Posted on January, 23 2025

Bangkok, Thailand – On 21 January, WWF, Thai PBS, GIZ and partners from the travel and tourism sector jointly organised a workshop and launched an exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. 

The exhibition aims to educate the public about the need to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, promote conservation efforts, and ensure environmental sustainability. The event, featuring both government and private sector stakeholders, facilitated insightful discussions on how all parties have contributed effectively to combatting wildlife crime, and how this collaboration can continue into the future.

“Wildlife trade is a problem for all of us, not just because it impacts nature, but because of the risk it poses to human health and safety, as well as national security,” said Jedsada Taweekan, Illegal Wildlife Trade Programme Manager at WWF. “Thailand is such a major destination for travellers from around the world, so it is very encouraging that our travel and tourism sector partners are so committed to wildlife conservation and sustainability. With their support, we can really make a difference for nature.”

Key highlights of the event include:

• Panel Discussions: Experts from the tourism sector and law enforcement agencies shared their experiences working collaboratively with each other and with WWF, identifying their unique perspectives on and roles in combating the illegal wildlife trade, including the trade of ivory, tiger parts and products, and exotic pets.
• Interactive Workshops: Participants engaged in group discussions and shared ideas on how best to continue the good work that has been done to date and ensure the sustainability of joint efforts in wildlife conservation.
• Exhibition: The event concluded with the official opening of a wildlife conservation exhibition, which encourages the public to protect endangered species and raises awareness about the impacts of the illegal wildlife trade. It features tigers and elephants, two iconic species and also implicated in the trade. The exhibition will run for two weeks until 2 February over the Lunar New Year holiday period, a time when many people travel to Bangkok and are likely to visit the exhibition. The Thailand Transport Ministry expects that four million foreign travellers will arrive in Thailand over the 10-day holiday period. This exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to engage diverse audiences and raise awareness about the urgent need for conservation among the Thai public and visitors to Thailand.

The event and exhibition were funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of a project to reduce demand and availability of elephant ivory among travellers.

“We are honoured to partner with WWF here in Bangkok, a global city in tourism. Through the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime in Africa and Asia, funded by the German Government, we reaffirm our strong commitment to combating illegal wildlife trade and protecting biodiversity. This collaboration highlights the importance of responsible tourism in preserving regional unique natural heritage, empowering communities, and ensuring a future where wildlife thrives alongside sustainable travel,“ said Representative of GIZ.

“Our work with WWF, the Thai authorities, and the travel and tourism actors really highlight the importance of working across sectors to tackle the pernicious trade in wildlife together, and this exhibition will show the public the power of these partnerships to protect nature and the ecosystems on which we all depend.”

Please contact Thanisorn Baingern for any additional inquiries email: thanisornb@wwf.or.th