When wildlife encounters go wrong: tourist safety issues associated with threatening wildlife

Abstract

[Extract] While much has been written about the attractiveness of wildlife encounters for tourists to nature-based destinations and the need to manage the negative impacts of the tourists on the wildlife, very little has been published in the academic literature on how to manage the negative impacts of the wildlife on the tourists. This chapter will explore the potential impacts of wildlife on tourist safety, as well as on tourists' perceptions of destination attractiveness and travel choice behaviors.

The chapter will describe key results from two recent studies conducted by the authors. The first was a critical incidents study of worst wildlife tourism experiences that generated a substantial number of incidents in which tourists reported being threatened or physically harmed by wildlife. These incidents included encounters from many different places and the results will be placed in an international context in order to understand the extent and nature of this type of threat to tourist safety. The second study is a survey of visitors to the North Queensland region of Australia that explored tourists' perceptions of the risks associated with different wildlife in the region and the impact these risk perceptions had on their travel behaviors within the region. The chapter will then conclude with implications for the management of destinations with potentially threatening wildlife populations.