Biodiversity Working Group, TAPAS, IUCN
There has been a lot of talk recently about Nature-Positive Tourism.
To be truly be nature positive we need to consider the effects of tourism on, not just the large mammals, reptiles and fish, colourful birds and attractive trees and flowering shrubs appreciated by tourists, but all of biodiversity: the myriads of invertebrates (insects, worms etc.) fungi and tiny plants inhabiting soils and leaf litter, the corals, sponges and other invertebrates of marine ecosystems, etc., especially in Protected Areas (National Parks etc.), where their primary role in nature conservation but where true ecotourism, with its emphasis on protecting the natural ecosystems and educating visitors about them, is a welcome and useful activity.
In 2023, Dr Ronda Green, chair of Wildlife Tourism Australia, was voted in as chair of the Biodiversity Working Group within the TAPAS (Tourism And Protected Areas) Group, which in turn is within the WCPA (World Commission on Protected Areas), itself a sector of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), based in Switzerland.
One of the Biodiversity Working Group goals for 2024 is to collate minimal-impact wildlife-viewing guidelines from around the world, digest some common elements, allow discussion on controversial or largely-unexplored issues, identify some taxon-specific and region-specific guidelines, and ultimately make this as widely available as possible, in an easily-navigable format, to everyone from large International companies to local guides in remote areas of developing countries.
This is still very much a work-in-progress, currently being hosted on this website
For particular guidelines, visit:
General guidelines
Birdwatching
Primate watching
Whale- and other marine mammal-watching
Diving
Australia
Asia
Africa
Europe
North America
Central and South America
Some agreements and some challenges.
It’s so important, but not always easy to decide on a set of guidelines for any particular situation.
We can mostly agree that we want wildlife tourism to:
- avoid or minimise any negative effect on wildlife populations or biodiversity in general
- contribute wherever possible to conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in general
- not cause animal welfare problems
- satisfy tourists
- keep tourists and guides safe
- treat employees and local residents fairly
How best to do so is not always obvious
Some complications:
- difference between species, even within a group: e.g. amongst birds, what works for honeyeaters may not work for eagles
- there are differences between individuals within a species: e.g. what works for kangaroos near tourism or residential areas may not work in outback areas where they’ve been hunted
- it is not always clear what causes stress to an animal, and extreme claims are sometimes made in each direction, from “nature is resilient and we shouldn’t restrict visitor activities even if animals are disturbed by them” to “any form of wildlife-human interaction is inherently cruel”
- tourists with different cultural backgrounds, philosophical views or emotional needs may have very different expectations and attitudes, not all of which can be automatically dismissed
- some effects of wildlife tourism may have negative outcomes but still be better for the wildlife than alternative land uses (e.g. clearing for cattle farms or mining, sports hunting/fishing) if the tourism activities cease: each situation should be carefully considered
Here, the Biodiversity Working Group of the IUCN’s TAPAS group is presenting lists of guidelines collated from around the world, some fairly general and others targeted to specific groups of wildlife. We are also listing some relevant academic and other references.
Guidelines for wildlife viewing
General
Wildlife Tourism Australia
Wildlife Tourism Australia considers the following criteria essential to include:
- – Wildlife conservation (minimal-disturbance of target wildlife and other species sharing the habitat;
- — Where possible positive action for conservation such as habitat restoration (tree, planting weed-pulling …), conservation-related citizen-science research or donations to conservation projects;
- – Animal welfare (this is usually in alignment with conservation, but sometimes there are conflicts);
- – Quality of visitor education about wildlife;
- – Respect for (and where possible contribution to, such as buying and hiring locally) local communities; and
- – Various other matters such as safety for staff and visitors, employee conditions and legislation compliance.
List of minimal-disturbance guidelines presented by WTA chair for discussions at a workshop in Sabah 2023
World Tourism Organization and Guangdong Chimelong Group
World Tourism Organization and Guangdong Chimelong Group (2020), Sustainable Development of Wildlife Tourism in Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO, Madrid, DOI: https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284421572.
This document was edited by Wildlife Tourism Australia committee members Dr Ronda Green and Professor Noel Scott, who enlisted the help of experts from around the world to produce a set of criteria for good practice before selecting a number of operations as case studies.
The criteria were developed with consideration of all stakeholders involved in wildlife tourism:
- – The wildlife
- – Business/organizations offering wildlife experiences
- – Local communities
- – Visitors
- – Public sector
Criteria included (some considered mandatory, some a bonus):
- Business aspects: Expertise amongst management and staff, Regulations/legislation, Supporting conservation research, including citizen science, Interesting, accurate and inspiring nature interpretation, General environmental measures, Social and cultural measures,Business operation, Visitors, Public sector
- Viewing in the wild: Staff training and behaviour, Minimizing disturbance, Combatting illegal wildlife trafficking, Community, Visitors
- Captive wildlife viewing: Physical well-being, Mental well-being, Human-wildlife interaction, Conservation, Visitors, Community criteria
- Additional considerations
Association of British Travel Agents
Association of British Travel Agents (2014), ABTA Animal Welfare Guidelines, ABTA, London.
ANIMONDIAL (n.d.), ANIMONDIAL (online), available at: www.animondial.com (01-01-2019).
Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (n.d.), Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (online): www.wildlifefriendly.org (30-07-2019)
World Animal Protection Australia (n.d.), Compassionate travel: Our advice (online): www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/ (01-01-2019).
Bird-watching
Marine Wildlife Tourism
An extensive list of guidelines from around the world for whale-watching and other marine wildlife tours can be found here https://wwhandbook.iwc.int/en/responsible-management/guidelines-and-regulations
Lawrence, A.J. et al. (2016), Responsible Shark & Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice, Gland, Switzerland: WWF, and Rancho Santa Margarita, USA: Project AWARE and Dorset, UK: Manta Trust.
The World Cetacean Alliance (n.d.), Global Best Practice Guidance for Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching (online), available at: https://worldcetaceanalliance.org (01-01-2019).
Primates
The IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Human-Primate Interactions https://human-primate-interactions.org/responsible-primate-watching-for-tourists/
Guidelines rom Canada
Private sector
–https://nahanni.com/experience/wildlife-and-plant-viewing/wildlife-viewing-guidelines/
–https://www.tourguidecanada.com/canadian-wildlife.html
–https://nimmobay.com/blog-ethical-responsible-and-educational-wildlife-viewing/
–https://www.eaglewingtours.com/conservation-initiatives/whale-smart-company/
Government
–https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/watching-observation/index-eng.html
–https://parks.canada.ca/voyage-travel/conseils-tips/faune-wildlife
https://www.bewhalewise.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Be-Whale-Wise-Brochure-2021.pdf
–https://britishcolumbia.com/things-to-do-and-see/wildlife-viewing/whale-watching-guidelines/
Guidelines for Madagascar
Anti-poaching
From https://www.travelagentcentral.com/tours/african-travel-inc-shares-ethical-wildlife-practices Not Geotagging Endangered Wildlife
While on safari, guests post photos of animal encounters on social media sites, not realizing that embedded within the post or the image is a geotag containing the GPS location of endangered wildlife such as elephants, rhinos and big cats. Poachers use this location data to track animals for poaching. On the eight-day “Under Kenyan Skies” safari, clients spend a day with East Africa’s first all-female anti-poaching unit. Guests can observe a dog-sniffing demonstration, which showcases how the trained bloodhounds track poachers to protect the 57,000-acre conservancy and its species. ATI shares tips on disabling geotagging to allow guests to protect and preserve wildlife:
- iPhone: Settings > Privacy > Locations Services. You can turn off Location Services entirely or just on your phone’s camera
- Android: Settings > Geotags disable; or, Settings > Locations > Tap on the green button to turn off tracking completely
Further references
AITO (n.d.), Sustainable Tourism accreditation (online), available at: www.aito.com/sustainable-tourism/guidelines (30-07-2019).
Ballantyne, R.; Packer, J. and Sutherland, L.A. (2011), ‘Visitors’ memories of wildlife tourism: Implications for the design of powerful interpretive experiences’, Tourism Management, volume 32 (4), pp. 770–779.
Butler, R. (2018), ‘Sustainable Tourism in Sensitive Environments: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?’, Sustainability, volume 10 (6), pp. 1789.
Campos, A.C.; Mendes, J.; Oom do Valle, P. and Scott, N. (2017), ‘Co-creating animal-based tourist experiences: Attention, involvement and memorability’, Tourism Management, volume 63, pp. 100–114.
Chen, I.-L., Scott, N. and Benckendorff, P. (2017), ‘Mindful tourist experiences: A Buddhist perspective’, Annals of Tourism Research, volume 64, pp. 1–12.
Cui, Q.; Xu, H. and Wall, G. (2012), ‘A cultural perspective on wildlife tourism in China’, Tourism Recreation Research, volume 37 (1), pp. 27–36.
D’Lima, C. et al. (2018), ‘Using multiple indicators to evaluate the sustainability of dolphin-based wildlife tourism in rural India’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, volume 26 (10), pp. 1687–1707.
Ecotourism Australia (n.d.), Ecotourism Resource Hub (online), available at: https://ecotourism.org.au (30-07-2019).
Green, R. (2013), Wildlife tourism: a handbook for guides, tour operators, jobseekers and business start-ups, Running Creek, via Rathdowney, Qld, Australia, Ronda J Green.
Green, R. and Higginbottom, K. (2001), ‘The Negative Effects of Wildlife Tourism on Wildlife’, Wildlife Tourism Research Report Series No. 5, Status Assessment of Wildlife Tourism in Australia Series, CRC for Sustainable Tourism, Gold Coast.
Grjerdalen, G. and Williams, P.W. (2000), ‘An evaluation of the utility of a whale watching code of conduct’, Tourism Recreation Research, volume 25 (2), pp. 27–37.
Higginbottom, K.; Northrope, C. and Green, R. (2001), ‘Positive effects of wildlife tourism on wildlife’, Wildlife Tourism Research Report Series No. 6. Status Assessment of Wildlife Tourism in Australia Series, CRC for Sustainable Tourism, Brisbane.
Higginbottom, K. (ed.) (2004), Wildlife tourism: Impacts, management and planning, Common Ground Publishing, Altona, Victoria.
Higginbottom, K. and Scott, N. (2004), ‘Wildlife tourism: A strategic destination approach’, in: Higginbottom, K. (ed.), Wildlife tourism: Impacts, management and planning,Common Ground Publishing, Altona, Victoria,
pp. 253–277.
Hughes, K.; Ballantyne, R. and Packer, J. (2014), ‘Comparing Chinese and Western Visitors’ Responses to Interpretive Signs at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, China’, Visitor Studies, volume 17 (2),
pp. 137–158.
Intrepid (n.d.), Our stance on animal welfare (online), available at: www.intrepidtravel.com/au/animal-welfare (30-07-2019).
Laohachaiboon, S. (2010), ‘Conservation for Whom? Elephant Conservation and Elephant Conservationists in Thailand’, Southeast Asian Studies, volume 48 (1), pp. 74–95.
Leung, Y.; Spenceley, A.; Hvenegaard, G. and Buckley, R. (eds.) (2018), Tourism and visitor management in protected areas: Guidelines for sustainability, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (1998), Ecotourism in India – Policy and guidelines, Government of India, New Delhi.
Moorhouse, T.P. et al. (2015), ‘The Customer Isn’t Always Right: Conservation and Animal Welfare Implications of the Increasing Demand for Wildlife Tourism’, Plos One,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138939.
Newsome, D.; Rodger, K.; Pearce, J. and Chan, K.L.J. (2017), ‘Visitor satisfaction with a key wildlife tourism destination within the context of a damaged landscape’, Current Issues in Tourism, volume 22 (6), pp. 729–746.
Öqvist, E.L.; Granquist, S.M.; Burns, G.L. and Angerbjörn, A. (2018), ‘Seal Watching: An Investigation of Codes of Conduct’, Tourism in Marine Environments, volume 13 (1), pp. 1–15.
Orams, M. (2002), ‘Feeding wildlife as a tourism attraction: A review of issues and impacts’, Tourism Management, volume 23 (3), pp. 281–293
Pearce, P.; Wu, M.-Y. and Osmond, A.M. (2013), ‘Puzzles in Understanding Chinese Tourist Behaviour: Towards a Triple-C Gaze’, Tourism Recreation Research,
volume 38 (2), pp. 145–157.
Pimmanrojnagool, V. and Wanghongsa, S. (2001), ‘A study of street wandering elephants in Bangkok and the socio- economic life of their mahouts’, in: Baker, I. and Kashio, M. (eds.), Giants on Our Hands: Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Domesticated Asian Elephant. Bangkok, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, pp. 34–42.
Rodgers, W.A. (1989), ‘Policy Issues in Wildlife Conservation’, Indian Journal of Public Administration, volume 35 (3), pp. 461–468.
Russell, C.L. (1995), ‘The Social Construction of Orangutans: An Ecotourist Experience’, Society and Animals, volume 3 (2), pp. 151–170.
Schmidt-Burbach, J.; Ronfot, D. and Srisangiam. R. (2015), ‘Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) and Tiger (Panthera tigris) Populations at Tourism Venues in Thailand and Aspects of Their Welfare’, Plos One,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139092.
Sekercioglu, C.H. (2002), ‘Impacts of birdwatching on human and avian communities’, Environmental Conservation, volume 29 (3), pp. 282–289.
Sengupta, A.; McConkey, K. and Radhakrishna, S. (2015), ‘Primates, Provisioning and Plants: Impacts of Human Cultural Behaviours on Primate Ecological Functions’, Plos One, volume 10 (11),
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140961
Steven, R.; Morrison, C. and Castley, J.G. (2015), ‘Birdwatching and avitourism: a global review of research into its participant markets, distribution and impacts, highlighting future research priorities to inform sustainable avitourism management’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, volume 23 (8–9), pp. 1257–1276.
TripAdvisor (n.d.), Improving Animal Welfare in Tourism (online), available at: www.tripadvisor.com/blog/animal-welfare- education-portal/ (30-07-2019)
Wolf, I.D. and Croft, D.B. (2012), ‘Observation techniques that minimize impacts on wildlife and maximize visitor satisfaction in night-time tours’, Tourism Management Perspectives, volume 4, 164–175.
Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WEGA) (2013), Impact of Tourism on Wildlife Conservation, International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), Jakarta, Indonesia.