A wildlife migration that’s considered the most spectacular natural show on earth has run into a roadblock: tourists who don’t want to give up their linen sheets and fine wine.
Driving the news: The Maasai ethnic group in Kenya is taking legal action to demolish a recently opened Ritz-Carlton luxury safari resort, arguing that it has blocked a key crossing of the Serengeti migration — one of the largest mass movements of animals in the world.
Catch-up: Tourists have long flocked to the Serengeti to experience the wildlife, but an industry that was once run largely by conservation-based safaris has now been disrupted by luxury, resort-style operations catering to the wealthy (we smell a new White Lotus season after France).
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Africa has seen the highest tourism growth of any continent this year, while the number of camps in the Serengeti jumped to 175 last year, up from 95 in 2012.
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Uber has even launched a mobile safari service in Kenya, adding to the growing number of vehicles fighting for position to let their passengers snap photos.
Why it matters: The very wildlife that tourists are paying US$3,500 a night to catch a glimpse of is being affected by their presence. Researchers say restricting the path of the two million wildebeest, zebra, and other species puts the entire migration at risk.
Bottom line: Some in the industry say this is all part of a broader shift toward “checklist culture”, where tourists are more concerned with grabbing an elephant selfie than learning about the country from those who know it best.—LA