Description

At the centre of the elephant tourism industry lie two profound challenges: the delicate balance between income and compassion, and the severe threats to the survival of all remaining elephant species. Trained elephants exchange hands for staggering sums, reaching up to $100,000 each, yet the colossal appetites of the herds, with each elephant devouring over 100 kilograms of sustenance daily, pose formidable economic challenges for camp owners. An elephant camp's revenue is dependent on tourism, with a complex web of specialist businesses, local and international, large and small, contracted to recruit and enable visitors. This results in competition focused mainly on price and profitability considerations. The inadequacies of these business networks and of the administrative controls within which they operate were demonstrated during the complete shutdown of elephant tourism venues in early 2020 due to COVID-19. This authoritative text analyses elephants' vulnerabilities, providing an inspiring call to action for a more compassionate coexistence between elephants and the stakeholders responsible for their individual and herd welfare and survival. Elephant Welfare in Global Tourism is intended for managers, professionals and administrators of elephant camps, refuges and rescue centres, and for NGOs providing advice and support. Academic researchers on wildlife may find inspiration for suitable topics, and examples of current methodologies.

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Author Biography

Eric Laws has an MPhil from the University of Surrey and a PhD from Griffith University. He has retired from full time academic life, and is Visiting Professor at Leshan Normal University, Sichuan, P.R. China. His research interests include tourism service quality, destination management, crisis management and elephant tourism. Eric's publications include nearly 100 journal articles, book chapters and conference papers. The Elephant Tourism Business is Eric's twentieth authored or edited book.; ; ; ; ; Dr. David W. Knight is Assistant Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University (CSU) and Affiliate Associate Professor at Central China Normal University (CCNU) in Hubei, China. As a Center for Collaborative Conservation Fellow and co-Director of the U.S.-China Lab for Destination Development, David's consulting and research have centered on international issues, trends, and theory characterizing resident views of tourism-linked empowerment, p

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CABI (CAB International)

CABI (CAB International)

CABI (CAB International) is an international, non-profit body improving lives by providing information & scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture & the environment.

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher/Imprint CABI / CAB International
  • Publication Date June 2025
  • Orginal LanguageEnglish
  • ISBN/Identifier 9781836990079 / 1836990073
  • Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
  • FormatHardback
  • Primary Price 65 GBP
  • Pages184
  • ReadershipGeneral/trade; College/higher education; Professional and scholarly
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Dimensions244 X 172 mm
  • Reference Code6258

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