CEO of African Bush Camps, Beks Ndlovu, has penned a sobering open letter to the travelling public, which he shares here for the sake of anyone in the industry dealing with objections surrounding the intention of Zimbabwe’s Wildlife & Parks Service’s to export wildlife, particularly live elephants, to foreign countries.
DBB Syndrome – DEATH BY BOYCOTT
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Wildlife activists have suggested a tourism boycott on Zimbabwe. I understand the concerns and urgency for change to this unpalatable situation but I don’t hold out hope of any results being achieved by this means. In fact, it may well harden attitudes.
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Tourism is one of the industries that have the ability to bounce back quickly and to contribute substantially to any economy, with immediate results. However, a boycott is equally quick to deprive the economy of much-needed revenue, employment and the resultant benefits. With a depressed economy, the pressure on natural resources increases, as people seek to survive the turmoil of a debilitated key industry.
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The people of Zimbabwe do not need handouts or punishment. They need the world to come and marvel at the wild beauty of our environment. We are famous for our breath-taking scenery and diverse animal populations, for our wildlife adventure and cultural riches. Give us your tourism dollar and from that, our people will continue to thrive in harmony with nature, from that we will continue to fight for sustainable practices, from that we will continue to pressure our decision-makers.
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