Travel Trade Helping Combat Wildlife Trafficking

Elephant-Jan19

In an effort to help travellers recognize and avoid purchasing the illegal wildlife products that are decimating global populations of elephants, rhinos, tortoises and other endangered species, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), American Society for Travel Agents (ASTA) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) are teaming up to support the mission of the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (the Alliance).

The Alliance is a public-private partnership in which corporate and non-profit member organizations, including WildAid and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), work together with governmental entities to raise awareness about the dangers of wildlife trafficking and to stop consumer demand for endangered species products. Together, the associations serve more than 25 million travellers annually.

The announcement comes as the Alliance releases its “Know Before You Go/Ask Before You Buy” digital toolkit, providing travel and tourism industry leaders with resources they can use to engage travellers in the fight to stop wildlife trafficking. The toolkit includes educational pamphlets, public service announcements and infographics that highlight the importance of ending demand for illegal wildlife products with powerful imagery.

As new members of the Alliance, CLIA and ASTA have made commitments to distribute wildlife trafficking educational material to its member companies, encourage members to adopt policies that support the Alliance’s mission, and lend the voice of their vast networks to speak on this critical issue. ATTA made similar commitments to the Alliance last spring.

Efforts in the travel industry come at a critical time, as wildlife around the world are under threat. From climate change to habitat loss, animals around the world are suffering steep population declines. But in the last decade, illegal poaching has been pushing endangered animals to the brink of extinction.

An unprecedented global demand for exotic wildlife products has triggered an industrial-scale killing spree of endangered species like elephants, rhinos, tigers and other endangered animals. Wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry. Money from the illegal wildlife trade has been linked to organized crime, drug lords, gangs, and corrupt governments – all at the expense of wild animals, the environment, and our national security.

As animals disappear from the wild, the opportunity to view them decreases – creating a domino effect that is rippling across the travel and tourism industry. Ensuring animals remain in the wild is not only good for the wildlife and ecosystems, but it’s also good for business.

“Our planet’s wildlife is disappearing at a devastating rate as poachers meet consumer demand for exotic wildlife products,” said ATTA president Shannon Stowell. “Much of this trade takes place abroad, where travellers may encounter unfamiliar objects and be unaware that they are contributing to the problem. By educating travellers and tour operators about what to watch for, commitments like these can ensure that consumers make educated purchasing decisions and help stop the demand for illegal animal products.”

(http://www.uswta.org)

USWTA-Jan19