Locking in Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic for Tourism Destinations: A Case Study of Wildlife Destinations

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is considered a watershed event in global consciousness about human environmental relations, notably regarding wildlife. This chapter explores the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on wildlife tourism, an important niche in the industry. It employs qualitative methods based on the literature review to address how key industry players may innovate out of the prevailing pandemic and chart a more sustainable and resilient sector, given projections of increasing intensity and frequency of extreme events. Findings point to developing niche tourism tailored to address local needs, integrating sanitation and hygiene dimensions with environmental considerations, expanding local tourism, building operational capacities and strategic public-private partnerships. Lasting solutions will depend on individual country contexts and the proactive engagement of local communities. Moreover, the resumption of global tourism can present two plausible end-spectrum scenarios post-COVID 19. The negative end of the spectrum is when industry players continue with business as usual, with little regard for their surrounding environment and being party to ecosystem degradation. On the contrary, the positive end is where industry players become more proactive about nature conservation which underpins conservation. This is argued to hold promise augmented funding for tourism management and conservation to safeguard ecological systems crucial for sustainable tourism and economic development. The ultimate scenario is a function of political will, ample funding, and the proactive role of public-private partnerships (PPP) that is inclusive of local communities, thus leaving no one behind in the process.