Wildlife destinations around the globe are rethinking the relationship between tourism, influencer culture, and conservation, following a rise in incidents that have caused distress to some of the world’s most iconic and endangered species.
Online footage revealing tourists in India shouting and crowding around tigers led to a Supreme Court ruling in November 2025 that has banned mobile phones from some of the country’s most beloved tiger reserves. Ranthambore National Park and Sariska Tiger Reserve, both in Rajasthan, have since introduced rules forbidding visitors from carrying their devices with them on safari.
Similarly, Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism has announced new standards for tour operators and restrictions on tourists approaching animals, following viral clips of tourists rushing to photograph wildebeest at a river crossing. “All visitors must remain in their vehicles except in designated areas,” the ministry said. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano plans to increase enforcement through ranger numbers at sensitive spots, pointing out that “Visitor safety and wildlife protection are paramount,” and adding: “Preventing dangerous interactions safeguards both lives and conservation integrity.”
And in Svalbard, new regulations now restrict wildlife watching cruises to a distance of 300 to 500 metres away from polar bears, depending on the season.
The balance between giving tourists the experiences and memories they think they are paying for, and ensuring animals are protected, is becoming more difficult to achieve, stakeholders say, partly due to the growth of outdoor tourism and visitor behaviours driven by the desire to post images online that will generate clicks and content.
Safari-goers once were happy simply to witness rare creatures in their natural habitat, or they brought with them long-lens cameras and were able to take photographs without encroaching on animals’ space. This writer has done just that in Africa’s Okavango Delta. While I was lucky enough to safely encounter hippos, lions, elephants, and water buffalo, operators at that time were clear that there was no guarantee of seeing any animals at all, and that the whole ecosystem was as important as the “big five” species.
But today, tour operators increasingly describe visitors who ignore warnings, try to take selfies, and approach animals for a better angle. Their geotagged posts tell others where the animals are, drawing more crowds. One recent visitor to South Africa told Travel Tomorrow that the small safari lodge she stayed at had managed three years with no black rhino poaching, partly thanks to a policy forbidding guests from geotagging their photos.
@safaricoderafrica Here’s why safari rules exist. We were in an amazing spot to see this elephant, but he felt we were crowding him. The signs? Flapping ears, shaking head, a mock charge. Our guide, instead of panicking, used a simple light flash to momentarily distract and confuse him, giving us space to reverse. 3 Things to remember on Safari: 1️⃣ If the ears go out, back off. 2️⃣ Never stand up or make sudden movements. 3️⃣ Your guide knows more than your camera does. Safe for us, safe for the elephant. This is how it’s done. ✅ Keywords: #safaritips #wildlifeeducation #elephantfacts #safetyfirst #travelguide ♬ original sound – Safari Coder Africa 🦍🦁🐘🌴
However, the same safari-goer, who spoke anonymously to Travel Tomorrow, witnessed some poor behaviour from fellow visitors, with teenage children who “deliberately faked coughs to try to disturb resting cheetahs.” The kids were split up into separate vehicles by the organisers on the next trip. Even adult women guests “displayed no interest in seeing birds, only elephants, and wandered off from the group, despite instructions not to.”
The advent of mobile technology also means that the operators themselves can cause problems. They are able to share the locations of groups of animals at the press of a button, meaning jeep drivers keen to fulfil their remit of getting visitors up close and personal with the wild, all converge on the same places, bringing large numbers of vehicles, people, and noise, and preventing animals’ ability to slink quietly away.
It’s a delicate line to tread. Spreading the message about how beautiful biodiversity can be and promoting conservation are important aspects of wildlife tourism. But as Sharad Kumar Vats, CEO of Nature Safari India, told the BBC, “when there is no tiger, there will be no tiger tourism.”
