The elephant in the Zoom: the role of virtual safaris during the COVID-19 pandemic for conservation resilience

ABSTRACT

The economic turmoil and restrictions on human movement precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted conservation efforts. Many conservation actors rapidly implemented various adaptive measures in response to the cessation of the nature-based tourism industry, the primary revenue source for much of conservation in sub-Saharan Africa. This timely preliminary study examined the innovative use of virtual safaris, a form of virtual nature-based tourism, as an adaptive response to the crisis. Eight in-depth semi-structured interviews and two written responses from a range of ‘conservation operators’ provided insight into motivations, benefits, and challenges associated with using virtual safaris. This novel study found three mechanisms through which virtual safaris helped to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 with the potential to develop conservation resilience: 1) as a stopgap measure, 2) for revenue diversification, and 3) as a means of scaling ecosystem services. Virtual safaris provided a critical lifeline for conservation operators, created a new tool to connect with distant audiences, and strengthened relationships with donors. However, this research highlighted a need to re-evaluate the role of sustainable tourism within conservation, with transformative changes essential to enhance future conservation resilience.

KEYWORDS:

• Virtual nature-based tourism
• Virtual safari
• Conservation resilience
• COVID-19
• Sustainable tourism

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are owed to the conservation organizations who spared their time to contribute to this study: African Wildlife Foundation, &Beyond, David Shepard Wildlife Foundation, Elephants Alive!, Kariega Foundation, Painteddog.tv, Singita, WildEarth, and the game lodges and reserves.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Steuer (1992, p. 36) defines telepresence as the ‘experience of presence in an environment by means of a communication medium’.