special report


Animal welfare


With a world wildlife crisis brewing, Roger Anderson looks at what the tourism industry can do to help and how ABTA is leading the way in providing guidelines


T


he latest Living Planet Report from the WWF reckons that in the last 40-odd years, global wildlife numbers have


declined by more than half. There are now only about 4,000 tigers leſt in the wild, around 800 mountain gorillas and fewer than 2,000 pandas. Numbers like this highlight the reality of


the world wildlife crisis. Rapidly rising human populations (around 75 million extra people on the planet every year) have resulted in the destruction of natural habitats due to the relentless spread of agriculture, urbanisation and industrialisation. Mike Barret, director of science and policy


at WWF-UK, says: “For the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago, we face a global mass extinction of wildlife. Humanity’s misuse of natural resources


is threatening habitats, pushing irreplaceable species to the brink and threatening the stability of our climate. We know how to stop this. It requires governments, businesses and citizens to rethink how we produce, consume, measure success and value the natural environment.” But while animal welfare lobby groups have


done much to highlight the plight of individual species, at rock botom it’s economic forces that determine their ultimate destiny. This is where tourism comes in — and in this


context, it actually pulls both ways. Managed poorly, it can contribute to the demise of wildlife through the creation of massive resorts and all- encompassing transport networks. But it can also help preserve wildlife by placing a high economic value on the natural habitats and wildlife


countrybycountry.com | ABTA Magazine


25


IMAGES: GETTY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76