How Tourism Impacts Countries & Wildlife

Tourism is a growing industry, with The UN World Tourism Organisation reporting 1.3 million International tourist arrivals in 2017. The forecast is that this number will reach 1.8 million in 2030. With the surge in global travel, The World Travel and Tourism Council has identified a number of sustainability goals, noting it has “a unique role to play by providing an economic rationale for the protection of endangered species.”

Wildlife tourism, specifically, is also a growing sector. The World Tourism Organisation estimates that 7% of world tourism relates to wildlife tourism, growing annually at about 3%. This could, and already is, creating a huge impact on natural ecosystems and animal species. An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reported in 2008, that different forms of wildlife trade were the second major threat to endangered mammals.

Members protect against the pet trade

Mossy Earth members are aiding the protection of the Alaotran gentle lemur from illegal hunting for the pet trade. Along with habitat loss, hunting is threating the survival of this endemic species with up to 1,000 casualties reported in recent years. Through our Lemur Conservation project in Madagascar our members are supporting the restoration of its habitat and the education of local people. In doing so, the project aims to make people aware of the importance of this beautifully unique animal and its habitat.

If you are interested in becoming a member and contributing to this project and more, see the Take action now section of this guide and select 'Get involved' to find out more.

Social Media Is Putting Animals At Risk

The recent article in National Geographic demonstrates the ignorance of tourists engaging with “wildlife” for souvenir photos. It highlights the atrocities animals endure when employed by their owners for the tourist trade. There are apex predators such as bears and wolves showcased in Russia, used solely for social media photoshoot. The conditions that these wild creatures live in are a world away from their natural habitats.

This is the reality of the legal Wildlife trade, which is incidentally growing because certain people think sharing a photo of this kind on their social media is a good thing. An even crueler version of this is trophy hunting, a trade where big game animals are bred for sport hunting and the photo of the kill is coveted, along with parts of the animal such as the head, horns or antlers.

Champions of Responsible Travel Tourism

One film that exposes the wildlife trade, specifically the shark fin industry prevalent across Asia, is “Racing Extinction”. The film features Emmy Award winning cinematographer, photographer, diver, and marine conservationist Shawn Heinrichs talking about his career working undercover to document the 10 million sharks and rays being killed every year for their fins.

In Zimbabwe, an all-female team of rangers called the Akashinga protect the Phundundu Wildlife area from criminals intent on killing species such as leopard, elephant and rhino. They’ve been trained by a former special forces soldier and of the 37 recruits who started the training; only three quit. 16 were awarded full time jobs, their salary of which is reinvested back into their communities and families. They have experienced abuse and exploitation themselves, so have nothing left to lose when it comes to facing off against illegal poachers.

Over the last twelve months it has been inspiring to see so many travel companies setting up campaigns that genuinely help the environment. Greenwashing in the travel industry is definitely on the decline, where both the holidaymakers and employees at travel organisations, seek impactful and transparent projects that help fight climate change.
Take Not Just Travel who with every booking help fund “Carbon Hero” projects that have an comparatively greater impact on carbon mitigation. From protecting seagrasses in Portugal to supporting termites in West Africa, these Carbon Heroes can be up to 30 times more effective than tree planting!