Travel companies urging the South African government to publicly commit to ending trophy hunting

[Doug Hamilton]

Yesterday I received the latest issue of Sports Afield magazine. They had a shirt article in in it that I found disturbing. Some of the largest travel companies, including Booking.com, Expedia,com and TripAdvisor are now urging the south African government to publicly commit to ending "trophy hunting." They ave signed a joint agreement pushing for a "wildlife friendly" future in South Africa that includes a an of "rophy hunting."
Those of us that have hunted Arica know what happened in Kenya after they banned safari hunting in 1977.:They lost 90% of their elephants and 70% of their other large mammals. That doesn't sound very wildlife friendly. A hundred years ago most of South Africa's large mammals were gone and replaced with cattle. This was not environmentally sound for any native wildlife. It was only when farmers began replacing cattle with game animals that the land could heal itself and the native wildlife could rebound. As with most countries around the world, hunters pay for most conservation, and this includes South Africa.
In my opinion, we as hunters need to not use any companies that try to use their corporate power to end hunting. Not just when we are traveling to hunt, but any travel or vacation plans. Then tell them about it. They need to know that they are hurting their bottom line. And we do have options. On my last safari I went to Jennifer Gin at @TRAVEL EXPRESS. A first rate organization and a leader in hunting travel.

 

[DieJager]

In today's world it is almost impossible to hold track of companies that don't get it.

This is I think the article your are referring to.

Travel agencies urged South Africa to end trophy hunting – New Business Ethiopia

newbusinessethiopia.com

 

[Jaegger]

… huh, I use those travel sources & now must seriously consider why! Thanks for sharing …

 

[mark-hunter]

This is bad news.
I wonder when this public attack nightmare will end. We just won the battle in UK to import trophies, now this is coming up.

 

[geoff rath]

Funds from trophy hunting go to propagating game security; "holiday" expenditure only goes to the tourist company; 'nuf said.

 

[IvW]

Luckily most hunting in sa is privately owned and managed.....

 

[Desperatezulu]

This is one benefit of having an incompetent, corrupt government - they will give less than 2 flying f**ks what online travel companies think, and even if they did care, they're far too incompetent and lazy to take any action.

The real clincher is that hunting brings in big forex revenue to the country and hunting/game farms are big employers of unskilled labour. The government is well aware of this and hunting is safe here because of it.

 

[PerH]

But still travel companies want to have folks coming and see wild aninals in the wild and not a asphalt plain.

When i worked in Hospitality industry,boss said thst i had to be aware of people saying they wanted a free meal or they would write a bad review on Tripadvisor or similar ones. Strategy for that was " goodbye " .

Same stuff here also it looks like it.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I used Expedia to book a room at City Lodge at OR Tambo airport on my recent trip. Evidently they did not know that my rifles and I were going hunting.

 

[Woodcarver]

"World Animal Protection released research into public attitudes towards trophy hunting on World Lion Day (10 August 2022). The survey included 10,900 people from around the world, including international tourists from countries who most frequently visit South Africa, and South African citizens."

Want to wager how many surveyed are members of WAP? Any survey they commissioned would have questions worded to support the predetermined results they wanted to release as "scientific data". Same BS the antis have been spewing here in the US in both this arena and the "gun safety" (read, ban guns) arguments. The reality of Kenya won't be admitted as a complete failure by those pushing this agenda.

Just adds a few more businesses to the list of those I try not to use.

 

[geoff rath]

"World Animal Protection released research into public attitudes towards trophy hunting on World Lion Day (10 August 2022). The survey included 10,900 people from around the world, including international tourists from countries who most frequently visit South Africa, and South African citizens."

Want to wager how many surveyed are members of WAP? Any survey they commissioned would have questions worded to support the predetermined results they wanted to release as "scientific data". Same BS the antis have been spewing here in the US in both this arena and the "gun safety" (read, ban guns) arguments. The reality of Kenya won't be admitted as a complete failure by those pushing this agenda.

Just adds a few more businesses to the list of those I try not to use.

any survey can be skewed by how the questions are worded, and who the target audience are; just look at politics today...

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

This is one benefit of having an incompetent, corrupt government - they will give less than 2 flying f**ks what online travel companies think, and even if they did care, they're far too incompetent and lazy to take any action.

The real clincher is that hunting brings in big forex revenue to the country and hunting/game farms are big employers of unskilled labour. The government is well aware of this and hunting is safe here because of it.

African governments are thankfully not woke, and they hate heing told what to do. A lot of indigenous black operators want to get into the safari hunting business and using them helps in every way. I hunted with an indigenous company earlier this year, it was great.

 

[CBH Australia]

What would they have you do with the current population of native animals that are being managed for the industry. What do you cull them so farmers can run sheep and cattle increasing cost to the domestic consumer.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Luckily most hunting in sa is privately owned and managed.....

But if they ban trophy hunting, it won't matter who owns it. Cattle and agriculture will replace the natural habitat (again). Remember on private lands, "If it pays, it stays."

 

[Doug Hamilton]

This is one benefit of having an incompetent, corrupt government - they will give less than 2 flying f**ks what online travel companies think, and even if they did care, they're far too incompetent and lazy to take any action.

The real clincher is that hunting brings in big forex revenue to the country and hunting/game farms are big employers of unskilled labour. The government is well aware of this and hunting is safe here because of it.

I hope you're right, but still, we need to stand up to these companies. Their "good intentions": would lead to the destruction of wildlife populations.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

In today's world it is almost impossible to hold track of companies that don't get it.

This is I think the article your are referring to.

Travel agencies urged South Africa to end trophy hunting – New Business Ethiopia

newbusinessethiopia.com

Yes. That was the source cited by Sports Afield.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I used Expedia to book a room at City Lodge at OR Tambo airport on my recent trip. Evidently they did not know that my rifles and I were going hunting.

Oh, they still want your money. They just want the government to tell you to come and not shoot anything. I won't be traveling to South Africa if they end hunting there, and I won't be spending money with any of those companies anywhere in the world.
I want them to know it.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

But still travel companies want to have folks coming and see wild aninals in the wild and not a asphalt plain.

When i worked in Hospitality industry,boss said thst i had to be aware of people saying they wanted a free meal or they would write a bad review on Tripadvisor or similar ones. Strategy for that was " goodbye " .

Same stuff here also it looks like it.

Without the hunting, the wild animals will be replaced with cattle and crops. The land owners will have to do something to make money and as they say, "If it pays, it stays."
I would be willing to bet that the travel companies didn't think that signing on to this would actually cost them money.