PROMOTING WILDLIFE TOURISM ON GEOTOURISM LANDSCAPE: A STUDY IN MANAS AND KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARKS OF ASSAM, INDIA

AbstractWildlife tourism is a growing phenomenon, particularly in emerging economies such as India. Purported benefits of this growth in tourism include greater tourist interest in, and support for, conservation. We examined the interest, awareness and potential for this support in three prominent Indian national parks, Nagarahole, Kanha and Ranthambore. Park records indicate that most tourists (71%) are Indian nationals. Our surveys of 436 Indian tourists indicate that many were on their first visit to the park (71%) and are well educated (82% with bachelor and master degrees). Most tourists (88%) visited for <1 week and spent <USD 600 on their visit. The main reasons for visiting parks were opportunities to see nature, tigersPanthera tigrisand scenic beauty. Seventy-one percent of tourists indicated they are likely or somewhat likely to return to the parks but only 34% would be willing to visit the parks if tigers are absent. Forty-two percent indicated willingness to pay higher gate fees. Surprisingly, those spending less on their trip were more willing to pay higher fees than those spending more. Sixty-five percent believed that local people benefit from the park, whereas in reality local benefits are few. Our results indicate the potential for the growth of domestic wildlife tourism and support for conservation among tourists but highlight the need for increasing education and awareness on the difficult realities of conservation in India.

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Enhancing Wildlife Education Through Mindfulness

Australian Journal of Environmental Education ◽

10.1017/s0814062600001506 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 97-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Barbara Woods ◽

Gianna Moscardo

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Focused Attention ◽

Wildlife Tourism ◽

Wildlife Education

AbstractIn recent decades there has been an increase in opportunities for people to view wildlife in tourism settings such as wildlife tours, national parks and captive environments such as zoos. This in turn has provided increasing opportunities to educate people of all ages about the value of wildlife and their habitats. One concept useful for enhancing learning is that of mindfulness. This concept suggests characteristics of interpretation that attract and sustain the focused attention of visitors. Using open-ended descriptions of best wildlife experiences from 790 respondents, this study found that 84% of descriptions contained at least one element consistent with the mindfulness concept. This paper argues that a mindfulness model can be used to understand visitor responses to wildlife tourism and direct the design of experiences that enhance learning and enjoyment.

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A review of wildlife tourism and meta-analysis of parasitism in Africa’s national parks and game reserves

Parasitology Research ◽

10.1007/s00436-018-5958-8 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 117 (8) ◽

pp. 2359-2378 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paul Olalekan Odeniran ◽

Isaiah Oluwafemi Ademola ◽

Henry Olanrewaju Jegede

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Wildlife Tourism

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Reasons for visitor dissatisfaction with wildlife tourism experiences at highly visited national parks in Sri Lanka

Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism ◽

10.1016/j.jort.2018.07.004 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. 102-112 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Supun Lahiru Prakash ◽

Priyan Perera ◽

David Newsome ◽

Tharaka Kusuminda ◽

Obelia Walker

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

National Parks ◽

Wildlife Tourism

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Towards a symbiotic wildlife tourism destination attractiveness and sustainability framework for national parks in Kenya.

Managing visitor experiences in nature-based tourism ◽

10.1079/9781789245714.0164 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 164-178

Author(s):

George Ariya

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Tourism Destination ◽

Ecological Value ◽

Lake Nakuru ◽

Behavioural Intentions ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Wildlife Tourism ◽

Destination Attractiveness ◽

Sustainability Framework ◽

Positive Effect

Abstract This chapter presents a wildlife tourism destination attractiveness and sustainability framework based on relevant destination attractiveness attributes and sustainability indicators. The framework was tested at Lake Nakuru National Park (LNNP) in Kenya. Attractiveness was categorized into four dimensions that included wildlife resources, park accessibility, cost of attractions and park image. As the findings indicated, there was direct positive effect of all four dimensions. A relatively low effect was recorded with regard to park image, which is likely to have contributed to low satisfaction experience, future behavioural intentions and park ecological value. In addition, among the repeat visitors' responses, the majority agreed there was increased wildlife disappearance, increased difficulty in sightseeing key wildlife attractions at LNNP, invasive new species within the park, changes in wildlife grazing grounds, infrastructure damage and increased visibility of litter inside the park.

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Sustainable consumption and production of wildlife tourism in Indian tiger reserves: a critical analysis

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes ◽

10.1108/whatt-08-2020-0091 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Mahender Reddy Gavinolla ◽

Vikrant Kaushal ◽

Agita Livina ◽

Sampada Kumar Swain ◽

Hemant Kumar

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Sustainable Consumption ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Wildlife Tourism ◽

Observation Methods ◽

Tiger Reserve ◽

Responsible Consumption ◽

The Status

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to review the existing landscape of consumption and production in wildlife tourism and, more precisely, discuss how tiger tourism is packaged and produced as a product or commodity for the consumption of wildlife tourists. In doing so, the study explores the issues and challenges for responsible consumption and production (SCP) of wildlife tourism in the context of progress toward sustainable development goal (SDG12) responsible consumption and production. Design/methodology/approach The paper combines an analysis of existing literature and insights from the tiger reserve stakeholders. Qualitative analysis using semi-structured interviews and participant observation methods are used to derive insights. Findings This paper explores the status of SCP of wildlife tourism, particularly tiger tourism in Indian national parks. The paper then discusses the implications of SCP for various stakeholders in wildlife tourism. Originality/value This paper explores the perspective of SCP in wildlife tourism, and it provides innovative approaches that stakeholders should adopt.

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