Conclusions

R.K. Dowling; D. Newsome

This book began by acknowledging the earlier work of Myra Shackley and her ground-breaking book Wildlife Tourism published in 1996. Over the ensuing years much has been researched and written on the subject but the basic premise of this book is that overall knowledge is still in its infancy. With the increasing interest in wildlife tourism around the world, there is considerable pressure to initiate and implement wildlife tourism in the wild, often with limited, or even no, thought for the impacts on the wildlife under view. The aim of this book is to give voice to some concerns that we share as we move around the world to observe and enjoy the viewing of wildlife. The story that has been shared is by nature, a subjective one, but one, which is hoped, will resonate with you the reader. It paints an optimistic view of the future and illustrates a variety of understandings and approaches to implement its sustainable development. A number of key elements emerge. The first is that it is important for us to examine a human view of the world in order to assess the philosophical base from which we approach the natural environment and wildlife as either a set of attributes resources or both. Secondly, the book dwells on an understanding of ecology as the natural basis from which to interrogate wildlife and wildlife tourism. Planning for wildlife tourism development is then presented as relying on an understanding of the role of stakeholders as opposed to communities as well as their engagement, as opposed to consultation, in the planning process.

Conclusions

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