As with everything else following the Covid pandemic, travel is changing. People who will travel now and in the foreseeable future will tend to be experienced travelers who are used to adapting to the usual challenges of international travel. While their safety will remain as their top priority (and ours), their desire to travel, coupled with their adaptability, will allow them to fulfill their sense of adventure.
These are the travelers who will lead the recovery of wildlife conservation travel. Rather than seeking the traditional group travel tours, they will lean toward private travel – couples or families who will travel together. Or small groups of friends who wish to share their adventures. And this is the market that World Safaris has always served. Our Safari with the Pros service is designed to allow you to offer these kinds of private adventures to your most important friends: your Board members, your donors, your strategic partners, your members and your other community friends.
The changes to traditional group travel will be the most dramatic. It is likely to be a while until people will be willing to travel with 15 or more people they don’t know – even if the tour is lead by a zoo professional. There was already a trend toward smaller groups before the Covid pandemic. The trend will continue, with groups of 6 to 10 travelers becoming the norm.
Wildlife Conservation Can’t Wait
Numerous news sources throughout the world have reported on the increased pressure on wildlife that has resulted from the lack of tourists visiting wildlife conservation destinations. The single, most critical, impact has been the reduction of funds for wildlife protection. In countries already hammered by the economic fallout of the Covid pandemic, resources available for wildlife protection and conservation have dwindled. In some places, dedicated wildlife rangers continue to patrol as much as they can, even though they aren’t being paid and fuel may be severely limited.
If you have any interest in offering wildlife conservation travel in the future, now is a great time to begin to explore the possibilities. We are already receiving inquires from travelers who want to begin planning their wildlife adventures – the result of a pent-up demand for safaris in Africa and in other destinations around the world. Please contact me here or give me a call at 800-779-2146 and I’ll follow up with you quickly. – Tom LaRock
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