers, it’s clear they’re doing good work.

Love Volunteers offers plenty of  ethical ways to interact with animals  abroad, from patrolling African game reserves to monitoring Asian elephants to protecting giant sea turtles. If you want to volunteer with animals at rescue, care, and adoption centers, they have high-quality projects in exciting destinations (see below!).

Animal Rescue in Albania

Price:  from $70 per week ($279 for 2 weeks; $829 for 12 weeks)

Length:  2-12 weeks

Contribute your time and energy at an  animal rescue center in Tirana , the capital of Albania. The center is the only animal shelter in the entire region, and provides a crucial safe haven for sick, injured, and endangered animals. As a volunteer, you’ll:

• care for mistreated domestic animals
• provide medical attention to injured animals
• engage in cross-cultural exchange with staff and visitors

The animal rescue center in Tirana receives no government support, so your work as an international animal volunteer is essential. When you’re not helping the animals, explore Tirana, a gorgeous city with colorful architecture and surrounding mountains.

Think this is the program for you?  Apply here!

Wildlife Rescue in Australia

Does wildlife volunteering in ‘the Land Down Under’ interest you? Then travel to Stanley State Forest, a gorgeous natural area in Victoria. There, you’ll  care for indigenous wildlife  that have been forced from their natural habitat, orphaned, or injured. The goal is to nurse and rehab these animals so they can return to the wild.

Past volunteers have great things to say about the wildlife rescue project, like Amanda:

“The project manager is wonderfully nice, as are the other volunteers there and, of course, the wallabies and kangaroos are just precious!”

Ready to serve as a wildlife volunteer in Australia?  Get a spot in the program today!

Wildlife Research and Conservation

If you want to help animals survive and thrive, contribute to  wildlife conservation  efforts as a research volunteer.

As  Global Vision International , an award-winning volunteer abroad organization that tackles wildlife and environmental issues, states, research volunteers play a vital role in the  “success and long-term sustainability” of wildlife conservation programs . Without such support, partner projects “would not have the manpower to conduct their research, protect endangered species, map habitats, and educate local communities on how to  look after their unique environments .”

When you serve as a wildlife  conservation volunteer , you’ll engage in ethical animal interactions (i.e. observing and monitoring). You’ll get to witness magnificent creatures, like sharks and lions, in their natural habitats.

Want to hear about specific conservation experiences? The organizations and projects below can provide an amazing experience and the chance to leave a lasting, positive impact.

GoEco  is a leading ecotourism company and volunteer abroad program provider. They’ve placed more than  17,000 volunteers  in projects since beginning in 2006. And they were recognized as the  2018 Top Volunteer Abroad Organization  by GoAbroad.

GoEco’s wildlife volunteer projects have sustainable goals, respect animals rights, and only include ethical animal interactions. They have strong ethical values, including a strict  wildlife protection policy  for all their programs.

Wildlife Research and Conservation in Madagascar

Price:  from $358 per week ($1,200 for 1 week; $3,580 for 10 weeks)

Length:  1-10 weeks

Journey to Madagascar, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. There, you’ll work with wildlife research experts. You’ll take daily trips into the forest, carrying out surveys on birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. You’ll get to study lemur behavior! You’ll also map vegetation, analyze levels of human disturbance, and participate in educational outreach campaigns. The program teaches a lot of practical skills for collecting scientific data. And the data you gather will contribute to wildlife conservation strategies. How awesome is that?

If you want to  volunteer with animals abroad , this program gives you an ethical, fun way to do so. You’ll stay in a self-sustained beach camp on gorgeous Nosy Be island.

Join the wildlife research project in Madagascar today!

Great White Shark Conservation in South Africa

Price:  from $477 per week ($1,380 for 2 weeks; $5,720 for 12 weeks)

For this project, GoEco partners with a research and ecotourism organization that has received both Blue Flag and Fair Trade Tourism certification. Located in Gansbaai, the Great White Shark Capital, the organization upholds best practices for ethical wildlife tourism and animal volunteer work.

When you join as a  great white shark research volunteer , you’ll work directly with marine biologists, conducting research that contributes to conservation initiatives for sharks, whales, dolphins, and African penguins. You’ll assist with daily diving operations designed to monitor and collect data on great white sharks. During those dives, you’ll encounter great whites ethically (there is no feeding or other tricks to draw them close). Other duties include beach cleanups and wildlife tourism education, where you’ll teach about the issues great white sharks face.

Interested?  Click here to volunteer with great white sharks in South Africa!

Fronteering

Fronteering’s  volunteer abroad programs aim to uplift  indigenous communities  and protect unspoiled nature. Their wildlife volunteer projects take you to exotic, off-the-beaten-path destinations where you can perform crucial research and preserve the local environment.

Fronteering operates programs across the world, in countries like the  United States ,  Brazil , and  Indonesia . Have a real, raw experience in the wild as a research volunteer. Check out two of their best animal volunteer programs below!

Wildlife Research in Guyana

Price:  from $462 per week ($2,695 for 4 weeks; $3,695 for 8 weeks)

Length:  2-8 weeks

When you  volunteer for wildlife in Guyana , you’ll assist with researching the black caiman, the largest predator in the Amazon ecosystem. Sadly, black caimans, along with other Amazon giants, deal with threats to their existence on a daily basis, from poaching to habitat loss to pollution. Through research, study, and educating the public, you can help turn the tides through better conservation policy and greater awareness.

Duties include looking for signs of poaching, mapping of reserves, making trails, and wildlife monitoring. You may even spot black caimans in the wild!

So, want to help the Amazon ecosystem in Guyana?  Volunteer for black caimans today!

Wildlife and Elephant Conservation in Sri Lanka

Price:  from $474 per week ($1,195 for 1 week; $1,895 for 4 weeks)

Length:  1-4 weeks

Unfortunately, elephant rides have become a popular wildlife tourism activity in Sri Lanka. When you  volunteer on this wildlife conservation project , you’ll work to prevent such abuses. As a volunteer for elephants in Sri Lanka, you’ll:

• collect data on foraging elephants
• gather environmental and socio-economic data to develop community-based conservation strategies
• participate in creating solutions for humans and elephants to peacefully coexist
• teach environmental education in schools

This animal volunteer program takes place in and around Wasgamuwa National Park in the central region of Sri Lanka. As a research volunteer, you’ll help a lot with ensuring Sri Lankan elephants can overcome present challenges and prosper.

Ready to help elephants?  Register for this wildlife research project in Sri Lanka here!

Ethical Animal Encounters and Responsible Wildlife Volunteering: a New Way Forward for Wildlife Tourism

It’s time for a new chapter in wildlife tourism. The more we realize the dangers and cruelty of activities like elephant rides and tiger petting, the more motivated we’ll be to seek ethical wildlife encounters and inspire others to do the same.

By serving as a volunteer or intern on animal welfare and conservation projects, and by only going on ethical encounters in natural habitats, you can witness the beauty of wild animals and engage in activities that benefit the animals’ lives. It’s a win-win for both you and the animals.

For more inspiration on how to ethically interact with animals abroad, view our other resources:

The Big 5: Conserve and Protect Africa’s Iconic Animals

Wildlife, Marine Animal, Veterinary, and Conservation Volunteer Abroad

Marine Conservation, Research, and Biology Internships Abroad

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Nick Callos · Writer

With a BA in English Literature & Writing from Boston College, Nick researches and writes about volunteer, intern, and teach abroad programs worldwide. He has studied abroad and taught English in Chengdu, China, and aims to help fellow travelers make a lasting impact on the communities they visit.

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Growing Wildlife-Based Tourism Sustainably: A New Report and Q&A

Copyright: Sanjayda, Shutterstock.com

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• While wildlife and biodiversity are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and a lack of funding for protection, nature-based tourism is on the rise and could help provide solutions for these issues.
• The publication Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism highlights successful wildlife tourism programs in seven countries in Africa and Asia that can be used as models to promote conservation and boost economies.
• World Bank lead economist Richard Damania answers questions on the drivers, innovations and challenges for wildlife tourism, and why the World Bank Group and governments should support sustainable tourism strategies.

Wildlife tourism is a powerful tool countries can leverage to grow and diversify their economies while protecting their biodiversity and meeting several Sustainable Development Goals. It is also a way to engage tourists in wildlife conservation and inject money into local communities living closest to wildlife. Success stories and lessons learned from nature-based tourism are emerging from across the globe.

“Here is a way of squaring the circle: provide jobs and save the environment,” said World Bank lead economist Richard Damania, who has extensive experience in understanding the link between tourism and the economy . In 2016, travel and tourism contributed $7.6 trillion, or 10.2%, to total GDP, and the industry provided jobs to one in 10 people, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council .

While nature-based tourism, which includes wildlife tourism, has been expanding rapidly in the last decade or so due to increased demand and opportunities, wildlife and biodiversity are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and a lack of funding for protection.

Which is why more than ever countries need to look to concrete examples of well-planned, sustainably-run tourism operations that have led to increased investments in protected areas and reserves, a reduction in poaching, an increase in the non-consumptive value of wildlife through viewing , and opportunities for rural communities to improve their livelihoods through tourism-related jobs, revenue-sharing arrangements, and co-management of natural resources.

A recently-released publication— Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism —developed by the World Bank Group and the Global Wildlife Program , funded by the Global Environment Facility , showcases sustainable wildlife tourism models that can be applied to developing countries, and offers solutions and case studies to bring insight into this sector as a mechanism for inclusive poverty reduction and global conservation.

The Global Wildlife Program spoke with Damania to learn more about the growth, challenges, and innovations in wildlife-based tourism.

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Why should the World Bank support conservation endeavors, and how does wildlife tourism help support our mission?

Enlightened self-interest is one obvious reason why we need to promote wildlife tourism.  It provides the most obvious way to reconcile the interests of nature with the imperative for development and growth. Tourism simultaneously creates jobs while, when done well, protects natural habitats.

Prudence and precaution are another reason why investments in nature-based tourism ought to be promoted. The science of “ planetary boundaries ” warns us that many fragile natural environments and ecosystems are reaching their limits and in some cases, the hypothesized safe boundaries have been crossed. Further damage will imply that we lose important ecosystem services such as watershed and soil protection with damaging consequences for development.

But, in my mind, perhaps the most important reason is humanity’s moral and ethical imperative as stewards of global ecosystems. Simply because humanity has the ability to destroy or convert ecosystems and drive species to extinction does not make it ethically justifiable. There needs to be an ethical balance and that is where ecotourism comes in. We need jobs and economic growth, but here is a way to get jobs and growth in ways that meet our moral and ethical obligation.

What have been the drivers behind a burgeoning nature-based/wildlife-based tourism sector?  

I think there are two things that drive it: as habitats diminish there is more scarcity and their value goes up. Everyone wants to see the last remaining habitats of wild gorillas for instance, or the few remaining wild tigers in India. In sum scarcity confers economic value. 

Another force driving demand is the internet and rising lifestyles—you can learn about animals and habitats you might not have known existed, and more people have the ability to visit them. So, you have supply diminishing on one hand, and demand rising on the other hand which creates an opportunity for economic progress together with conservation.

What is your advice to governments and others who are developing or expanding on a nature or wildlife-based tourism strategy?

Tourism benefits need to be shared better . There is a lack of balance with too many tourists in some places, and none elsewhere. Some destinations face gross overcrowding, such as South Africa’s Krueger National Park or the Masai Mara in Kenya where you have tourists looking at other tourists, instead of at lions. We need to be able to distribute the demand for tourists more equally. The Bank has a role to play in developing the right kind of tourism infrastructure.

Those living closest to nature and wildlife must also benefit .   The local inhabitants that live in the national parks or at their periphery are usually extremely poor. Having tourism operations that can benefit them is extremely important for social corporate reasons, but also for sustainability reasons. If the benefits of tourism flow to the local communities, they will value the parks much more.

We also need to be mindful of   wildlife corridors . We know that dispersion and migration are fundamental biological determinants of species survival. Closed systems where animals cannot move to breed are not sustainable in the long run. As we break off the corridors because of infrastructure and increasing human populations we are putting the ecosystems on life support.

There are some who believe we can manage these closed ecosystems, but it takes an immense amount of self assurance in science to suggest this with confidence, and it is unclear that one can manage ecosystems that we do not adequately understand. A measure of caution and humility is needed when we are stretching the bounds of what is known to science.

What are some of the innovative partnerships that are helping the wildlife-based tourism businesses in developing countries? 

One very successful model that has combined wildlife conservation and management and community benefits and welfare is the  Ruaha Carnivore Project  in Tanzania, part of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unite ( WildCRU ). They use a payment for ecosystem services (PES) scheme and do all the right things.

Another example are the community conservancies in Namibia. The community manages the land for wildlife and there are a variety of profit sharing commercial tourism arrangements—although not everything always works fairly or perfectly. Incentives matter deeply and communities need to be guided and need technical assistance in setting up commercial arrangements.

The Bank needs to understand these better and find ways of scaling those up. The IFC has a very good role to play here as well. 

To learn more and to explore numerous examples of community involvement in wildlife tourism from Botswana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Uganda, read the report  Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism   or find a one-page fact sheet here .

The Global Wildlife Program (GWP) is led by the World Bank and funded by a $131 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The program is working with 19 countries across Africa and Asia to promote wildlife conservation and sustainable development by combatting illicit trafficking in wildlife, and investing in wildlife-based tourism. 

• Full Report: Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism
• Fact Sheet on Key Messages
• Report: Twenty Reasons Sustainable Tourism Counts for Development
• Report: Women and Tourism: Designing for Inclusion
• Blog: Africa can Benefit from Nature-based Tourism in a Sustainable Manner
• Feature: Ramping up Nature-Based Tourism to Protect Biodiversity and Boost Livelihoods
• Website: Global Wildlife Program
• Website: Environment
• Website: Competitiveness
• Global Environment Facility

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Wildlife is our world heritage.

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• WHY WILDLIFE?
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Why Wildlife?

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Wildlife tourism refers to the observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats.

It encompasses segments such as eco-tourism, safari tours and mountain tourism among others. Wildlife watching tourism occurs mainly in protected areas. Nature, national parks and wildlife are considered the most important tourism assets for tourists travelling for instance to Africa.

A WWF report shows that 93% of all natural heritage sites support recreation and tourism and 91% of them provide jobs. For instance, in Belize, more than  50% of the population  are said to be supported by income generated through reef-related tourism and fisheries.

Wildlife represents biodiversity, essential for our health and the well-being of the whole planet.

Wildlife represents biodiversity, essential for our health and the well-being of the whole planet. We live in an interconnected ecological system, where each macro- and microorganism, whether animal, plant or fish affects the other.  Alteration of the natural habitat of any organism will trigger a dynamo effect,  so non-equilibrium in the ecological system as a whole endangers the life cycle of many species. Around 40,000 species of animals, fungi and plants benefit humans. More than the third of our pharmaceuticals originate from wild plants

Wildlife remains a major concern for the international, regional and local communities. Among the multiple risks that menace wildlife are: diseases, climate change and actions of human nature, such as poaching and illegal trafficking. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List Index:

• Amphibians are declining most rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean, partly due to the chytrid fungal disease, 
• The greatest extinction risks for birds and mammals are found in South-Eastern Asia, mainly owing to the conversion of lowland forests.
• 7,000 species of animals and plants have been detected in illegal trade, and the list of species under international protection continues to grow.

Policy measures and higher sensitization of the general public and of specific stakeholders like media professionals appear as needed paths to ensure protection of wildlife and therefore of biodiversity. The engagement of printed, audiovisual and electronic and online media outlets in advocating wildlife as an essential component of biodiversity and as an added potential to tourism development by reporting professionally, accurately and comprehensively on this topic remains a major goal. The increased capacity of the media will enable a framework of action together with governments and civil society to improve wildlife and biodiversity protection.

A WWF report shows that 93% of all natural heritage sites support recreation and tourism and 91% of them provide jobs

Wildlife in the Agenda 2030

Besides been mentioned in the SDGs, wildlife and biodiversity have been placed at the core of most of the discussions of the Agenda 2030. The recent UN Biodiversity Conference (December 2016) was integrated by two Working Groups. Working Group I (WG I) addressed cooperation with other conventions and organizations; a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization; and socioeconomic considerations, liability and redress, risk assessment and risk management, and unintentional transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

The Working Group II (WG II) approved conference room papers (CRPs) on sustainable wildlife management, recommendations from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), and climate-related geo-engineering. WG II further addressed marine debris and underwater noise, marine spatial planning, biodiversity in cold-water areas and pollinators.

Reasons for wildlife protection and conservation

For those still not convinced about the potential of wildlife, lets remind some of the benefits:

• Biodiversity: In nature, different species are connected through various food webs. The disappearance of one species could influence several others down the line.
• Agriculture:  Promoting wildlife conservation could help secure future food supplies. 
• Research:  There may be many undiscovered plants and animals in the wild. 50 percent of the drugs available in the United States were originally developed from microbial organisms, plants, and animals.
• Economics of Eco-Services: ecosystem activities have an effect on the quantity and quality of fresh water accessible to humans.
• Ecotourism: enjoying African ecosystems has been a tremendous stimulus for economies within Africa.
• Environmental Indicators: various animals can serve as indicators for other environmental problems is one of the rarely discussed benefits of wildlife conservation. The loss of peregrine falcons and bald eagles was one of the factors that alerted scientists to the toxicity of DDT,  unnoticed for longer in a less diverse ecosystem.
• Education:  Studying animals and their habitats can be a valuable learning experience for students of all ages.
• Psychological Benefits: Ecotourists experience a tremendous sense of wonder, contentment, and fulfillment from their wildlife encounters.

Challenges in the wildlife global cause

• Trafficking in wildlife and their parts is a criminal international trade worth an estimated $20 billion a year
• Several iconic species —including elephants, rhinos, and tigers, as well as many lesser known species — toward the precipice of extinction
• Examples: The loss of African elephants: 100,000 over the past three years (96 elephants a day, with only 400,000 remaining in the wild across all of Africa).
• Fewer than 30,000 wild rhinos survive.
• A mere 3,200 wild tigers survive in the forests of Asia, including only 1,000 breeding females.

Areas of work , three central goals:

• Stopping the killing;
• Stopping the trafficking; and
• Stopping the demand

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• Download the UNWTO Briefing Paper 'Towards Measuring the Economic Value of Wildlife Watching Tourism in Africa'

Exploring the World of Wildlife Tourism

All the tools, pointers, and inspiration you need to plan your next ethical animal adventure..

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Courtesy of Chobe Game Lodge

Oh, baby it’s a wild world.

People go to great lengths to see exotic animals on their travels

Braving the bitter cold of Antarctica to observe penguins, shelling out big to experience the great migrations of the Serengeti, and diving in shark-infested waters in Australia to swim with, well, sharks. But animal tourism isn’t always so cute and cuddly. Animals kept in captivity for tourism purposes, from “zoos” to elephant corrals, are frequently abused and mistreated.

However, there are still ways to ethically include animals into your vacation—by choosing wildlife outfitters, safari lodges, sanctuaries, and tour experiences that are committed to animal welfare and habitat preservation. And the search to find ethical organizations doesn’t need to be a wild goose chase! In this guide, you’ll find resources that will help you discern what makes an animal experience ethical, as well as pointers to plan your next trip, whether that be in the United States or abroad. And, to really get in the spirit, check out our stories from animal lovers across the world, from a burgeoning “craniac” to a self-proclaimed safari enthusiast.

- Mae Hamilton

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The ABC’s of Animal Tourism

Photo by Daniel Diesenreither/Unsplash

Is There Such Thing as Ethical Animal Tourism?

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a bullhook. In the late 90s, I visited the Big Apple Circus in New York City. Performers and crew members preparing for the night’s show raced around in an atmosphere that smelled of caramelizing cotton candy, hot peanuts, and animal manure. I was standing near a staging area when I saw a young girl wearing a sparkly costume and walking with an elephant. She held a stout pole with a metal hook at its end and I asked her what it was for. She raised her arm, made a fierce face, and said, “To hit them when they don’t obey.” My face flushed with shame—I considered myself an animal lover. Yet, I hadn’t known the elephants suffered for my entertainment. I felt foolish and sad. And I vowed to learn more.

Read the full story.

Everything You Need to Know About Wildlife Corridors—and Where to See Them

Yeah, yeah, we all know why the chicken crossed the road. But figuring out how a chicken could cross the road—especially in the age of six-lane highways and railroad crossings—is a far more pressing question for conservation biologists. The answer to the riddle may be wildlife corridors, which provide a “bridge” between habitats that have been separated by human activity. From elephant underpasses to crab bridges, these animal-friendly pathways provide safe passage for all kinds of critters and score big points for communities interested in ecotourism.

Straight From the Horse’s Mouth

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The Great Nebraska Migration of the Sandhill Cranes and the Birders Who Love Them

I roll into Kearney, Nebraska in the pitch dark and hop out of my rental Buick at the Best Western Plus. I’m greeted first by a smell on the wind: the striking, wild, pungent attestation of livestock farming. It’s fantastic. I’m here.

It’s spring, and the sandhill cranes are making their annual journey north along the Central Flyway from southern Texas up into the northern reaches of Canada. For a couple weeks, these three- to four-foot-tall wading birds will take an intermission along this 75-mile stretch of Nebraska’s Platte River to stock up on food—remnants of last year’s corn harvest—and roost by night in massive numbers in the river’s shallow waters.

Botswana’s Chobe Game Lodge Is Changing Safaris With All-Women Guide Teams

As guests arrive at Kasane International Airport in the northeastern corner of Botswana, a woman driver begins to load luggage onto an open-air jeep. Wearing a khaki uniform with a red and white scarf tied neatly around her neck, she helps the fresh arrivals into her vehicle and cruises through the city’s asphalt roads until she arrives at the entrance of Chobe National Park . As she navigates the park’s bumpy dirt path, she points out blossoming fever berry trees, starlings winging away overhead, and a savanna elephant plodding along as her passengers ooh and ahh. She pauses for a moment to breathe in the air of the plains, before continuing on to join her 19 other fellow safari guides at Chobe Game Lodge —all of them women.

This Lion Safari Gives Travelers a Deeper Look at Wildlife Conservation in Africa

I had barely landed at Phinda Airport when I caught my first glimpse of lions.

I peered through the window of the bush plane at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve , located in a remote corner of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, and couldn’t believe my eyes. About a half dozen drowsy felines taking shade beneath an acacia tree near the tarmac began to rise from their nap. They stretched, then meandered away from the sound of our propellers. I’ve been on close to two dozen safaris in eastern and southern Africa, and lion sightings rarely come this easy. It’s as if these cats knew I was on a lion-themed safari and were here to greet me at the start of my journey.

Journalist Peter Martell on How Conservation Brought Kenyan Communities Together

Peter Martell is a British reporter who spent the past two decades as a correspondent for the BBC and Agence France-Presse, covering war, famine, and climate change across East Africa. His second book, Flowers for Elephants: How a Conservation Movement in Kenya Offers Lessons for Us All (March 2022, Hurst Publishers), includes many of these themes—but in a fresh and inspiring way. It tells the incredible story of how communities across northern Kenya worked together to create a network of protected lands across an area larger than Switzerland.

Wild Trip Inspiration

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The 10 Best Places in the U.S. to See Wildlife

With nearly 3,000 different types of native animal species in the United States and 18,000 types of plants, this is one of the world’s most ecologically rich countries —in fact, it’s recognized by the World Conservation Monitoring Center as one of 17 mega-diverse nations. From Maine’s rocky shores to the green rain forests of Washington, there’s much to see and do right here at home—no long-haul plane ticket or safari lodge reservation required.

The Best International Trips for Wildlife Lovers

Encountering animals in their natural habitat is a sublime and unforgettable experience—and there are so many organizations angling to provide those moments for their guests. For every legitimate, ecofriendly operator, there are untold numbers whose practices are questionable, if not exploitive.

AFAR wants to help you find the best international trips to see wildlife in a responsible way. We have vetted a number of lodges and operators that embrace wildlife viewing practices that are ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible and offer close encounters—without getting too close.

What Is Ecotourism? Definition, Examples, and Pros and Cons

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Ecotourism Definition and Principles

Pros and cons.

• Examples of Ecotourism
• Frequently Asked Questions

Ecotourism is about more than simply visiting natural attractions or natural places; it’s about doing so in a responsible and sustainable manner. The term itself refers to traveling to natural areas with a focus on environmental conservation. The goal is to educate tourists about conservation efforts while offering them the chance to explore nature.

Ecotourism has benefited destinations like Madagascar, Ecuador, Kenya, and Costa Rica, and has helped provide economic growth in some of the world’s most impoverished communities. The global ecotourism market produced $92.2 billion in 2019 and is forecasted to generate $103.8 billion by 2027.

A conservationist by the name of Hector Ceballos-Lascurain is often credited with the first definition of ecotourism in 1987, that is, “tourism that consists in travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas.”

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of ecotourism since 1990, defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education [both in its staff and its guests].”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) looks at ecotourism as a significant tool for conservation, though it shouldn’t be seen as a fix-all when it comes to conservation challenges:

“There may be some areas that are just not appropriate for ecotourism development and some businesses that just won’t work in the larger tourism market. That is why it is so important to understand the basics of developing and running a successful business, to ensure that your business idea is viable and will be profitable, allowing it to most effectively benefit the surrounding environment and communities.”

Marketing an ecosystem, species, or landscape towards ecotourists helps create value, and that value can help raise funds to protect and conserve those natural resources.

Sustainable ecotourism should be guided by three core principles: conservation, communities, and education.

Conservation

Conservation is arguably the most important component of ecotourism because it should offer long-term, sustainable solutions to enhancing and protecting biodiversity and nature. This is typically achieved through economic incentives paid by tourists seeking a nature-based experience, but can also come from the tourism organizations themselves, research, or direct environmental conservation efforts.

Communities

Ecotourism should increase employment opportunities and empower local communities, helping in the fight against global social issues like poverty and achieving sustainable development.

Interpretation

One of the most overlooked aspects of ecotourism is the education component. Yes, we all want to see these beautiful, natural places, but it also pays to learn about them. Increasing awareness about environmental issues and promoting a greater understanding and appreciation for nature is arguably just as important as conservation.

As one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry, there are bound to be some downsides to ecotourism. Whenever humans interact with animals or even with the environment, it risks the chance of human-wildlife conflict or other negative effects; if done so with respect and responsibility in mind, however, ecotourism can reap enormous benefits to protected areas.

As an industry that relies heavily on the presentation of eco-friendly components to attract customers, ecotourism has the inevitable potential as a vessel for greenwashing. Part of planning a trip rooted in ecotourism is doing research to ensure that an organization is truly providing substantial benefits to the environment rather than exploiting it.

Ecotourism Can Provide Sustainable Income for Local Communities

Sustainably managed ecotourism can support poverty alleviation by providing employment for local communities, which can offer them alternative means of livelihood outside of unsustainable ones (such as poaching).

Research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that communities in regions surrounding conservation areas in Costa Rica had poverty rates that were 16% lower than in areas that weren’t near protected parks. These protected areas didn’t just benefit from conservation funds due to ecotourism, but also helped to reduce poverty as well.

It Protects Natural Ecosystems

Ecotourism offers unique travel experiences focusing on nature and education, with an emphasis on sustainability and highlighting threatened or endangered species. It combines conservation with local communities and sustainable travel , highlighting principles (and operations) that minimize negative impacts and expose visitors to unique ecosystems and natural areas. When managed correctly, ecotourism can benefit both the traveler and the environment, since the money that goes into ecotourism often goes directly towards protecting the natural areas they visit.

Each year, researchers release findings on how tourist presence affects wildlife, sometimes with varying results. A study measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol in wild habituated Malaysian orangutans found that the animals were not chronically stressed by the presence of ecotourists. The orangutans lived in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, where a local community-managed organization operates while maintaining strict guidelines to protect them.

Ecotourism May Also Hurt Those Same Natural Ecosystems

Somewhat ironically, sometimes ecotourism can hurt ecosystems just as much as it can help. Another study in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution found that ecotourism can alter animal behaviors in ways that put them at risk. If the presence of humans changes the way animals behave, those changes may make them more vulnerable by influencing their reaction to predators or poachers.

It's not just the animals who are at risk. As ecotourism activities become too popular, it can lead to the construction of new infrastructure to accommodate more visitors. Similarly, more crowds mean more pressure on local resources, increased pollution, and a higher chance of damaging the soil and plant quality through erosion. On the social side, these activities may displace Indigenous groups or local communities from their native lands, preventing them from benefiting from the economic opportunities of tourism.

Ecotourism Offers the Opportunity to Experience Nature

Renown conservationist Jane Goodall has a famous quote: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.” It can be difficult to understand something that we haven’t seen with our own eyes, and ecotourism gives travelers the opportunity to gain new experiences in natural areas while learning about the issues they face. 

Ecotourism also educates children about nature, potentially creating new generations of nature lovers that could someday become conservationists themselves. Even adult visitors may learn new ways to improve their ecological footprints .

EXAMPLES OF ECOTOURISM

The East African country has some competitive advantages over its neighbors thanks to its rich natural resources, paired with the fact that it has allocated over 25% of its total area to wildlife national parks and protected areas. Because of this, an estimated 90% of tourists visit to Tanzania seeking out ecotourism activities. Ecotourism, in turn, supports 400,000 jobs and accounts for 17.2% of the national GDP, earning about $1 billion each year as its leading economic sector.

Some of Tanzania’s biggest highlights include the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro , and Zanzibar, though the country still often goes overlooked by American tourists. Visitors can take a walking safari tour in the famous Ngorongoro Conservation area, for example, with fees going to support the local Maasai community.

The country is also known for its chimpanzees , and there are several ecotourism opportunities in Gombe National Park that go directly towards protecting chimpanzee habitats.

Galapagos Islands

It comes as no surprise that the place first made famous by legendary naturalist Charles Darwin would go on to become one of the most sought-after ecotourism destinations on Earth, the Galapagos Islands .

The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism require tour providers to conserve water and energy, recycle waste, source locally produced goods, hire local employees with a fair wage, and offer employees additional training. A total of 97% of the land area on the Galapagos is part of the official national park, and all of its 330 islands have been divided into zones that are either completely free of human impact, protected restoration areas, or reduced impact zones adjacent to tourist-friendly areas.

Local authorities still have to be on their toes, however, since UNESCO lists increased tourism as one of the main threats facing the Galapagos today. The bulk of funding for the conservation and management of the archipelago comes from a combination of governmental institutions and entry fees paid by tourists.

Costa Rica is well-known throughout the world for its emphasis on nature-based tourism, from its numerous animal sanctuaries to its plethora of national parks and reserves. Programs like its “Ecological Blue Flag” program help inform tourists of beaches that have maintained a strict set of eco-friendly criteria.

The country’s forest cover went from 26% in 1983 to over 52% in 2021 thanks to the government’s decision to create more protected areas and promote ecotourism in the country . Now, over a quarter of its total land area is zoned as protected territory.

Costa Rica welcomes 1.7 million travelers per year, and most of them come to experience the country’s vibrant wildlife and diverse ecosystems. Its numerous biological reserves and protected parks hold some of the most extraordinary biodiversity on Earth, so the country takes special care to keep environmental conservation high on its list of priorities. 

New Zealand

In 2019, tourism generated $16.2 billion, or 5.8% of the GDP, in New Zealand. That same year, 8.4% of its citizens were employed in the tourism industry, and tourists generated $3.8 billion in tax revenue.

The country offers a vast number of ecotourism experiences, from animal sanctuaries to natural wildlife on land, sea, and even natural caves. New Zealand’s South Pacific environment, full of sights like glaciers and volcanic landscapes, is actually quite fragile, so the government puts a lot of effort into keeping it safe.

Tongariro National Park, for example, is the oldest national park in the country, and has been named by UNESCO as one of only 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites. Its diverse volcanic landscapes and the cultural heritage of the indigenous Maori tribes within the create the perfect combination of community, education, and conservation.

How to Be a Responsible Ecotourist

• Ensure that the organizations you hire provide financial contributions to benefit conservation and find out where your money is going.
• Ask about specific steps the organization takes to protect the environment where they operate, such as recycling or promoting sustainable policies.
• Find out if they include the local community in their activities, such as hiring local guides, giving back, or through initiatives to empower the community.
• Make sure there are educational elements to the program. Does the organization take steps to respect the destination’s culture as well as its biodiversity?
• See if your organization is connected to a non-profit or charity like the International Ecotourism Society .
• Understand that wildlife interactions should be non-invasive and avoid negative impacts on the animals.

Ecotourism activities typically involve visiting and enjoying a natural place without disturbing the landscape or its inhabitants. This might involve going for a hike on a forest trail, mountain biking, surfing, bird watching, camping, or forest bathing . 

Traveling in a way that minimizes carbon emissions, like taking a train or bike instead of flying, may also be part of an ecotourism trip. Because these modes of travel tend to be slower, they may be appreciated as enjoyable and relaxing ecotourism activities.

The Wolf Conservation Center ’s programing in New York State is an example of ecotourism. This non-profit organization is dedicated to the preservation of endangered wolf species. It hosts educational sessions that allow visitors to observe wolves from a safe distance. These programs help to fund the nonprofit organization’s conservation and wildlife rehabilitation efforts.

Stonehouse, Bernard. " Ecotourism ." Environmental Geology: Encyclopedia of Earth Science , 1999, doi:10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_101

" What is Ecotourism? " The International Ecotourism Society .

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" About Costa Rica ." Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington DC .

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Guest Essay

A Dire Threat to a National Wildlife Treasure

By Margaret Renkl

Ms. Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South.

One of the hardest things to reconcile about living in the American South is how this region of extraordinary natural beauty, this still wild place of irreplaceable biodiversity, is mostly in the hands of politicians who will gladly sell it to the highest bidder. It’s hard to reconcile how even land that’s ostensibly protected is never truly safe . And how state regulators charged with protecting it will often look the other way when the highest bidder violates the state’s own environmental regulations .

An egregious example of this pattern is unfolding in Georgia, where state officials are poised to approve a strip mine on the southeastern edge of the magnificent Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge .

At 407,000 acres, the Okefenokee is the largest ecologically intact blackwater swamp in North America and the largest National Wildlife Refuge east of the Mississippi River. It hosts or shelters a huge range of plant and animal life , including endangered and threatened species. It is a crucial way station for migratory birds. Designated a wetland of international importance under the RAMSAR Convention of 1971, it sequesters an immense amount of carbon in the form of peat .

The proposed mine poses a profound risk to the swamp. Trail Ridge, the site where Twin Pines Minerals will begin operations, is a geological formation that functions as a low earthen dam holding the waters of the Okefenokee in place. The mine would remove the topsoil, dig out the sand pits, separate the titanium from the sand and then return sand and soil to some approximation of their original place. To manage all this, Twin Pines would need to pump 1.4 million gallons of groundwater a day from the aquifer that serves the Okefenokee.

It doesn’t sound too bad, I guess, unless you know that this destroy-extract-replace plan is effectively mountaintop-removal mining transferred to the watery lowlands. There is no restoring an ecosystem after an assault like that. Aquatic plants and animals die off if waterways become clogged with silt. Drinking water can be contaminated by heavy metals. Ancient land formations and the habitats they underpin are lost forever. The living soil is left barren.

As a species, we have never let ecological necessity get in the way of something we think we need from the land. Thing is, we don’t need this mine. Titanium dioxide is used primarily as pigment in a range of products, including paint and toothpaste. It is not difficult to find in less environmentally sensitive areas.

Twin Pines, an Alabama company, claims that its proposed mine would bring hundreds of much-needed jobs to an economically depressed part of the state. It does not say how much income would be lost if the mine depresses tourism to this ethereal place, which each year attracts more than 800,000 visitors who spend some $91.5 million while they’re there. Okefenokee tourism “supports 750 jobs, $79 million in economic output and $11.1 million in annual tax revenue in the area,” notes an analysis by The Conservation Fund .

Even by a purely human measure, in other words, there is no compelling reason for Georgia to allow mining on a fragile ridge of land less than three miles from the Okefenokee Swamp.

By environmental measures, of course, setting up a strip mine anywhere near this wildlife sanctuary should be flat-out illegal. Arguably, it already is. Hydrologists at the National Park Service last year found “ critical shortcomings ” in the model Twin Pines used to demonstrate the safety of its plan — a model that “obfuscates the true impacts from mining on the refuge.”

It’s important to note that this is not a battle between the people of Georgia and some out-of-state environmental organizations that don’t understand the dynamics of rural poverty. The people of Georgia treasure the Okefenokee. When I wrote about this risk to the swamp last year, the first period of public comment was coming to a close, and sentiment was already clear: 69 percent of Georgians supported permanently protecting the swamp from development, and Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division received more than 200,000 public responses opposing the mine .

What the people of Georgia know — which Georgia environmental regulators refuse to acknowledge — is that we should react as fiercely to the idea of a mine on the edge of the Okefenokee as we would to “any action that jeopardizes the integrity of something like Yellowstone or Yosemite or the Grand Canyon,” Bill Sapp, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, told Brady Dennis of The Washington Post . Instead of handing it over to some out-of-state company to profit from, Georgia officials ought to be protecting this swamp with every tool they have at hand.

Nevertheless, on Feb. 9, just days after I wrote an essay about the danger to American wetlands in general and to the Okefenokee in particular, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division — don’t even get me started on the irony — issued draft permits for the mine.

Here’s another irony for you, courtesy of reporting by The Associated Press’s Russ Bynum : “The draft permits were released barely two weeks after Twin Pines agreed to pay a $20,000 fine ordered by Georgia regulators, who said the company violated state laws while collecting soil samples for its permit application.” To put this sequence of events another way, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division gave the company a slap on the wrist and then threw it a parade.

How is it even possible that state regulators are on the cusp of approving an unnecessary mine on the boundary of a desperately needed federal wildlife sanctuary? A mine that the state’s own citizens, along with a bipartisan majority of its lawmakers, so vehemently oppose? In a comprehensive report for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Drew Kann lays out the role that lobbying efforts and campaign donations — and a devastating rollback of environmental protections during Donald Trump’s presidency — have played in leaving the Okefenokee so vulnerable.

When Georgia regulators issued the draft permits for the mine, they also allowed 60 days for the public to comment. After April 9, the final permits could be issued, and Twin Pines could begin operations. In the meantime, efforts to defeat the mine have shifted into an even higher gear .

The National Park Service has nominated the Okefenokee refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage site , a distinction that, if granted, would bring additional visitors to the area — and additional scrutiny to Georgia’s management of the swamp.

Officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have informed Georgia regulators that the agency is formally asserting federal rights over waters that affect the Okefenokee. “Disruption to the natural flow of groundwater in this interconnected system could have far-reaching consequences for both the refuge and surrounding areas,” wrote Mike Oetker, the acting Southeast regional director of the agency.

A new bill before the Georgia House of Representatives — which the Georgia Conservancy supports — would call a moratorium on new permit applications for mineral mines using the method that Twin Pines plans to use at Trail Ridge. If passed by the House and Senate and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia before the end of the legislative session on March 28, the new bill would effectively turn the first phase of the Twin Pines mine into a pilot site, preventing the company from expanding mining operations until scientists have had time to gather data and assess the mine’s impact on the swamp. The House is set to vote on Tuesday.

In a virtual public meeting attended by hundreds of people this month, commenters spoke for three hours in defense of the swamp. (No one spoke in favor of the mine.) “There’s just no sense in risking the national wildlife refuge just to make rich people richer by mining for an extremely nonessential mineral,” one local resident said.

There’s no sense in it at all. To build a mine on the edge of the Okefenokee would be to rob nearby Georgians of safe drinking water, to rob our wild neighbors of one of the few truly wild places we have left and to rob the world of an ecological treasure. The Okefenokee does not belong to Georgia. It belongs to the planet. It belongs to us. And we should all do everything in our power to save it.

To comment on the proposed mine by April 9, email [email protected] or send a letter to the Land Protection Branch, 4244 International Parkway, Atlanta Tradeport Suite 104, Atlanta, GA 30354. It is not necessary to live in Georgia to comment.

Margaret Renkl , a contributing Opinion writer, is the author of the books “ The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, ” “ Graceland, at Last ” and “ Late Migrations .”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

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Trails of Wild Life Tourism Essay (Article)

Wild life tourism for nature’s lover is not merely means achieving enjoyment of watching animals or birds but it is more than that. It means coming out of the confines of the four walls of the city blues and entering into the entire different world of nature where every thing is fresh, captivating and soul soothing. Wild life tourism is different for different wild life lovers. Taking a glimpse of birds flying from the yard, squirrel making a dash on the top of the tree, simply watching butterfly fluttering on the flowers but for some, wildlife means actually going into the wonderlands of the wild that could mean going to sanctuaries, forest areas, rivers or seas and into the wilderness of mountains. Looking at its popularity, governments of various countries of the world are laying special emphasis to encourage more and more nature lovers to have a real essence and feeling of wild life in its miscellany.

Wildlife tourism has incorporated all types of natural tourism including adventure and ecotourism involving hunting and fishing, zoos and aquaria and wildlife observations and photography. All these forms of tourism demand proper management of not only quantum and quality of tourists entering into the vicinity of their wildlife areas but also the impact tourism has on the wildlife settings and environment and on specific species. Besides people who are specially seeking the wild life, the preservation of wild life areas provides best recreational facilities even for hikers, campers and for explorers. (Newsome, Dowling & Moore 2005: 18).

In short, wildlife tourism is taken to observe and enjoy the wildlife whether it is in the form of captive or semi captive or in the wilderness of nature. People’s appreciation for the wildlife arise due to their curiosity for the wildlife but more than that number of issues concerning them and the impact that the relationship between the nature and man has created on man like environmental degradation, biological diversity, sustainability in the ecology etc. Owing to the urban life and their isolation from the natural world also increase their curiosity towards the natural world, as it seems to them something mysterious and adventurous. And it is also true as more we try to explore the mystery of nature, we are aroused and more curious we become. Children also have a special attraction for the wild life and in its mysterious world.

The fascination of human beings with the animals is centuries old yet the concept wildlife has taken into shape only century back. According to Malcolm Hunter’s wildlife history, the term wildlife is just one century old but was included in main dictionaries only in 1961 in United States and before 1986 in United Kingdom. But we could see its first use in the book titled Our Vanishing Wild Life in 1913, which focused the attention on the conservation crises during 20 th century. However, this term wildlife was used in the context of the game species and it also included vertebrate species not considered as game rather perceived as human harvesting or culling. (Newsome, Dowling & Moore 2005: 1) But now this concept is used to incorporate various programs and initiatives that government undertakes to boost and give directions to the wildlife lovers enabling them to enjoy more wild life with ease.

The tourism of wild life should be looked in the way it is creating an impact on the ecological balance in the nature and also on the economy of the whole nation. Wild life tourism takes variety of forms and so the impact it creates also varies. For e.g. sport hunting has been allowed in various places as a game with the ideology of various officials that humans should be allowed for hunting as they never damage the wild life resources. This type of hunting includes fish hunting and big game hunting. This kind of hunting has got the support of environmentalists who state that it would help in preservation of biological diversity by helping in the conservation of other natural species. While others strictly oppose such kind of hunting because they feel that it would reduce the genetic quality of remaining wild life population because hunters often kill largest and wildest wild animals. It is also true that nature maintains its own ecological balance and improves the quality of the species by eliminating weak and sick. As the real motive of wildlife tourism is conservation of resources therefore there is no solid reason to give approval to hunting.

Weaver differentiates the tourism in two parts consumptive and non-consumptive. Consumptive means hunting and fishing whereas non-consumptive means bird watching, photographing of animals and other species etc. (Newsome, Dowling & Moore 2005: 5) Currently more is being emphasized on the non-consumptive means of tourism which includes wildlife watching similar to that of game ranches in South Africa where the wild animals are allowed to roam freely and the people are able to watch there favorite animals with full protection and security. There has been a tremendous growth in wild life watching in all these decades. It has increased from 441 million in 1990 to 763 million in 2004 with 52 per cent of these tourists belonged to the recreational and leisure tourism. The growth of international tourists continues and an estimate is that they would reach 1.6 billion in 2020. Besides, there also has been tremendous growth in domestic tourism and according to rough estimates it is even more than international tourism. Equivalent is the growth of wildlife tourism with the growth in wildlife watching. This all has been due to the impact of commercialization that has enabled the wildlife watching filled with fun and excitement. (Tapper 2005: 12).

Tourism Department of the government and other private tourist operators create an environment and facilitate tourists for observations and interaction with wildlife and the ways they adopt have a great impact on wildlife, tourists, and in relation between the two. There were also efforts to encourage tourists to provide food to wildlife that has created a wide spread controversy. The trend has shown both the negative and positive results. The dependency of animal for food on man has increased and also on the human contact. Number of accidents has also increased on owing to the close interaction between the man and animals. Many cases have come to light that show the negative impact from feeding artificial food to wildlife yet in many cases there are psychological, social and economic impacts on humans and in some cases on animals too. Man feels pleasure and satisfaction while feeding animals and they feel themselves closely related to them. Naturally when man enjoys feeding the animals, his visits to the natural reserves would increase and that would ultimately increase the government’s exchequer. But it has deteriorating impact on the health of animals by eating the unnatural food and may cause injuries or diseases to animals. If we weigh the advantages and disadvantages, we would find that though there is considerable number of advantages of making the wild life tourism a national and international agenda yet our lackadaisical approach has turned the whole industry as the most dangerous concept for the wild life.

The desire to increase the possibility and closeness between the man and animals has led to the deliberate habituation of certain species, sometimes with encounters deliberately staged for human beings. Any wild animal can get habituated if it is slowly moulded and conditioned so that it is able to take and accept the presence of human intruders. This process is beneficial to both the animals and man as they could feel the existence and relate to each other without disturbance to any one of them. In this way, animals may feel humans harmless and friendly. For e.g. In the biological reserves of Costa Rica’s Carara, scarlet macaws and white faced capuchin monkeys are very tolerant towards their visitors and stay very close to them without any effect on their habits or behavior. But large number of visitors can also have an undesirable effect on their habitat. Watching cheetahs draped on the tourist’s vehicle is the most common site as cheetahs are now no longer scared of man but it is costing them dearly as this activity is indirectly reducing their species. (Shackley 1996: 26).

According to Duffus and Dearden, “the extent to the impact of tourism on wild life can be related to the type of tourist activity and the level of the tourism development”. (Holden 2008: 88) Further Mathieson and Wall also said “that the resilience of wild life to the presence of humans will influence the degree to which tourism proves harmful to a particular species.” For e.g. the kind of Safari tourism that is being practiced in the Serengeti Park on the Kenyan/Tanzanian border has developed their level of tourism to a considerable degree. Local tourists operators take their tourists in their minibuses and animals most of the time are surrounded by 30 to 40 vehicles full of tourists and maximum of them taking photographs. This intrusion into their area and the noise created by the traffic raises the stress in animals, which can create disturbance in their breeding and eating patterns. (Holden, 2008: 88).

Secondly the danger towards the wildlife is more direct especially in those areas where there is no idea on the level of education. There is a great danger to corals on account of the lackadaisical approach by both tourist’s operators and tourists. Tourist operators plying visitors by boats would drag their anchors through corals causing extensive damage. They would often stand on these corals and touch them causing more damage to this smallest yet most important family member of nature. Besides shells are collected by locals to sell the same to tourists like in the areas around Red Sea, Caribbean and off the coast of Kenya. The most crucial factors for their attitudes are their poverty level, the extent of the provisions of government, economic opportunity and lack of environmental education. Carelessness shown by tourists also affect the behavior of wild life like littering by the tourists can cause death to the animals and can also attract predators of endemic species into areas where they would normally go, as many elephants have been killed by zinc batteries thrown on the rubbish heaps surrounding the outskirts of lodges in the Massai Mara in Kenya. In the Cairngrom mountains of Scotland, foxes are easily tempted into the area for the indigenous ptarmigan and groused leading to their increasing decline in numbers. These foxes are their predators. (Holden 2008: 89).

Some natural resources on which tourists are dependent upon have characteristics quiet similar. It becomes difficult for the indigenous and local population to make avail of these resources on which their whole existence is dependent. Any land transformed for attracting tourists or any commercialized tourists activity destroy the ecological balance and harmony in the nature. For e.g. coastal wetlands have been drained for the development of hotels in Kenya. Caribbean has seen tremendous amount of loss of beech and coral reef ecosystems and there is also continuous deforestation along the mountainsides in Alps in Europe and Himalayas in Asia owing to the tourism. Besides tourist’s intrusions have led to the disruption to the breeding patterns of many of animal species especially in Massai, Kenya.

Pollution caused by increasing number of tourist’s causes lot more detrimental effects on the environment and the wild life, which is so natural and pure. The increasing number of domestic and international flights has increased the level of carbondioxide in the atmosphere leading to global warming and it has also been found that air transport emits nitrogen oxides, which is responsible for reducing ozone concentration in the stratosphere. These emissions of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons at lower levels create smog by forming low-level ozone in summers causing health problems. (Holden 2008: 94). Air transport is the smallest part in the whole game of tourist’s operations; there are many more activities being undertaken by tourist’s operators to attract tourists. In Europe, 83 percent of the total passenger tourists are travelling by their own cars emitting lot more quantity of harmful gases causing danger of global warming. Tourists as far as Northern Europe such as Germany, Scandinavia, and the Benelux countries take a drive to the Mediterranean coast on their vacation. Transit traffic is one of the gravest problems within Alpine area. The quality of the air is destroyed as a consequence of both extra traffic and construction. (Holden 2008: 95) Aesthetic pollution is also one of the gravest concern for environmentalists especially the urbanization of the coasts. The Creole homes have been taken up by the homes constructed with varied architectural styles and display of posters. The construction of hotels, apartments, ski lifts and pistas are emerging causing detrimental effect to the environment. These activities not only cause detrimental effect on the ecological balance but also on visual impact what is known as un-spoilt or undeveloped landscape. For e.g. consequences about the ecological imbalance led Mishan to write in 1969, “once serene and lovely towns of Andorra and Biarritz are now smothered with new hotels and the dust and roar of motorized traffic.” (Holden 2008: 67).

Despite all these disadvantages, wildlife tourism has its own level of advantages and is of great economic value to the local population. Tourists pay significant amount of money to observe particular species of animals and nature. Almost one in every five United States residents has eagerness for bird watching and enjoys the recreational activities and more than 40 per cent take a trip away from home to specially watch birds. It was estimated that expenses involved in the process of watching wild life amount to billions of dollars especially on food, transportation costs and accommodation. (Tapper 2005, 24) The tourism contributes towards the overall economic development of the area in the way of the income earned from tourists who are willing to pay charges for just viewing wild life and besides other expenses that occur on account to their accommodation and fees towards the tourist’s guides. The economic benefits provide further incentives to further conserve the forest areas and habitat of wild life.

Now the trend of eco tourism is also catching up to maintain a balance between the tourism and the protection of wild life. Eco tourism implies tourists to come closer to the wilderness, yet on the same hand prevents deterioration of the natural resources. Its main objective is the process of preserving and maintaining the sustainability of the nature. It welcomes the visitors and allows them entertainment and at the same time supports the cultures of the native people. It increases the importance of local culture and enhances their place in the world, enhances the adventurous spree into the deep wild areas, helps in the self-development and learning many new different ways to adopt and adjust and feel closeness towards the wild. It especially involves the visits to flora, fauna, and areas of cultural importance and for the benefit of tourists and wild life, tourist’s operators and government department of tourism make programs that reduce the harmful affects of traditional ways of tourism and help in increasing the cultural integrity of people. Besides it helps in the promotion of recycling, efficient use of energy, water reuse and provide economic opportunities to the local communities bringing them into the main stream of Eco-tourism. (Fennel 2008: 19).

Wild life tourism is also helping in the community development. In many places like in East Africa, the Seychelles or the Galapagos islands, their tourism is dependent on the wildlife itself and helps in the community development in further remote areas. Tapper 2005: 39) For e.g. tremendous increase in the whale watching had a beneficial effect on the 495 communities all over the world. Some of the studies showed that the many people watching whale shows in and around Sydney, and Australia have nearly doubled and total expenditure has also increased manifold. This kind of tourism can contribute in the conservation process of wildlife. This would increase the awareness about these animals and their habitats, and along with that it would increase the revenue and jobs for the local people. (Deda 2007: Online).

Since the man has born on this earth, there has been a strong bond between the two, which unfortunately got broken due to the advent of industrialization and urbanization. People got more mechanized and remained aloof from the very nature into the laps of which he was born casually breaking all the ties with it. But slowly this trend got suddenly changed as the government and tourist’s department took the wilderness into their homes making them aware of the privileges and benefits they would enjoy. This raised the consciousness of the people to come close to the nature and have a feeling of belongingness towards it. This feeling is now showing the result, as more and more people are moving into the wilderness to capture it in their memory and photographs and carry them back into their own mechanical world.

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Bibliography

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3+ Essays on Wildlife in English (1000 Words)

Exploring the intricate tapestry of our planet’s biodiversity, this collection of essays delves into the captivating realm of wildlife. Through vivid narratives and insightful perspectives, these essays illuminate the remarkable lives of creatures that inhabit diverse ecosystems.

From the mesmerizing behaviors of elusive predators to the delicate balance of ecosystems, each essay offers a unique lens through which to appreciate the intricate web of life that surrounds us.

Join us on a journey of discovery as we unravel the captivating stories of wildlife’s past, present, and future.

Essay on the Importance of Wildlife Preservation

The preservation of wildlife stands as a critical imperative in modern society due to its profound ecological, ethical, and economic implications. This essay delves into the multifaceted importance of wildlife conservation, supported by relevant sources that underscore the urgency of protecting our planet’s diverse ecosystems and the species that inhabit them.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability

Biodiversity, the intricate web of life comprising various species and ecosystems, plays a pivotal role in maintaining the planet’s ecological balance. The works of Wilson (1988) emphasize that preserving wildlife is paramount for sustaining biodiversity.

Each species, from the smallest microorganism to the largest predator, contributes to the stability and resilience of ecosystems. Species interdependence, as elucidated by Pimm (2001), highlights the delicate relationships that exist within natural habitats.

The loss of a single species can trigger a domino effect, disrupting the equilibrium and functionality of entire ecosystems.

Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being

Human well-being is intricately linked to the services provided by natural ecosystems, a concept corroborated by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). The preservation of wildlife ensures the continuity of vital ecosystem services such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation.

For instance, bees, as pollinators, facilitate the reproduction of plants that constitute a significant portion of human diets (Klein et al., 2007). Additionally, wetlands contribute to flood control and water filtration, benefiting local communities (Davidson et al., 2015). The loss of key wildlife species can jeopardize these services, ultimately affecting human societies.

Ethical Considerations and Intrinsic Value

The ethical dimension of wildlife preservation is underpinned by the intrinsic value of all living beings. Regan (1983) posits that each creature possesses inherent worth, deserving respect and protection.

Our moral responsibility to safeguard wildlife stems from a recognition of their inherent right to exist. The hunting and habitat destruction that threaten numerous species, as highlighted by Singer (1975), raise ethical concerns about our treatment of other life forms.

Upholding the intrinsic value of wildlife necessitates adopting conservation practices that honor the autonomy and dignity of these species.

Economic Viability and Ecotourism

Beyond ecological and ethical justifications, the economic viability of wildlife preservation is evident through ecotourism. As demonstrated by studies in various countries (e.g., Buckley, 2004), intact ecosystems attract tourists seeking unique experiences and wildlife encounters.

The revenue generated from ecotourism bolsters local economies, providing incentives for governments and communities to invest in conservation efforts.

Notably, charismatic species such as elephants, lions, and pandas are frequently emblematic of ecotourism destinations, illustrating the direct link between wildlife conservation and economic benefits.

In conclusion, preserving wildlife is vital for ecological balance, ethical responsibility, and economic growth. Biodiversity maintains stable ecosystems, while wildlife benefits human welfare. Ethical duty values all species, and the ecotourism industry highlights economic importance. Embracing stewardship ensures coexistence with nature, securing a conservation legacy.

Essay on the Biotic and Abiotic Factors Affecting Wildlife

Wildlife ecosystems are intricate webs of interconnected factors that influence the survival, behavior, and distribution of various species. Biotic and abiotic components play crucial roles in shaping these ecosystems. This essay delves into the intricate relationship between wildlife and the factors that impact it.

Biotic factors, such as predation, competition, and symbiosis, significantly influence wildlife populations. Predation, as observed in studies like Smith et al. (Reference 1), exerts selective pressure on prey species, driving adaptations in behavior, morphology, and camouflage.

Competition, outlined by Connell (Reference 2), is a fundamental force influencing species distribution and resource utilization. This interaction is evident in the case of Darwin’s finches, where beak morphology evolves in response to food availability.

Symbiotic relationships, as explored by Margulis (Reference 3), underscore the interdependence of species. Mutualistic interactions, like those between pollinators and flowering plants, ensure both survival and reproduction. In contrast, parasitic relationships, exemplified by studies like Brooks and Hoberg (Reference 4), can exert substantial negative impacts on wildlife populations.

Abiotic factors, encompassing climate, topography, and habitat, further shape wildlife dynamics. Climate change, studied extensively by IPCC (Reference 5), influences species distributions and phenology, leading to range shifts and altered migration patterns. Habitat fragmentation, as discussed by Haddad et al. (Reference 6), disrupts ecosystems, limiting access to resources and gene flow. Geological factors, highlighted by studies like Davis and Slobodkin (Reference 7), contribute to speciation through geographic isolation.

The interaction of biotic and abiotic factors forms the foundation of wildlife ecology. Studies like Paine (Reference 8) emphasize the role of keystone species in maintaining ecosystem stability. These species, often predators, exert disproportionate influence, preventing overgrowth of certain populations and thus promoting biodiversity.

In conclusion, the intricate interplay between biotic and abiotic factors shapes wildlife ecosystems. Predation, competition, symbiosis, climate change, habitat, and geological conditions collectively influence species distribution, behavior, and adaptation. Acknowledging these factors is essential for effective wildlife conservation and management strategies.

Essay On Wildlife Tourism

Wildlife tourism has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential economic, environmental, and educational impacts. This essay explores the multifaceted nature of wildlife tourism, examining its benefits, challenges, and implications for both conservation efforts and local communities.

One of the key benefits of wildlife tourism is its contribution to local economies. As pointed out by Smith (2019), the influx of tourists to wildlife-rich regions stimulates economic growth through increased demand for accommodations, transportation, and other services. This revenue can subsequently be invested in conservation initiatives and community development, enhancing the overall well-being of the region.

However, the surge in wildlife tourism also raises concerns about its ecological impact. Jones et al. (2020) emphasize that unregulated tourism can disrupt natural habitats, disturb animal behaviors, and even lead to habitat degradation. Instances of tourists encroaching upon nesting grounds or approaching animals too closely can result in stress and behavioral changes among wildlife populations.

To mitigate these challenges, it is crucial to implement sustainable practices in wildlife tourism management. The guidelines proposed by Anderson (2018) highlight the importance of setting carrying capacities for tourist activities to prevent overcrowding and minimize environmental disturbance. Furthermore, establishing designated viewing areas and educating tourists about responsible behavior around wildlife, as suggested by Roberts (2017), can help foster a culture of respect and minimize negative impacts.

The educational aspect of wildlife tourism should also not be overlooked. As noted by Williams (2021), observing wildlife in its natural habitat can foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for biodiversity and ecosystems. Exposure to the intricate relationships within ecosystems can inspire visitors to become advocates for conservation and environmental protection, thus contributing to a more informed and engaged global citizenry.

Local communities play a pivotal role in the success of wildlife tourism initiatives. Johnson (2018) underscores the importance of community involvement in decision-making processes related to tourism development. When communities have a stake in the management and benefits of wildlife tourism, it can lead to improved cooperation, reduced conflicts, and greater support for conservation efforts.

In conclusion, wildlife tourism presents a complex interplay between economic gains, ecological preservation, and community engagement. By adhering to sustainable practices, promoting education, and involving local communities, the potential for wildlife tourism to serve as a catalyst for conservation and positive socioeconomic impacts can be maximized. As the world continues to grapple with environmental challenges, responsible wildlife tourism has the potential to play a crucial role in fostering a harmonious relationship between humans and the natural world.

References:

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Reconsidering the Impact of Tourism on Wildlife

Tourism has long been regarded as a double-edged sword because of the disadvantages and advantages that it presents to the specific community or country. Tourism has always benefited a country because of the revenue it generates for the specific country. The benefits of tourism include environmental, economic, and cultural aspects recorded by the country and the people. However, tourism has been considered disadvantageous because of the environmental degradation factor it possesses in the country. There is a need to understand both perspectives of tourism if one desires to exploit tourism for the good of the private and public sectors without really endangering the wildlife or the people. The commonly recorded poor management and regulations surrounding wildlife safaris have exerted significant pressure on the animals while also risking the life and well-being of the tourists. Loss of tourism potential has often resulted from loss of biodiversity when there is a strain on resources and land because of excessive usage and an influence on vegetation, mountains, water, coastal surroundings, marine, and wildlife. Overconsumption, especially in places with scarce resources, has resulted in tourism placing pressure on natural resources. In essence, it is essential to dispute the prevalent ideas concerning the influence that tourism has on wildlife and to advocate for a shift toward more sustainable tourist practices.

Overcrowding and Disturbance

Tourism increases foot traffic, and disruptions disrupt natural habitats, which in turn causes wildlife to experience stress. The patterns of breeding, feeding, and migration are negatively impacted, which will have long-term repercussions for the survival of species populations. The development of tourism infrastructure and construction work has significant repercussions for the environment, including the reduction of green spaces, the destruction of forests, the accumulation of solid waste and sewage, the excessive consumption of air and water, the emission of carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to the pollution of air and water, the occurrence of climate change, the loss and displacement of biodiversity, and the environmental degradation of ecosystems. As a result of the unfavorable outcomes of tourism expansion, there will be a great deal of difficulty for both visitors and native people in the not too distant future. The development of tourist infrastructure and land usage frequently stresses natural capital by using an excessive amount of resources, which affects the growth of tourism and its prevalence in society. This can result in soil erosion, increased pollution, the destruction of natural ecosystems, and species extinction as adverse outcomes of tourism that call for specific addressing.

Nevertheless, tourism significantly contributes to economic growth, and many countries have invested in the sector to stabilize their economies. Wildlife is more than capable of adjusting to the presence of travelers to guarantee the success of the tourism sector and a continuous flow of economic advantages. When it comes to the economics of the entire world, tourism is one of the most prominent and rapidly expanding areas; thus, the need to adapt human practices to environmentally suitable practices that encourage the growth of the tourism sector (Manzoor et al. 5). Increases in tourism earnings and the creation of thousands of employment opportunities are crucial benefits of tourism to a given society or country. Wildlife tourism increases public interest in biodiversity while contributing to the social value and economic viability of protected areas, which is why the provision of chances for wildlife observation is a significant component in the governance of protected areas, particularly wildlife reserves (Perera et al. 237). Further, tourism results in the development of a nation’s infrastructure and the cultivation of a feeling of cultural interchange between people and visitors from other countries, which calls for the need to maintain the sector and cultivate practices that will foster its growth. When it comes to preparing for the future, policymakers and managers play a crucial in the success of the sector. As a result, protected areas must pay attention to the main areas of innovation and development to solve the issues of overcrowding and disturbance.

During stakeholder consultations, the most critical actions that can be highlighted are the diversification of wildlife tourism offerings based on the preferences of visitors, the development of substitute destinations, carrying capacity-based visitor management, cluster-based management of protected areas, the enhancement of facilities and interpretation services to improve the experience for visitors, an emphasis on moderate volume-high value clientele, and the vigorous involvement from interested parties in wildlife tourism planning. This is necessary to prevent natural area tourism after a pandemic from reverting to a business-as-usual situation.

Habitat Destruction

Loss of habitat, fragmentation of habitat, and habitat degradation are frequently the outcomes of the spread of infrastructure, resorts, and roadways in tourism. As a result of this, the delicate equilibrium that exists within ecosystems is put in jeopardy, and the existence of a significant number of species is put in jeopardy. Numerous animal accidents occur due to the cutting of mountains, which causes the forest to be divided into sections and, as a result, affects the path of numerous species of animals that live there. The actual placement of roads and railroads in the landscape results in the formation of new habitat margins, changes in the dynamics of the hydrological system, and the disruption of natural mechanisms and habitats (Bala et al. 27). Various chemical pollutants and noise are released into the environment as a result of maintenance and operating operations, which damage the surrounding environment. In addition, most terrestrial animals cannot roam freely due to the presence of infrastructure and traffic, which results in the death of millions of individual animals each year. All of the different biotic and abiotic factors work together synergistically, both locally and on a more overall scale. The development of transportation infrastructure not only results in the destruction and isolation of animal habitats but also contributes to the actual fragmentation of landscape areas.

However, with the proper measures and activities, the expansion of tourism strengthens local economies and generates employment opportunities without inflicting substantial environmental damage. The economy, the community, and the people all stand to profit in a variety of ways from tourism. Tourism is a significant contributor to the economy since it generates cash. Additionally, tourism has an obligation to the government to alleviate poverty, offer possibilities for job placements, safeguard habitats, and maintain natural ecosystems and biodiversity. There is a presumption that if the tourist sector is allowed to operate independently, it would most likely prioritize its commercial interests over preserving the environment or preserving biodiversity. Providing a clean environment, nature, and ecosystem falls directly under the purview of governments, who are the guardians of the lives and well-being of the people they govern. Tourism is a significant employer of women worldwide, with many women working in all aspects of the industry and most women working in sub-industries such as the hospitality and culinary industries. There are significant obstacles to overcome to achieve an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future of work. This is because a significant number of tourist workers are at risk of experiencing long-term effects throughout their working lives. These implications may include difficulties participating in the labor market and advancing their careers. On the other hand, the rebuilding process also presents a chance to construct a more equitable and sustainable future for all of the workers from the industry.

Wildlife Exploitation

In addition to contributing to the extinction of endangered species, the desire for wildlife encounters, which includes unethical animal interactions and trophy hunting, is a significant driver of criminal activities. The exploitation of endangered animal populations is frequently the result of the circumvention of stringent legislation. Specific animal-based tourism will be successful or unsuccessful depending on whether there is a shift in public attitude toward either a higher appreciation for animal welfare and condemnation of unethical methods or an increased concern for host places and people who need to make a livelihood in an uncertain future (Von Essen et al. 17). Similar to how current trends and ideals will have a significant influence on the future of some tourist activities, global travel patterns and pandemics will also have a significant impact. From an ethical and welfare perspective, sympathetic animal-based tourism that might balance the well-being of animals with the interests of tourists is one of the most significant challenges facing the travel and tourism sector. Other challenges that must be addressed include the role of technology in strengthening, promoting, or substituting animal-based tourism, cultural relativism as a possible obstacle to establishing universal animal welfare norms, and the possibility of understanding animal-based tourism.

Additionally, there is the potential to introduce trophy hunting and mass tourism as a means of generating cash for the community while also contributing to the preservation and maintenance of the ecology in the region. Implementing these measures has resulted in economic gains; nevertheless, these benefits have been achieved at the expense of other environmental concerns. Trophy hunting and mass tourism have both contributed to a variety of ecological difficulties (Rashid et al. 1). As a result of the fact that trophy hunting has not been based on scientific population statistics, it has not contributed to an increase in the number of wild ungulates or wild mammalian species. Although the number of people visiting tourist areas has skyrocketed, the ecology has been harmed due to the pollution produced, and the fauna has been badly affected.

The public is educated, and conservation awareness is fostered via wildlife tourism. In addition, it has been demonstrated that wildlife-based tourism is an excellent method for modifying visitors’ environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This is accomplished by providing them with direct contact with animals, accompanied by good conservation messages. Wildlife-based tourism businesses are essential partners in teaching and motivating individuals to engage in informed conservation efforts. Conservation messaging is not often a priority for many wildlife-based tourist operators, who frequently fail to establish meaningful ties between people and wildlife by using effective conservation education and proactive environmental assessments. This is because conservation messaging is not always given priority.

Climate Change and Pollution

The carbon footprint of travel, the destruction of forests for the construction of tourism infrastructure, and the pollution caused by garbage created by visitors are all factors that are contributing to climate change and environmental degradation, which in turn has an additional impact on species and the ecosystems in which they live. The relationship between a strategy to alleviate the consequences of climate change and low-carbon tourism relies on two measures to reduce carbon emissions. These initiatives together provide the foundation of the connection. Reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere and removing any greenhouse gases that have been previously emitted are the goals of the programs (Song 1). To avoid and manage the destruction of environmentally friendly tourism caused by climate change, the most critical task is to manage the carbon risk linked to the shift to a net-zero economy. When it is possible to decarbonize tourism to a level compatible with science-based policy objectives, tourism cannot be considered sustainable. The resurgence of tourism as a response to climate change entails the implementation of a low-carbon path, which includes reforming policies and institutions, changes in behavior, and action to combat climate change as significant components.

The tourism industry helps raise awareness about environmental issues, and environmentally responsible behaviors are becoming increasingly widespread. To ensure the successful conservation of environmental and natural resources, developing sustainable ecotourism requires supporting policy interventions from the government. These interventions must be developed without jeopardizing the populace’s economic viability and social well-being. On the one hand, the expansion and development of tourism generates economic activity; on the other hand, it has particularly adverse effects on the environment and the culture of the people living there.

Works Cited

Bala, Ankush, et al.  Environmental, Bio-Social, and Economic Impact of Road Construction at Kunjwani-Nagrota Bypass Highway, Jammu Dist. (J&K), India.  IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT), 2020, 10.9790/2402-1504022736.

Manzoor, Faiza, et al. “The Contribution of Sustainable Tourism to Economic Growth and Employment in Pakistan.”  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , vol. 16, no. 19, Oct. 2019, p. 3785. NCBI.

Perera, Priyan, et al. “Challenges and Opportunities for the Resumption of Nature Tourism in Post-Pandemic Sri Lanka.”  International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks , Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2023.03.001.

Rashid, Wajid, et al. “Issues and Opportunities Associated with Trophy Hunting and Tourism in Khunjerab National Park, Northern Pakistan.”  Animals , vol. 10, no. 4, Apr. 2020, p. 597, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040597.

Song, Wonseob. “Climate Change and Tourism Sustainability in Jeju Island Landscape.”  Sustainability , vol. 15, no. 1, Dec. 2022, p. 88, https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010088.

Von Essen, Erica, et al. “Instagranimal: Animal Welfare and Animal Ethics Challenges of Animal-Based Tourism.”  Animals , vol. 10, no. 10, Oct. 2020, p. 1830, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101830.

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Safari And Wildlife Tourism in Kenya Essay Example

• Pages: 11 (2863 words)
• Published: December 13, 2021

Sub-Saharan states are among the developing African states that aim to create income opportunities by coming up with numerous economic activities. Among these activities, tourism forms the back born of the countries’ revenue. Kenya is one of the states with major tourism attraction sites in the south of the Sahara desert; a good example is the Maasai Mara national Reserve that attracts tourists from all parts of the globe. Safari and wildlife tourism is one of the basic economic activities that contribute a large share in Kenya’s foreign exchange.

“THE MARA” as it is also known, is one of Kenya’s national reserves that receive a large number of tourists every year. The locals and the country at large depend much on tourism activities that are promoted by existence of wildlife in Maasai Mara.Tourism activities in Maasai Mara are largely considered environmentally positive and sustainable, t

hus, Kenya as a country encourages tourism activities through favorable policies formulated by its government (Udoto, 2012, p. 56).Tourism means a lot in Kenya’s economy as it contributes to other economic activities in the area. This paper analyses safari and wildlife tourism product in relation to the environment.

Tourism and the Kenyan economy

Tourism means a lot the economy of Kenya, as an economic sector Tourism approximately contributes 25% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Besidesthe environmental, social and economic impacts associated with this industry, safari and wildlife tourism remains an important product for Kenya’s economic growth and development (Udoto, 2012, p. 55).

Wildlife tourism means a lot to Kenya and this has made the government to establish the Kenya wildlife service (KWS) that manages Kenya’s national parks and game reserves including the Mara. Fo

instance, those communities living around the Mara national reserve are also assisted in a number of ways. KWS provides water, security and transport. Construction of roads to and from the Maasai Mara, this promotes better living standards and individual development of the locals (Akama, Maingi& Camargo, 2011, p.283).

Kenya has owed its global reputation as a leading country in wildlife tourism, trade has been promoted through tourism products as victors spend on exports and transport during their safaris in national reserves. Domestic travel and tourism spending is an important source of revenue in the Kenyan economy (Silvestri et al, 2013, p.24). Locals within the country have gotten the opportunity to engage in trade as they sell goods to tourists during their safaris. In Maasai Mara, the Maasai people (local inhabitants of the Mara region) earn their living by selling ornaments and entertaining tourists who came to see wildlife in the area. Through this, their general living conditions have improved rapidly (Schmitz, 2014, p.98). Both the government and private sector have created jobs due to wildlife tourism, hotel industry activities have also flourished in the Kenyan game parks and game reserves (Silvestri et al, 2013, p.30). Indeed, tourism means a lot to the Kenyan economic development, and this is the main reason the government of Kenya is formulating policies to promote sustainable wildlife activities.

Wildlife tourism in Maasai Mara

Named in the honor of the Maasai people who are the ancestral inhabitants of the area, Maasai Mara is a home for many wild animals such as lions, Thomson's gazelle, zebras,African leopards and the wild beasts who keep on migrating to and from Serengeti every year.Tourism activities in Maasai Mara are

very important in the Kenya’s socio-economic development. After independence, Kenya relied heavily on coffee and tea exports to earn foreign exchange; however, this became difficult as the prices of these primary products declined in the world market. Kenya as a country has turned into tourism as a valid alternative (Briggs, 2008, p.23). The Mara is currently on of tourism attraction centers that bring much revenue to the country in addition to creation of jobs to thousands of Kenyans.However, this industry is associated with a number of environmental, social and economic impacts as discussed below.

Environmental impacts of wildlife tourism in the Mara

The environmental sustainability and conservation is one of the critical and most important issuesthat need to be considered and evaluated in any economic activities. Tourism contributes to more than 20 percent of Kenya’s foreign exchange. This sector contributes both negatively and positively to the environment (Jules-Rosette,1984, p.112). Maasai Mara safari tourismon the other hand, has been presented as one of the activities that promote environmental sustainability in addition to the assertion that it is environmentally positive. The following are ways that illustrate how this is true.

Positive impacts

Wildlife is part and parcel of our environment and tourism plays a major role of promoting the value of wildlife. This situation has made locals and the government to engage in campaigns of promoting wildlife in the Maasai Mara national reserve (Akama, Maingi& Camargo, 2011, p.282). Among these campaigns members are warned and educatedagainst poaching and any other activity that may harm wildlife. Through this, environmental conservation is indirectly facilitated as man demonstrates his responsibility of positively contributing to the environment.

Secondly, wildlife habitats form part and parcel of the environment.

Maasai Mara is a large game reserve that occupies a large area in the region. With trees and glass that for an important home of wildlife, the government and locals play an important role of conserving this habitat. Trees are the most important to most wildlife as they not only provide food but also provide shelter and shade to wildlife (Sindiga,1999, p. 197).  By understanding the benefits that come from tourism, the people work through thick and thin to prevent cutting down of forests in the Maasai Mara region that on the other hand contribute to wildlife survival in the game reserve. Thus, wildlife tourism indirectly or sometimes directly contributes to environmental conservation.

This reflects the tourism enterprise in the Maasai Mara as an environmentally positive activity in the country. Additionally, through wildlife tourism, animal friendly behavior is promoted in the region. The practice promotes showing animals in their natural habitats. This has also made the local people who live around the Mara to become friendly with wildlife as they tend to acknowledge their benefits to both their society and the country at large.

Wildlife tourism is therefore linked to the environment, the government aims at providing a quality experience in the Mara. Thus, it encourages biodiversity conservation, water and proper waste disposal in the region. This kind of nature based tourism activities positively impact biodiversity conservation (Udoto, 2012, p. 57).This way, the government and non-governmental organizations in Kenya, succeed in protection of endangered species in Maasai Mara in addition to conservation of large tracks of natural habitats in the region. All the policies formulated by the Kenyan government on tourism issues aim at adequate environmental management(Akama, Maingi&

Camargo, 2011, p.289).

Through wildlife tourism, use of renewable energy has been emphasized in the Mara region. People have been advised against the use of local sources of energy such as burning firewood, and charcoal which contributes to a number of problems (Sindiga,1999, p. 119). First, it will promote cutting down of trees in the region, a condition that is against natural habitat conservation policies. Second, use of firewood and other nonrenewable sources promotes the issue of global warming, a condition that challenges the entire globe. It is therefore important that through wildlife, the above issues are indirectly solved.

Wildlife tourism and safaris also contribute much of the revenue that is used to preserve the environment in the Maasai Mara national reserve. The government uses part of the revenue to reinforce its laws that aim at protecting native species and also the preservation of forests. Wildlife tourism does not only promote environmental protection but also facilitates the restoration of biological diversity and protection of natural resources.

Lastly, through safaris and wildlife tourism, environmental awareness is raised by the government (Silvestri et al, 2013, p.24). The inhabitants of the Mara region have increased their appreciation of the environment and are ready to spread this to other people who live near the wildlife. It is through this that they individuals have become more aware of the value of nature as they have been brought closure to nature itself (Udoto, 2012, p. 56).This has facilitated the creation of an environmentally conscious society which engages in those behaviors that has a main aim of preventing the environment. This awareness becomes a very important positive development of wildlife as members of the society agree

to contribute positively to the environment (Akama, Maingi& Camargo, 2011, p.284)

Negative impacts

World life tourism on the other side has some negative impacts on the environment. The natural habitats and environment is directly affected by the viewing of wildlife in the Maasai Mara national reserve (Sindiga,1999, p. 106). Some birds and reptile species have been reported to be more vulnerable to predators due to increased tourism activities in the habitat.

Additionally, environmental pollution cases have been reported in the region. They are directly causes by either tourists orwildlife conservation officials knowingly or unknowingly. Through their regular use of vehicles, both sound and air in the national reserve is polluted (Marin, 2015, p.80). This largely contributes to creation of a hostile environment in the game reserve (Akama, Maingi& Camargo, 2011, p.283). For instance, sound produced by vehicles used across the reserve has greatly affected fertility in some species of birds, a condition that may lead to extinction. Creation of a hostile environment that makes the animals scared, thus affecting their feeding and nesting sites.

Lastly, unchecked tourism activities can have a large impact on ecology and wildlife. Expansion of wildlife activities around the Mara region such as construction of hotels has greatly improved the livelihood of the local community (Dieke,2000, p.96).On the other hand, this has greatly affected the processes on the land and the organisms. Some activities also encourage unsustainable consumption of plants and animals, for instance, the buying souvenirs in the Maasai Mara national reserve (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2005, p.45).

Socio-cultural impacts of wildlife tourism

Other than environmental issues, wildlife tourism has got a number of impacts on the society and the economy of Kenya. These

impacts are both negative and positive. In Maasai Mara, tourism has affected the way the Maasai people (the original inhabitants of the Mara region) live in addition to their relationship with other societies (Walpole, 2003, p.84). On the other hand, their economic activities have been greatly shaped by wildlife tourism. The following are some of the socio-economic impacts of wildlife tourism in Maasai Mara. There are many socio-cultural effects to the host community, the Maasai people have been affected either directly or indirectly by a number of wildlife tourism that take place in the region. The interactions between them and tourists who visit Maasai Mara have been associated with a number of cultural changes experienced by this community (Kennedy & Kennedy, 2012, p.122). Although the Maasai people have been credited for cultural preservation, some cultural borrowing has been recorded. The Maasai people who live around the Mara region have been changed their dressing code in addition to eating styles.

Secondly, the community’s value systems and behavior has received a slight change. This poses a strong challenge to on the indigenous identity of the Maasai people. Culture brings and promotes a community’s identity; therefore, it can be viewed as a negative impact when certain valuable aspects of a people’s culture are threatened or even lost due to tourism influence. Cultural changes can happen in family relationships and even the general collective traditional lifestyles. Additionally, wildlife tourism has caused commercialization of the local culture. This is where religious traditions and beliefs of the Maasai people have been standardized and commercialized to satisfy tourism desires. For instance, the kind of foods, drinks and accommodation in the Mara region has been designed to

meet tourists’ desires. This also means that, they should not be too strange to be purchasable.

Wildlife tourism in the Mara has made the Maasai people to face changes through adaption to tourist demands. Tourists who visit Maasai Mara need experience the Maasai culture and arts and craft (Riley & Riley, 2005, p.45). In Maasai Mara, craftsmen have responded by making changes on their products so that to meet the demands of tourists. This is also a way of making them more sealable to the visitors.

The Maasai people have also experienced a lot of social stress. There are resource use conflicts in the Mara region. The Maasai are culturally pastoralists who move with their animals from place to place within the Mara in search for water and green pasture. Some resources such as land and water are competed against by tourists and the local people. This brings a problem of scarcity of primary resources (Matias, Nijkamp & Sarmento, 2011, p. 199). The Maasai people have been having regular conflicts with the Kenya wildlife service (KWS) over property destruction caused by world animals. Lions and elephants are known to escape from the reserve and destroy the property of the local people, a situation that can cause poor relationship between the government officials such as game rangers and the community.

There have also emerged conflicts with traditional land uses. As mentioned, the Maasai people are culturally pastoralists who move from place to place with their animals. The Maasai Mara region is culturally a land that belongs to them (The report: Kenya, 2014,p.198). There have been conflicts when they are denied grazing grounds within the national reserve, a situation that can

causes lack of cooperation between them and local government agencies. This has also socially affected the community since they have a limited access to traditionally used areas. Cultural and social impacts can also include: changes in gender roles and family structures, the Maasai people’s local language and culture has been diluted. All these, cause tension and low self-esteem for older generations and men.

Human and wildlife conflicts

Although safari and wildlife tourism is a very valuable resource in Kenya, wild animals are highly associated with damage to the society (Walpole, 2003, p.16).  They generally attack the people and wildlife in addition to damage to crops and infrastructure a situation that facilitates disruption of peaceful existence in the local Maasai community who live close to the reserve. Human-wildlife conflicts are common in the Mara region, some of the conflicts include: human deaths and injuries in addition to destruction of livestock and crops (Walpole, 2003, p.96). Wildlife can also promote transmission of diseases to humans and animals. Diseases such as rabies have been reported in the Mara region (Sharma, 2005, p.125).Humans and domestic livestock are possibly affected; predators and scavengers also promote transmission of diseases by openly dispersing and dismembering of infected carcasses.

To conclude, wildlife tourism in Maasai Mara is a valuable resource to the Kenyan economy. Tourist activities in the region are associated with financial contributions, education and socio-economic incentives for preservation. Indeed, Maasai Mara reserve contributes a lot to the Kenyan tourism industry as it promotes and creates employment opportunities to the people. However, wildlife tourism activities in Maasai Mara are associated with a number of negative impacts. First, it has intensified human and wildlife conflicts in

the area in addition to cultural and environmental problems. Intense tourism activities cause disturbance and stress to wildlife in the area.

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Tourism Essay for Students and Children

500+ Words Essay on Tourism

Tourism Essay – Tourism is a major economic activity that has developed significantly over the years. It’s an activity that can be recognized in both developed and developing nations. In general terms, tourism is the movement of a person from one place to another to visit and mesmerize the beauty of that place or to have fun. Moreover, the concept of traveling is considered a luxury and only people with higher income can afford this luxury.

The Growth of Tourism

Earlier our ancestors used to travel by sea routes as it was a convenient and most affordable medium but it was time taking. Due to, technological advancement we can now easily travel to any place without wasting time we can travel thousands of miles within a few hours. Technological advancement has shrunk the earth into a global village. Besides, the modern modes are much safer than the modes that our predecessors used.

Effect of Tourism on a Country

For any country, tourism generates a lot of money especially a country like India. Due to the Taj Mahal (one of the seven wonders of the world) every year the government raise a huge sum of revenue. Also, because of tourism other industries also bloom. Such industries include transportation, wildlife, arts and entertainment, accommodation, etc.

Moreover, this ultimately leads to the creation of job and other opportunities in the area. But there are some drawbacks too which can affect the lifestyle and cultural value of the country.

Importance of Tourism

Traveling is a tiring and difficult thing and not everyone is able to travel. But at the same time, it’s a fun activity that takes your tiredness away. Travelling adds flavor to life as you travel to different places that have a different culture and lifestyle. Also, it’s an easy way to learn about the culture and tradition of a place. Besides, for many areas, tourism is their main source of income.

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India- A Tourist Attraction

The Taj Mahal is not the only destination in India that attract tourist. Likewise, there are hundreds of tourist destination that is spread over the Indian plateau. India has a large variety of Flora and Fauna. Besides, the equator divides the geographical land of India into almost two equal halves that make India a country where six seasons occurs.

Moreover, in almost every city of India, there is a historical monument made by the rulers in their time period.

Benefits of Tourism

Tourism not only benefits the government but also the people that live in the local area. It also creates a business as well as employment opportunities for the local people which ultimately help the government to earn income.

Benefits Due to Tourism

As we know that tourism contributes a lot to the revenue of the country. Also, the government uses this income for the growth and development of the country. Likewise, they construct dams, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, Dharamshala and many more.

In conclusion, we can say that tourism is a very productive activity both for the tourist and the government. As they support each other simultaneously. Also, the government should consider improving the conditions of the country as more and more number of tourist visit their country.

Above all, tourism is one of the fastest-growing industry in the world that has changed the scenario of the world.

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