ABSTRACT
Wildlife tourism has emerged as an important sector of tourism globally. It is estimated to comprise 10 percent of global GDP (Balmford et al., 2009; Weaver, 1999). The multitudes of economic benefits provided by offering tourism opportunities in and around wildlife or nature reserves are recognized (Balmford et al., 2009; Kiss, 2004). However, the negative impacts on reserves, wildlife and local communities are also widely debated (Gaughan et al., 2008; West & Carrier, 2004). Specific criticisms have included the negative ecological impacts on habitats and behavioral impacts on animals that result from heavy vehicular traffic, disturbance caused by people and trash generated (Charnley, 2005; Farrell & Marion, 2001; Gössling et al., 2002; Krüger, 2005), as well as over reliance on flagship species and the neglect of others (Lindsey et al., 2007; Rastogi et al., 2015). Additional concerns include tradeoffs between income generated by private enterprises and jobs provided by them, versus leakage of revenue, the dilution of cultures and affordability-accessibility to the reserves for people who live around these reserves (Archabald & Naughton-Treves, 2001; Banerjee, 2012; Bookbinder et al., 1998; Bruyere et al., 2009; He et al., 2008; Rastogi et al., 2015; Sandbrook, 2010; Stone & Wall, 2004). Lastly, depending on revenue generated from wildlife or nature, focused tourism initiative may be insufficient to sustain conservation and management efforts in reserves (Banerjee, 2012; Buckley et al., 2012; Karanth & DeFries, 2011; Naidoo & Adamowicz, 2005; Wells, 1993). Globally, as wildlife and nature-based tourism continues to grow, emerging economies such as India contribute millions of new visitors with disposable incomes and growing interest in wild places (Balmford et al., 2009; Karanth & DeFries, 2011), making it imperative that we understand these trends and enact policies to sustain growth and mitigate negative impacts.
