
What is Episode 91 all about?
Conservation travel – probably one of the closest topics to my heart and the field I’ve decided to dedicate my career. Yes, in case you weren’t aware, not only am I the creator and executive producer of this show, but I’m also the Director of Conservation for The Wild Source, a mission-based safari company based out of Golden, Colorado.
I can obviously talk about this subject until I’m blue in the face, but that would be utterly boring for you. So, in today’s episode, I synthesize my years of experience in conservation tourism, how I discovered the field, what the scientific literature says that both support the use of tourism as a conservation tool, and some areas that the field can improve.
Specifically, we address these questions:
What is conservation tourism?
How is conservation travel different from ecotourism or nature-based tourism?
Is conservation travel good for the planet? (Literature Review)
Common arguments against conservation travel
Where conservation travel falls short
Where is conservation tourism heading?
How Brooke discovered conservation tourism
Tips for becoming a conservation traveler
Stay tuned for future posts and additional resources on how to become a conservation traveler!
Do you know an operator that’s doing travel the right way? Let us know by commenting below!
Listen to this episode.

Listen to this episode on YouTube.
Links & Resources
Example Conservation Travel Companies
Resources Used in This Episode
- Buckley, Ralf. (2010). Conservation Tourism. United Kingdom: CAB International. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Conservation_Tourism/Ug5QW-ecwRIC?hl=en&gbpv=0
- Buckley, Ralf. (2011). Conservation Tourism. Conservation Tourism. 10.1079/9781845936655.0000.
- Stronza, Amanda L., Carter A. Hunt, and Lee A. Fitzgerald. “Ecotourism for conservation?.” Annual Review of Environment and Resources 44 (2019): 229-253.
- The International Ecotourism Society. “What is Ecotourism?” https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/
- Valentine, Peter. “Nature-based tourism.” Belhaven Press, 1992. 105-127.
Episodes Mentioned in this Episode
- Ep. 1 Show Notes | Biologists & Bourbon with Bill Given
- Ep. 3 Show Notes | Let’s Get Real with Corrin LaCombe
- Ep. 5 Show Notes | Bugs, Cameras, Ecotourism, Oh My! with Court Whelan, PhD
- Ep. 12 & 13 Show Notes | Fun in the Galapagos Sun with Josy Cardoso
- Ep. 18 Show Notes | Birds, Beers & Travel with Sheridan Samano
- Ep. 27 Show Notes | The Most Interesting Man…On Safari with Jeff Trollip
- Ep. 39 Show Notes | Saving the Elephants of Laos with Michael Vogler
- Ep. 53 Show Notes | Creating Impact Through Film: Retelling Killing the Shepherd with TA Opre
- Ep. 67 Show Notes | Adventure Guiding: Dos, Don’ts, and Bettering the Planet with Colby Brokvist
- Ep. 75 Show Notes | Using Science & Tourism to Uncover the Mysteries of Antarctica with Allison Cusick
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