KERLEY, G.I.H, GEACH, B. G. S & VIAL, C. (2003)
Jumbos or bust: do tourists’ perceptions lead to an under-appreciation of biodiversity?
South African Journal of Wildlife Research 33(1): 13–21 (April 2003)
Abstract:
Ecotourism is widely assumed to provide a mechanism for the maintenance of biodiversity. However, the perceptions of biodiversity by tourists have rarely been evaluated. We assessed this during self-guided wildlife viewing in the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, and evaluated the effects of guides on day- and night-drives on the tourists’ perceptions of faunal biodiversity. Self-guided tourists recorded seeing few mammals, reptiles and birds, these being largely limited to the large, charismatic and open-habitat species. Self-guided tourists who had seen elephants expressed satisfaction with their wildlife viewing, although some expressed a wish to have seen other vertebrates. Tourists who participated in guided day-drives saw more species than self-guided tourists, while those who participated in guided night-drives saw the greatest diversity ofvertebrates. In general, tourist interest in biodiversity was largely focused on a few vertebrates; while invertebrates (with the exception of the flightless dung beetle) and plants were largely ignored. We suggest that the quality of wildlife viewing may be significantly improved through the use of guides. Guiding offers an opportunity to expand the community involvement (through employing game-guides) and environmental education components of ecotourism. The findings of this study indicate that tourists focus on a few charismatic species and may hold misconceptions of the nature of biodiversity. We argue that the assumption of an umbrella role of a few charismatic species in protecting ecosystems and their constituent biodiversity is probably precarious. It is imperative that the public, and politicians who make decisions regarding the conservation of biodiversity, are sensitized to the value of biodiversity. Traditional self-guided wildlife viewing in conservation areas generally leads to the tourists having a lesser wildlife experience, which undervalues biodiversity as an ecotourism resource.
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