TRAFFIC, WWF and Qyer organized ‘wild Africa’ salon last week based on the theme of ‘Being a Responsible Traveller’. It was aimed toward Chinese travelers visiting Asian countries. Other than 200 studio participants, 120,000 more visitors joined via online live streaming. Qyer is a well-known online travel service supplier in outbound tourism.
Qyer was the main initiator of this event. Also, this event was the first in series of four workshops to be organized all through this year. TRAFFIC’s Li Chenyang in the course of the event said how to be responsible visitor by avoiding illegal products. She also talked about poaching, illegal trade of various parts of Rhinos, pangolins and elephants in Africa and mentioned the increasing significance of saving these species from extinction. She even mentioned the grave consequences of trafficking wildlife products and advised travelers visiting Africa to use and buy eco-friendly gifts and souvenirs.
To quote Li Chenyang, ‘’ Penalties against wildlife crime in China and many African countries are extremely severe and it is vital for tourists to Africa to be aware of which wildlife products are banned, so as to avoid unnecessary legal risk. By choosing sustainable and responsible souvenirs, travelers can both help protect endangered species, while making a positive contribution towards local livelihoods.’’
