The Elephant Tourism Business

Understanding the Business Behind Elephant Tourism

Elephant tourism is a major draw across Asia and Africa, yet it raises urgent questions about animal welfare, conservation, and community benefit. The Elephant Tourism Business brings together researchers, practitioners, and advocates to examine how this industry operates—and how it can evolve.

From Visitor Experiences to Ethical Practice

The book opens with personal accounts and research on what visitors expect, how they behave, and what alternative models exist. Later sections dig into moral tensions, valuation of ethical encounters, community collaboration, and conservation-based approaches.

Frameworks for Better Management

Chapters explore welfare regulations in India, Thai stakeholder attitudes, ABTA animal welfare guidelines, case studies of venue narratives, the valuation of sightings in protected areas, and the role of social media as a proxy voice for elephants.

Looking Ahead

The final section asks what comes next: modernizing human–elephant interactions, validating welfare indices, promoting elephant-friendly tourism, and facing the paradoxes that arise. A postscript addresses the early impact of COVID-19 on elephant tourism.

🐘 For tourism professionals, conservationists, researchers, students, and travellers who want to understand the full picture, this collection offers grounded analysis and practical perspectives.