Wildlife is worth far more alive than dead, $120.1bn wildlife tourism can eradicate illegal trade

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Wildlife tourism generated 5.2 times more revenue than illegal wildlife trade. Wildlife tourism directly contributed U.S. Dollars 120.1 billion to global GDP as against U.S. Dollars 23 billion generated by illegal wildlife trade as per World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Viewing and experiencing animals in their natural habitat, accounts for 4.4 per cent of all direct tourism GDP last year and directly provided 9.1 million jobs worldwide.

The research was released on World Elephant Day. The research shows that the total economic contribution of wildlife tourism totals U.S. Dollars 343.6 billion – equivalent to the entire economy of Hong Kong.

On the release of this research, Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, said, “Our message to tourism businesses, employees and visitors across the globe is that wildlife is worth far more alive than dead.”

Over one-third of all direct tourism GDP across Africa in 2018 is attributed to wildlife (36.3 per cent). North America is the third largest wildlife tourism economy after Asia-Pacific and Africa, directly contributing U.S. Dollars 13.5 billion to GDP last year.

With more than 110 signatories to date, the WTTC’s Buenos Aires Declaration Against the Illegal Trade in Wildlife commits the travel industry to helping to eradicate the scourge of wildlife trafficking in the world, working together to responsibly inform the behaviour of one billion travellers across the world. This new research compounds the rationale behind our work, demonstrating the power and potential of travel to displace such illicit activity.

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