Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation
Wildlife tourism is frequently touted as a solution to the problems of increased poaching, habitat destruction, and species extinction. When wildlife is able to pay for its right to survive through attracting tourists, there is an incentive to conserve wildlife populations and the habitats that supp...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-07-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/8/3/59 |
| _version_ | 1818137084822552576 |
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| author | Teo Xin Yi Belicia Md Saidul Islam |
| author_facet | Teo Xin Yi Belicia Md Saidul Islam |
| author_sort | Teo Xin Yi Belicia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wildlife tourism is frequently touted as a solution to the problems of increased poaching, habitat destruction, and species extinction. When wildlife is able to pay for its right to survive through attracting tourists, there is an incentive to conserve wildlife populations and the habitats that support them. However, numerous reports in recent years have drawn attention to the potential negative impacts of wildlife tourism attractions. This paper examines whether market environmentalism diminishes the potential of wildlife tourism to contribute to conservation and the welfare of individual animals. Market environmentalism commodifies the animals involved in wildlife tourism attractions and fuels an anthropocentric worldview where animals are resources to be used by humans for entertainment or economic gain, potentially presenting a threat to long-term conservation. Instead, we call for a decommodified experience of wildlife tourism based on more than just economic value. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:50:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d193e9b061be4047abb98cfab08ebfd9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:50:41Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-d193e9b061be4047abb98cfab08ebfd92022-12-22T01:12:26ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982018-07-01835910.3390/soc8030059soc8030059Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for ConservationTeo Xin Yi Belicia0Md Saidul Islam1Division of Sociology, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 14 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637332, SingaporeDivision of Sociology, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 14 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637332, SingaporeWildlife tourism is frequently touted as a solution to the problems of increased poaching, habitat destruction, and species extinction. When wildlife is able to pay for its right to survive through attracting tourists, there is an incentive to conserve wildlife populations and the habitats that support them. However, numerous reports in recent years have drawn attention to the potential negative impacts of wildlife tourism attractions. This paper examines whether market environmentalism diminishes the potential of wildlife tourism to contribute to conservation and the welfare of individual animals. Market environmentalism commodifies the animals involved in wildlife tourism attractions and fuels an anthropocentric worldview where animals are resources to be used by humans for entertainment or economic gain, potentially presenting a threat to long-term conservation. Instead, we call for a decommodified experience of wildlife tourism based on more than just economic value.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/8/3/59wildlife tourismmarket environmentalismconservationcommodification |
| spellingShingle | Teo Xin Yi Belicia Md Saidul Islam Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation Societies wildlife tourism market environmentalism conservation commodification |
| title | Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation |
| title_full | Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation |
| title_fullStr | Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation |
| title_short | Towards a Decommodified Wildlife Tourism: Why Market Environmentalism Is Not Enough for Conservation |
| title_sort | towards a decommodified wildlife tourism why market environmentalism is not enough for conservation |
| topic | wildlife tourism market environmentalism conservation commodification |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/8/3/59 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT teoxinyibelicia towardsadecommodifiedwildlifetourismwhymarketenvironmentalismisnotenoughforconservation AT mdsaidulislam towardsadecommodifiedwildlifetourismwhymarketenvironmentalismisnotenoughforconservation |