Abstract:
Trophy hunting is a contentious practice often associated by the public with charismatic African
megafauna, especially lions (Panthera leo). Public pressure could potentially end trophy hunting
in the near future, which many stakeholders argue could lead to negative impacts, including on
species conservation and on the livelihoods of communities that depend upon it as a source of
income. We investigated the potential for replacing revenue currently generated by trophy
hunting in South Africa with levies - a “lion protection fee” - on international travellers to that
country. Our approach recognised tourism as a source of funds for conservation action, and the
influence of lions as a charismatic, flagship species. We surveyed 907 respondents who had
previously visited South Africa, or would consider visiting in the future. We used van Westendorp
and Gabor-Granger direct pricing methodologies to assess whether the willingness of potential
visitors to pay for wildlife protection could be sufficient to compensate for any loss were trophy
hunting to be banned. Our findings indicated substantial support for the proposition of being
charged a “lion protection fee”: 84.2% of respondents stated that it was a “great” or a “good” idea.
A minority (7.5%) had a negative view but only two of these respondents (0.2%) indicated a protrophy
hunting attitude. Willingness-to-pay was sufficient that, under predicted 2023 numbers of
tourists, daily fees could be set at a price acceptable to both overseas ($6–7 USD) and southern
African tourists ($3–4 USD), and generate funds at least equalling, but potentially exceeding,
those currently generated by trophy hunting ($176.1 million US per annum). We conclude that, in
principal, revenue from trophy hunting in South Africa could be fully replaced by a subsidy to
stakeholders as a payment for conservation action, funded by a modest levy on international
tourist visitors.
