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Wildlife holidays have surged in popularity over the past two or three years assisted in no small part by a range of excellent TV documentaries. As we all gradually become more aware of our planet and the forces acting upon it, there is a natural desire to find out more about the creatures who share that planet with us.
Perhaps more than any other type of holiday, wildlife holidays require specialist knowledge and specialist skills. Local knowledge is essential and to a large extent the success or otherwise of any particular trip is governed by the quality of the ground handlers and the expertise of their guides and tour leaders.
We believe that travel agents also require first hand knowledge, not only to adequately advise clients tentatively requesting further information but also to stimulate demand by actively promoting wildlife trips to clients. In recent months Ryedale Travel staff have been on a tiger safari in India, whale watching in Iceland and polar bear watching in Churchill.
Many local economies are now heavily reliant upon wildlife tourism. Without this income villages, towns, even whole regions will die and a way of life stretching back thousands of years will be lost for ever. This is especially true of poorer countries with limited natural resources but it is not confined to the third world. Communities in wealthy economies such as Iceland need the income generated by wildlife tourism to replace revenue lost by the closure of traditional industries such as whaling, if they are to survive.
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