Can wildlife tourism help conserve our endangered species?

By Holly Foat, responsibletravel.com

Wildlife watching holidays often focus on the iconic species such as whales, tigers and polar bears, many of which are often the most threatened. So can wildlife tourism help conserve our endangered species?

Some people believe these endangered animals should be kept away from tourists, wrapped up in cotton wool, and some even believe that they should be taken out of the wild to be kept in captivity as a ‘reserve’ to prevent extinction. However, this is preservation rather than conservation and is treating the symptoms not finding a cure. Conservation is about more than saving animals; conservation is maintaining habitats and changing opinions. Animals are primarily endangered by the actions of people, from deforestation to pollution and hunting. Wildlife tourism can have a role to play in stopping detrimental activities by increasing awareness and encouraging people to relish rather than ravish the natural environment.

Tiger holidays
No trip to India is complete without a trip to one of the tiger reserves to see the majestic tiger in its native habitat. Unfortunately, poaching of tigers still continues not only for bones for Chinese medicine but for skins for fashion in Tibet and China. The only way to protect tigers is through official legislation and better policing which many charities lobby for. But through well managed tiger tourism, the countries that are home to these beautiful animals can benefit from the financial income brought into their economy and realise that protecting tigers isn’t just good for their image but also good for their pockets. Increasing numbers of tourists will also raise awareness of the plight of the tiger and help increase publicity for the campaigners.

Whale watching
Whale watching is a rapidly growing industry and is incredibly widespread with major whale watching operations all over the world. Sadly, as most whales aren’t endangered species, whaling (albeit under the guise of scientific purposes) is still carried out in Japan, Norway and Iceland. Recently, Japan has called to resume commercial whaling. In response to the continued whaling, conservation organisations have appealed for signatures to petition the governments of these countries until they cease whaling. Another option to oppose whaling is to support the whale watching industry in the countries that continue to catch whales so that the authorities realise that the increasing revenue brought in by whale watching is a far more reliable and sustainable addition to the economy than whaling.

Dolphin watching
Dolphin tourism is a growing industry and many areas have already felt the financial benefits brought in by increasing tourist numbers. Most locations in the west have now set up codes of conduct to protect dolphins. However, dolphins are still at risk in many areas where tourism hasn’t yet taken off. With the sad loss of the baji or Yangtze river dolphin fresh in our minds it seems clear that if China had an established dolphin watching industry things could be very different today. The conservational value of wildlife tourism has already been recognised in the Amazon where river dolphin tourism has already started and will hopefully save these river dolphins from the same fate.

Wildlife tourism can be instrumental in raising awareness and changing attitudes towards animals. By making each individual animal more valuable alive than dead, it can be possible to encourage both poachers and governments to refrain from killing and to seek out alternative ways to profit from them. Rather than trying to enforce conservation efforts at an international level, the use of tourism to change views at a local level is far more powerful. By viewing animals as a valuable commodity and a key component in the tourism industry, rather than a pest or foodstuff, it is more likely that conservation initiatives will be implemented and successful, ensuring that future generations can visit, watch and enjoy these wonderful creatures. 

Why not help conservation and take one of our wildlife watching holidays? We have tiger watching holidays like this one in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, dolphin watching holidays such as swimming with wild dolphins in the Azores and whale watching holidays all over the world - including closer to home with this whale & dolphin conservation holiday in Scotland. Information about how each holiday can help conservation efforts is included in the making a difference paragraph of each trip page.