Why the night poaching at the safaris by Hotel ★★★ Restaurant Gourmand Coco Lodge Majunga
Tourism is weakened by poaching activity. Yet, professionals in the sector remain weakly engaged, both in the fight against trafficking and in raising awareness among travellers.
Wildlife observation trips and safaris are a major boon for Africa. But these trips are threatened by poaching, even though they contribute to the protection of ecosystems and certain threatened species.
A recent study by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)*, recalls the importance of such a segment. Annual revenues from conservation areas 14 destinations studied out of a total 42, especially South Africa, and Kenya, Tanzania, in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Ethiopia, would reach 300 $ million (274M€). 114 tour operators also shared their data : 144 000 stays sold per year, for an average of 10 days to 433 $ (395€), either 624 million dollars in revenue.
Risks and constraints
Poaching poses dangers and constraints for safari organizers. 93% institutions confirm that this phenomenon exists in their territory, while 26% of TOs report a direct impact on their activity : higher costs for security, change of routes, inaccessible areas, tourist satisfaction down… Beyond the direct impact on animal populations and ecosystems, poaching affects visiting conditions, with animals that are more difficult to approach and fewer in number. It also poses security issues, harms the image of destinations and destabilizes certain regions.
Paradoxically, if the majority of governments explain that they have put in place measures to combat poaching – which have gaps, alone 42% of them communicate on the issue. Tour operators, among which one in two finances this type of initiative, do not communicate more. Less than one in four have implemented a real awareness strategy while the majority of tourists are looking for information on the subject.
Too timid a commitment
“Tourist authorities are only weakly committed to the fight against poaching and the study notes that there is significant room for improvement in this area.. (..). Given its economic importance, the tourism sector can and must play a key role in raising awareness among politicians and tourists (…). It must also participate in the financing of anti-poaching initiatives”, estimates the UNWTO, in a press release.
Governments have a key role in managing the problem. But transparency, problematic in some countries, on the funds collected in the different parks and their use, shows the limits of their action. As Mary Ryce explains, de Environmental Investigations Agency, “the problem is not the absence of laws against ivory trafficking, is that they are not applied correctly”. Poaching even benefits from the support of certain political leaders. Agency releases report following rise in elephant killings in Tanzania – more than 1000 corpses recorded in 2013 – and the disappearance of two thirds of the population in the Selous reserve in 4 years. She denounces the role of Chinese demand, the corruption of Tanzanian officials and the laxity of local justice.
In view of these elements, the involvement of tourism businesses, traveler awareness and links with NGOs – several dozen associations fight against poaching – seem all the more essential.
*The study Towards Measuring the Economic Value of Wildlife Watching Tourism in Africa is based on a survey conducted among 48 African tourism and conservation authorities located in 31 country and 145 international and African tour operators.
by Hôtel★★★ RESTAURANT gourmand COCO LODGE MAJUNGA
