RE: Do wildlife tourism actually make people want to conserve nature? A new study suggest that it does!
A valid issue with many great points. I never put much thought into wildlife tourism. I wonder how much the tourism companies help with the conservation of animals, habitats and surrounding ecosystems? Any kind of tourism can have a negative effect on the environment simply by the influx of traffic. Limits should be in place on the number of visitors allowed into the areas.
Does a person that goes on a Safari give more effort into the conservation of that environment having visited? I would think so but who knows? Zoos ( the good ones) have a pretty large impact on education, preservation and conservation.
A similar instance to wildlife tourism would be the tourism surrounding our National Parks and Forests. Without tourism, there would not be much of an increase in education and subsequent conservation of these areas. No doubt it brings money into the area but only a portion of the money is going to be used to negate the effects of the mass quantities of people on the environment.
Tourism is a double edged sword. Thinking in a sustainable manner is extremely important when our natural resources are involved. I wish it didn't take having to go on a Safari to make a person feel they should consider conservation. Or going to a Zoo for that matter.
That's a good question, and I don't think there is a clear answer here. I guess it entirely depends on the organization that owns the wildlife tourism business, the country it operates in, and what type of thing it is.
Thanks for leaving a valuable comment, @kiristin! You raise some good question, and I definitely agree with you that tourism is a double-edged sword. It has played a big part in the conservation of some species, but has also been the demise of others. It's unfortunate that many national parks and other protected areas are dependent on the money from tourists in order to function, but luckily some are financed entirely by the governments, which allows them to protect the area without having to build hotels, shops, and restaurants next to it in order to afford to protect it.