Ways Tourism can Propel Conservation Science Forward

Photo by Marc-André Julien

Traveling to a new place and experiencing something completely outside of your daily life can be a profound and thoroughly invigorating experience. It can change the way you think and even the way you live. Being a tourist somewhere is about getting lost and finding adventure, but it is also about discovering deeper parts of yourself. 

Not surprisingly, tourism is also a huge global industry and economic driver. It accounts for somewhere around 10% of the global GDP and is likely to continue to expand as more and more people across the globe gain the financial means to travel. 

Though tourism is an important personal experience and powerful economic factor, it can come with several costs as well. Perhaps the most significant of these costs is the potential for negative impacts on the native flora and fauna in an area. Unsustainable tourism practices can lead to extreme degradation of an area that has been loved too much, it can drive away diverse wildlife, and destroy habitat within valuable ecosystems. 

Fortunately, that doesn’t always have to be the case. In fact, numerous organizations are focusing their efforts on promoting sustainable tourism. This style of traveling can not only help to conserve an area for the benefit of future generations but can also help to enhance the current environment. Some organizers even believe that sustainable tourism can be a key contributor to propelling conservation science forward in some areas.   

Improving Conservation Efforts

The scientific community is made up of a broad number of professionals who fall into the category of conservation scientists. These are the people who work to sustain and improve natural environments. Today, many are seeking to enlist the help of tourists and other citizen scientists to address conservation concerns.

One popular example of this in action is related to sea turtle monitoring. Sea turtles face numerous threats — many a result of human activity — including coastal development in nesting sites, fishing practices, nest harvesting, and ocean trash. To combat this, conservation scientists have worked with local communities to preserve beaches for turtle nesting and to involve locals in conservation efforts. 

Today, tourists can pay to spend time on the beaches helping to ensure nests are not predated upon, cleaning up trash, and educating other beach visitors about turtle ecology. The opportunity is unforgettable as tourists get to see turtles arrive on beaches to lay eggs and hatchlings emerging from the nest. The experience also provides a powerful platform for experts to educate tourists about sea turtles and ocean conservation.     

Helping Communities

Sustainable tourism can also play a role in local communities by bringing in much-needed revenue. One report estimates that wildlife tourism alone supports nearly 22 million jobs globally and contributes over $120 billion to the global GDP. These can be jobs as park rangers or guides as well as local support positions such as travel offices, drivers, local restaurant owners, and sustainable accommodation operators. 

Ecotourism operations — and the money that comes with them — can also profoundly alter attitudes towards native wildlife in an area.

Many large, well-known national parks are beacons for this type of community conservation effort. For instance, South Africa’s Kruger National Park employs a significant percentage of local community members directly and hundreds of others are indirectly supported by the park’s business. The Galapagos Islands are another example — funding collected from visitor permit fees is used to directly fund ongoing research and conservation efforts. 

Planning a Sustainable Trip

Planning a trip to be more sustainable can seem like a lot of work, but there are many tools out there that will help with the process. The first and most important is taking the time to do your research. Many touring companies proclaim to be conservation-oriented, but actually do very little to prevent exploitation of the environment. Search for companies that do concrete things such as:

• Prevent human-animal interactions that are not natural (i.e. — no bathing with elephants or feeding the monkeys)

• Visit animals in natural settings — this is the best way to see them behaving naturally within their environment anyways

• Employ local tour guides 

• Have a clear conservation-oriented mission statement and policies in place

There are hundreds of ways to become more sustainable as a tourist regardless of the type of trip you are planning. For instance, you can take into account your accommodations — is there an eco-friendlier alternative available? Likewise, you could look into alternative transportation methods, local restaurants, and using reusable gear. 

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Tourism has an important role to play in environmental conservation efforts. Sustainable tourists can be impactful in preserving habitat, supporting more tolerant local communities, and guiding acceptable practices in tour agencies. 

Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy, who has been working with clients since 2017 to lower their environmental footprint and create unforgettable and sustainable experiences for guests.

Does integrating conservation into your tourism offering inspire you to act? Let's work together.