Latin American Consumptive Wildlife Tourism: An Analysis of the Industry as a Tool for Development

This paper serves as an analysis of the impact of hunting and fishing tourism operations—referred to collectively as consumptive wildlife tourism—in Latin America. Foreign tourism plays an important role in many Latin American countries, and this particular form addresses a key niche within the industry. Funds from typical forms of tourism largely flow into developed areas such as major cities or long-established destinations such as beaches or major landmarks. The advantage of the consumptive wildlife tourism industry, from a national perspective, stems from its ability to function within developing rural areas. This provides a steady flow of capital and jobs that can vitalize rural communities, drives critical infrastructure development, and possesses other developmental or environmental benefits depending on the location and the wildlife present. The potential impact of big-game hunting and fishing will be evaluated to give an accurate representation of multiple forms of consumptive wildlife tourism, but the primary focus of the paper is on two areas of the industry that are both potentially very effective and yet underrepresented in terms of impact studies: recreational sport fishing in Brazil and wing shooting in Argentina and Uruguay.