Wildlife tourism and consumption

The scant existent literature on the link between wildlife tourism and consumption relies on case studies and does not directly measure attitudes towards wildlife tourism or consumption. This paper uses empirical survey data (N = 12,378) from 12 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas to examine the links between wildlife tourism and wildlife consumption, with a particular focus on evaluating forms of wildlife tourism typically considered "non-consumptive." The first set of analyses looked at the full sample and examined the relationships between wildlife tourism participation and (a) acceptability of wildlife consumption and (b) wildlife consumption behavior. The second set of analyses divided the sample by country and by location of the wildlife tourism activity (abroad or at home) and focused on the associations between participation in live animal encounters and wildlife consumption behavior. Models were built for two forms of wildlife consumption: eating/drinking wildlife and purchasing products/souvenirs made from animal parts. The results indicate that participation in entertainment-based live animal encounters is a strong correlate of increased wildlife consumption. Implications for wildlife tourism policies, wildlife consumption research, and wildlife crime prevention are discussed.