Thailand says “No” to ivory in two-tusked campaign funded by USAID
A two-pronged campaign to reduce domestic consumer and foreign traveller demand for ivory and ivory products launched in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.
While much of the focus of the launch event was on the domestic consumer campaign and the celebrity influencers who are the faces of it, of greatest relevance to the tourism industry is the 60-second animated video to discourage visitors to the Kingdom from buying ivory gifts and souvenirs.
Produced by US Agency for International Development (USAID) Wildlife Asia in collaboration with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) of the Minor Group, the video informs tourists that bringing ivory in and out of Thailand is illegal.
The video suits any travel and tourism organisation in Thailand who wishes to convey that message to its customers, said John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation at Minor Hotels and Director of Elephants at GTAEF (and a “GT” Friend).
So you think ivory is beautiful, yeah?
The main focus of the launch event was the campaign targeting Thai consumers, “Beautiful Without Ivory”, which was developed by USAID Wildlife Asia in partnership with the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
This campaign was inspired by USAID Wildlife Asia consumer research in 2018 that found that an estimated 500,000 people currently own and use ivory products in Thailand; that around 750,000 Thais intend to buy ivory products in the future; and that some 2.5 million Thai people still think that owning and using ivory is acceptable.
According to USAID Wildlife Asia a significant market segment for ivory in Thailand is composed of women who desire ivory, particularly jewellery and accessories, for its perceived beauty. The “Beautiful Without Ivory” campaign addresses these women. It aims to deter Thai women from buying and wearing ivory jewellery and accessories and reduce the social acceptability of ivory products more generally.
Featured in the video are five influencers with large social media followings in Thailand: Cindy ‘Sirinya’ Bishop (supermodel and actress), Pichaya Utharntharm (celebrity chef), Jareyadee Spencer (TV host and entrepreneur), Praewatchara Schmid (Top 10 Miss Thailand Universe 2019), and Varine Charungvat (content creator and photographer).
About USAID Wildlife Asia
USAID Wildlife Asia works to address wildlife trafficking as a transnational crime. The project aims to reduce consumer demand for wildlife parts and products, strengthen law enforcement, enhance legal and political commitment, and support regional collaboration to reduce wildlife crime in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. USAID Wildlife Asia focuses on four species: elephant, rhinoceros, tiger and pangolin.
