Online Survey with German Safari Tourists traveling to Subsahara-Africa

Wildlife tourism is an important cultural ecosystem service (CES), simultaneously benefiting national economies and wildlife conservation. Nevertheless, many wildlife tourism destinations remain below their visitor and income capacities. Management strategies considering wildlife tourists’ travel motifs could increase tourist numbers and local revenues. We conducted interviews with wildlife tourists interested in African savannahs and identified key motifs for travel decisions. The most important motifs for travelling to Africa and for going on Safari were seeing wildlife and landscapes in natural, wild settings, whereas African culture or climate were weak motifs. When choosing a specific destination, seeing specific animal species, such as lion and elephant, were considered more important than travel infrastructure or costs. Wildlife tourism destinations should consequently be marketed with a focus on nature-related features, especially charismatic mammals. Accordingly, management that primarily targets the conservation of wildlife and natural ecosystems is expected to secure a profitable and sustainable wildlife tourism.