Tourism is the\u00a0third\u00a0largest export industry in the world after chemicals and fuels.By 2030, up to 1.8 billion\u00a0are expected to\u00a0travel\u00a0in a single year. As a result, travel\u00a0and tourism\u00a0create\u00a0jobs for over 320 million people and\u00a0generate\u00a010.4\u00a0per cent\u00a0of the world\u2019s\u00a0gross domestic product. But that\u2019s not all: tourism\u00a0is also one of most talked-about components of an effective wildlife economy.<\/p>\n
Despite the industry\u2019s potential, tourism has also been used unknowingly\u2014at times deliberately\u2014used\u00a0to facilitate the purchase and trade of illegal wildlife products. Exotic holidays are popular, but so\u00a0is bringing back souvenirs to remember them. Unfortunately, these souvenirs are often made from illegal animal and plant products. Ivory, turtle and tortoise shell, coral,\u00a0feathers\u00a0and many more wildlife products, dead\u00a0or\u00a0alive, are popular souvenirs for the millions of tourists\u00a0who\u00a0travel abroad each year.<\/p>\n
At least 33,000 elephants are killed every year for their ivory \u2014that\u2019s roughly one in every 12 elephants. Although most responsible\u00a0travelers\u00a0know about the threat facing elephants and would not purchase ivory, dealers have become aware of this and describe their products as \u201cantique\u201d. Similarly,\u00a0rhino\u00a0horn is reportedly worth more than gold or platinum on the international black market, which is why trafficking is on the rise.<\/p>\n
Demand for the rare has\u00a0fuelled\u00a0an international poaching and trafficking crisis that is threatening the survival of some of\u00a0the\u00a0world\u2019s most iconic species and travel destinations. The illegal trade in wildlife is the\u00a0fourth\u00a0largest criminal activity after drugs, arms and human trafficking, robbing countries of billions of dollars of their precious natural resources.<\/p>\n
Nature-based destinations, including Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and others, are starting to limit tourism and increase sustainable tourism practices, due to its adverse environmental impacts.\u00a0According\u00a0to the World Bank, nature-based tourism is growing significantly. In 2017, international tourist arrivals in Africa are estimated to have increased by 9\u00a0percent\u00a0to 63 million visitors, leading to an\u00a08\u00a0percent increase\u00a0in revenue, representing\u00a0$37 billion.<\/p>\n
Consequently, tourism stands to be a huge source for\u00a0both\u00a0the protection\u00a0and\u00a0threat to endangered wildlife and delicate habitats. The\u00a0industry must come together to\u00a0mainstream\u00a0sustainable wildlife tourism and\u00a0play\u00a0a larger role through regulation and awareness amongst its customers.<\/p>\n