Funding for Conservation Efforts

A major benefit of animal tourism is that sanctuaries and nonprofits dedicated to wildlife conservation receive the economic support they need to run their programs. The money tourists pay to see and interact with animals is funneled into saving those and other species in the area. Many sanctuaries serve as rehabilitation and breeding centers for endangered animals, while others provide permanent homes for animals no longer able to survive in the wild.

Protection Incentives

Animal tourism also provides local communities economic incentive to protect their wildlife from poaching and extinction. Communities, particularly in developing countries, rely on animal tourism to sustain their economy. So many locals dedicate themselves to the wellbeing of their local wildlife.

Increased Activism

Additionally, interacting with wildlife causes people to empathize with animals more than they previously had. These individuals are then more likely to support animal protection endeavors and more willing to pay larger sums of money toward the cause.

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Sources:

Belicia, T., & Islam, M. S. (2018). Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation. Societies,8(3), 59-74. doi:10.3390/soc8030059

Borges de Lima I., Green R.J. (2017) Introduction: Wildlife Tourism Management and Phenomena: A Web of Complex Conceptual, Theoretical and Practical Issues. In: Borges de Lima I., Green R. (eds) Wildlife Tourism, Environmental Learning and Ethical Encounters. Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism (Conservation and Management Series). Springer, Cham

MBITIRU, C. (1996, Jun 02). Conservation program gives kenya landowners stake in saving wildlife; game parks: Animals are the draw for tourists to two pilot sanctuaries owned by local residents. tourism averages $500 million in earnings for african country. Los  Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.ucsb.edu:9443/docview/293281559?accountid=14522

Photo by the Sun.co.uk