Responsible Tourism & Wildlife Watching Ethics
What is Responsible Tourism & Wildlife Watching Ethics?
Responsible Tourism and Wildlife Watching Ethics encompass a set of principles and practices aimed at promoting sustainable and respectful interactions between tourists and wildlife. These principles recognise the importance of minimising the environmental and behavioural impact of tourism activities on wildlife habitats and populations. Responsible tourism involves choosing travel experiences that prioritise conservation, community engagement, and cultural sensitivity. When it comes to wildlife watching, ethical practices emphasise avoiding disruptive behaviours, minimising stress on wildlife, and not engaging in feeding or disturbing them. The goal is to foster a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife, ensuring that tourism activities contribute positively to conservation efforts while respecting the inherent rights of animals to live undisturbed in their natural environments. Embracing responsible tourism and wildlife watching ethics is essential for preserving biodiversity, ecosystems, and the cultural heritage associated with these natural spaces.
The Next Continent Standard:
Protect Endangered & Sensitive Species:
Avoid sharing specific location details (such as GPS coordinates) for species that are sensitive, vulnerable, or prone to disturbance. Rare wildlife and plants require protection from individuals who may unintentionally or deliberately disturb, harass, or poach them. Respect their need for minimal human interference to thrive. In Vietnam, the issue of poaching and harassment that is often linked to less ethically minded tour & photography groups as well as the illegal wildlife trade, remains a serious concern. To support conservation, all of our iNaturalist records are purposefully set to “obscured,” and we use only general eBird locations, never publishing precise coordinates. For particularly vulnerable species (such as Sunda Pangolin, Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, and Vietnamese Crested Argus) we may ask tour participants to ensure that images shared publicly do not include location metadata. We also encourage discretion when posting online and ask that trip reports remain general in reference to sensitive sightings.
Do Not Touch Wildlife:
Avoid touching wild animals to prevent contamination from chemicals like sunscreen or bug spray, and to minimise the risk of transmitting viruses. Touching wildlife also increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission to humans. Certain species, such as amphibians, are especially vulnerable to the oils on human skin, which can harm their delicate physiology. Unfortunately, wildlife handling remains a significant issue in Vietnam, particularly within the herping community, and increasingly among tourists interacting with sensitive species like the Pygmy Slow Loris.
During our tours, guests are clearly informed about the importance of not touching wildlife. This guidance aligns with the regulations of most national parks and nature reserves across Vietnam, where such practices are prohibited. Our guides are committed to providing ethical and respectful wildlife viewing experiences. They are equipped with snake hooks to facilitate safe and respectful observation, ensuring minimal disturbance to the animals and their habitats.
Responsible Use of Playback:
Playback is one of the most contentious issues in wildlife watching, now commonly used in birding and even in primate observation. With the enormous pressure of the illegal wildlife and songbird trade, it is crucial to use calls responsibly and only with professionally trained guides. We observe the following on our tours:
- Keep Volume Natural: Avoid playing calls at an unnaturally high volume.
- Limit Playback: Play the call once or twice only. This should be enough to determine if the species will respond. If there is no response, leave the animal undisturbed.
- No Primate Engagement: In contrast to industry standard here in Vietnam, we have made the decision to not use playback with any primate species.
- Understand the Call: We only use contact calls, never breeding/territorial/alarm/etc recordings. Playing the wrong type (such as an aggressive or territorial call) could cause distress. For example, a bird on its nest might hear what it believes is a rival, potentially leading to harmful consequences. If you’re unsure whether your recording is a contact, feeding, flight, alarm, breeding call, or territory song, it’s best to avoid using it altogether. In our opinion, this practice should be applied globally.
- No Playback Decision: Our team reserves the right to refrain from using playback if it is deemed unethical, unnecessary, potentially harmful to the bird’s welfare, or for any other reason. We ask that you respect the judgment of our experienced guides on this matter
Spotlighting, Torches & Flash:
Spotlighting is a highly specialised field of wildlife watching and we take pride in offering this unique experience to our guests. However, nocturnal animals are often more sensitive to light and disturbance, so a careful approach is essential. Our guiding team is professionally trained and well-versed in advanced fieldcraft techniques, using specialist equipment to observe nocturnal wildlife in a respectful, unobtrusive manner.
- Use of Red Light: We use red light torches as default for observation, as the softer hue is less disruptive to the eyes of some nocturnal animals.
- No Flash Photography: Flash is not permitted on our tours, except in specialized cases for herpetology, insect, underwater, plant, and fungi photography (standard diffuser set ups).
- Time Limits: For particularly sensitive nocturnal species, such as owls, nightjars, and small mammals, we limit observation to 3-5 minutes. The guide will determine when it’s best to leave, always prioritizing the welfare of the animals.
Habitat Protection:
Preserving the integrity of natural habitats is essential when observing wildlife. Avoid disturbing or altering the environment to get a better view or photograph, and always stick to established roads, paths, and trails whenever possible. On our tours, we strictly prohibit the practice of trimming vegetation or modifying habitats for the sake of “better” photography.
Respecting Wildlife:
Respect wildlife by keeping a safe distance and never forcing interactions. Flushing birds or other animals for a better view or photograph can cause unnecessary stress and disruption. Always avoid approaching nesting or roosting sites, allowing animals to carry out their natural behaviours undisturbed. While occasional flushing can happen unintentionally, that’s part of being in the wild, we never engage in or encourage deliberate disturbance.
Wildlife Photography
Wildlife and bird photography are experiencing unprecedented popularity. The quest to capture animals in their natural habitats resonates widely, yet in today’s social media-driven era, this pursuit has intensified competition, often compromising ethical considerations and the welfare of the subjects.
In Vietnam, both economic and need-for-tour-success pressures have led many new and local tour operators to adopt “hide-only” strategies, as well as using excessive playback despite the well-documented potential for negative impacts. It is from these exact practices, that certain species are suffering major declines. While hides can have legitimate uses (and there are a small handful of well-protected and ethical hides in Vietnam), many are now exploited or knowingly co-opted by the illegal songbird and wildlife trade. Disturbingly, participants and operators often turn a blind eye to these practices.
Our advice? Even if you choose another tour provider, ask questions. What is your operators strategy when using hides? Why are they using them? What are they doing to prevent those hides from becoming tools for illegal wildlife capture?
If that all sounds concerning, it should. But the good news is, we don’t engage in irresponsible hide practices and visit illegitimate sites. Instead, use a low-impact approach that still delivers exceptional photography, as represented well on this very website. Our guides work with deep local knowledge, patience, and at protected sites, to ensure a commitment to minimal disturbance and wildlife respect without compromise.
We urge travellers to do their own research and support ecotourism providers who put wildlife welfare first, because no photography is worth compromising the life, behaviour or freedom of any species.
What Matters Most
Minimise Waste:
In Southeast Asia, the prevalence of single-use plastic and a culture of littering pose significant environmental challenges. At Next Continent, we actively promote the opposite approach by focusing on reducing waste, reusing materials, recycling, and conserving the planet’s resources. We encourage our guests to join us in minimising their environmental impact during tours. If this philosophy resonates with you, you may wish to learn more about Next Continent’s reusable coffee cups made from 100% recycled coffee grounds.
Site Access:
In the wildlife watching industry, issues like site access, private property, and informal rule-bending have become more common. We feel fortunate to bring guests to some of the most extraordinary natural and cultural locations in the world, some with public access, and others made possible through special arrangements and long-standing relationships with local landowners and conservation foundations. We deeply respect these privileges and adhere strictly to all access guidelines. Unfortunately, some operators continue to place unnecessary pressure on protected areas and species by entering locations without authorisation, often against the wishes of the rangers, landowners, or conservation groups who dedicate their lives to safeguarding these ecosystems.
If you are considering a tour that promotes encounters with particularly rare birds, primates, or other sensitive species, especially those under the care of a conservation group or foundation, we strongly encourage you to reach out to the organisation directly. You may discover that access is restricted, or, alternatively, that the group welcomes visitors through approved partners and can recommend a trusted tour provider who shares their values.
Respect Local Traditions & Cultures:
When visiting new places, it is essential to respect the traditions and cultural practices of the local communities. We encourage our guests to approach every location with cultural sensitivity, learning about and honoring local customs. Respecting these traditions helps foster positive relationships and promotes responsible, respectful tourism.
For the Future of Wildlife Watching
Wildlife watching ethics still have a long way to go, especially in Vietnam, where drastic change is urgently needed if the country is to maintain its reputation as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. We spend much of our time designing responsible tours, training our team, and working closely with local rangers, conservation groups, and partners to promote ethical wildlife watching and raise the standard across the industry.
That doesn’t mean we always get it right. Early in our social media journey, we shared an image (provided by an associate photographer), without knowing it had been taken at a hide. It was quickly brought to our attention and removed. We’ve also had cases where some of our guiding team were involved in wildlife handling earlier in their careers and/or while working with other tour operators before joining our team, instances that later came to light through social media.
We’re also quite happy to acknowledge that sometimes we’ve made decisions in the field that resulted in stressing out the very animals we were trying to see. Every guide has faced these challenges, it’s all part of learning. What matters is that we try never to make the same mistake twice, and that commitment to continuous improvement is important to us.
We’re not here to pretend we’re perfect. But we are committed to doing better, being transparent, and upholding the values of modern, ethical wildlife watching. We hope you’ll join us in that mission.