Recreation & tourism

Biodiversity is also a significant source of leisure activities. It is a focal point for tourism and all kinds of recreational activity, which are undergoing rapid expansion in natural environments and are often the main source of income for the local population. The aesthetic qualities of such areas are often strikingly different, in large part due to the range of biological diversity to be found on this continent. People value such areas for a variety of recreational pursuits: film, photographs or literature based on or using wildlife, natural habitats and natural features; bird watching; and ecological field study and other scientific pursuits (McNeely, 1988).