Can poaching hinder tourism ?

The resurgence of rhino and elephant hunting in Africa, but also the lack of protection are worrying tourism professionals, who fear that tourists will flee.
Clearly, Africa’s difficulties in protecting its protected species « have a negative impact », a said the president of the African Tourism Association, Naledi Khabo. » And the observation was unanimous: « That it whether they are humans or animals, seeing deaths like this inevitably has consequences » on the activity tourist.
Recently, eleven rhinos from a Kenyan park were killed during their transfer. The Kenyan Minister of Tourism Najib Balala has made amends. In Botswana, too, about 100 elephants were killed by poachers. An NGO denounces a ranger operation and the local government tries to deny it this operation. In all, « environmental crimes » cost developing countries each year over $70 billion.
The illegal resales of elephant tusks and rhino horns, which are traded at very high prices, particularly in Asia, where these products are used in traditional medicine. So, the countries African countries are trying to regulate ivory trafficking. « It is essential that the government and tourism take strong measures and severely punish traffickers, » says Naledi Khabo, who Welcomes the fact that « the number of protected rhinos in Kenya has increased from 300 thirty years ago to more than 1 200 today » and that « we have 35,000 elephants compared to only 16,000 thirty years ago. » The tourists are calling for an effective fight against poaching. « Smuggling harms tourism, » he thought. at this summit of African countries, which now want to control their environment.