CONSERVATION
Driving conservation A
ccording to estimates by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals increased by 6% globally in 2018 to 1.4 billion – achieving a milestone two years ahead of UNWTO’s initial projections. Statistics from 2019 are expected to show less dramatic results but will still show growth, along with the demand for triplebottom-line benefits – for people, profits and the planet. In the wake of ethical consumerism, travellers are far more conscious than in previous years of their spending power and their contribution to the greater good, although some question how effective their choices are and whether they’re doing all that they can. Joe Cloete, CEO of the Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, believes that we can make difference to whatever is
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spent when we travel, but urges us to make an informed choice. “Conservation in South Africa is a perfect example of the power of choice,” says Joe.
TOURISM FUNDING CONSERVATION
While the Born Free Foundation jointly funds two sanctuaries at Shamwari and provides care to several big cats who have been rescued from poor conditions in circuses, zoos or from private owners around the world, Shamwari has no other source of revenue besides what guests spend during their stay. “Tourism is what funds conservation at places like Shamwari. Every rand spent contributes to a business model that absorbs the cost of wildlife conservation and rehabilitation. Guests are participating in an immensely successful conservation project,
Private game reserves provide more than just an immersive experience. Meetings reveals how responsible tourism is playing an important role in environmental conservation. which arrested the impact of human activity and returned 25 000 hectares to the rich biodiversity for which the region was once renowned,” Joe highlights. Over the past 25 years, the project has restored much of the natural ecosystem by attracting and re-introducing an abundance of indigenous wildlife at Shamwari, from the big five to the red-billed oxpecker and flightless dung beetle. An essential component of Shamwari’s operation is the expansion, management,
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