As this week’s #Frifotos is focused on the wild side of travels, I thought I’d shine a spotlight on tourist souvenirs that are destructive to those wild environments we love to explore. Buying such items adds to the destruction of these wild spaces. Besides which, do you really want to risk trying to smuggle such items through customs? Such a waste!
Emme, MARVELOUS post! Bravo! I remember when we went to St. Lucia that there were signs in the airport warning tourists NOT to take coral and NOT to buy it from sellers on the beach. We could’ve gotten in MAJOR trouble if we had. They were trying to save the environment by not encouraging such sales. This was such a great way to participate in th wild side of travels!
Ooops! I just now realized Erica wrote this one. SORRY! Erica, all of the above is meant for you!!!
Thanks Courtney. I am a biologist by training and use to work as a Parks Naturalist, so it is a topic that I am quite passionate about.
Great to know!
Yes, some things are best left where you found them. The things people take for souvenirs are crazy. I see people pick flowers in a park and think – don’t you realize you are ruining it for others. If we all picked the flowers there would be none to see
I know. There are some very self centered people in society that didn’t learn in Kindergarten that it is not all about them.
The turtle is almost creepy. Why would people do this?
I know. And a creature that in many places is protected.
Human monsters don’t care about anything eh…
Sadly it would seem so.
Great post, the picture tells all. It’s a pretty horrible practice to sell items that exploit the endemic and precious wildlife in the local habitat. With the damage it inflicts, it should be banned and enfoced by local authorities.
And it is just as bad to buy said items Anthony. And people do buy them or they wouldn’t be selling them.