Tourism, Security and Safety From Theory to Practice

Concluding Remarks
The issue of negative encounters between tourists and wildlife also has implica-
tions for the ecological sustainability of tourism in a region. A common response
to an animal attack on a visitor is the destruction of the animals and in some cases
Tourists and Wildlife: When Encounters Go Wrong
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reductions in the population of the species. Arguably this is a rarely recognized
negative environmental impact of tourism. As visitors move into more and more
remote areas this could become an increasingly important management issue. To
be sustainable, managers in the tourism sector in areas with potentially threatening
wildlife species need to find ways to manage the encounters between tourists and
wildlife for positive outcomes for both sets of participants. In the words of one
study participant, “I think the tourists are more of a danger to the wildlife.”
Concept Definitions
Wildlife encounter
A wildlife encounter refers to any type of contact between
humans and other animals (including insects, birds, and marine creatures). These
encounters can take place in both natural settings and in places where animals are
captive, such as zoos and wildlife parks.
Zoonotic disease
Any disease that can be contracted by humans from contact
with other animals.
Critical incident
A critical incident can be defined as a finite episode of human
behavior that is usually easily remembered and described by the participant, and
that can be examined to provide an understanding of the causes and outcomes of
the incident.
Review Questions
1. Provide an example of each of the main types of risks to tourist safety associated
with wildlife encounters.
2. Describe three of the core factors that appear to be associated with wildlife attacks
on tourists.
3. What features do negative wildlife encounters share with other tourist safety issues?
4. What are the five main factors that contribute to the risks associated with wildlife
encounters?
5. Outline the gaps in our knowledge of negative tourist wildlife encounters and sug-
gest a research program to address these.