In July 2025, a video from veteran safari guide Nick Kleer went viral, showing more than 150 safari vehicles crowding a single wildebeest crossing in Tanzania's Serengeti. The chaotic scene sparked outrage and raised urgent questions about overtourism in East Africa's most iconic wildlife destinations. But the issue is much more nuanced. In this episode of View From Afar—the first in a larger safari series that will continue into 2026—Afar senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers speaks with two veteran safari industry leaders about the crisis threatening the Great Migration and what can be done to ease overtourism, while protecting wildlife and local livelihoods. Guests Nicky Fitzgerald - Co-founder of Angama, with 45 years in the safari industry Joss Kent - CEO of &Beyond, lifelong Kenya resident and conservation advocate In this episode you'll learn How social media's "seven-second soundbites" have reduced the year-round Great Migration to a single Instagram moment Why guides face enormous pressure to deliver river crossings, even when it harms wildlife The role of government regulation, park fees, and resource management in controlling crowds How global hotel brands entering the safari space are changing the landscape What travelers can do to experience the migration responsibly Key moments [03:13] How the industry arrived at this moment [07:56] Why this isn't just about river crossings - every major wildlife sighting faces vehicle pressure [10:16] The complex question of who's responsible: guests, operators, guides, or governments [20:28] The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara controversy and environmental impact concerns [30:05] How to encourage travelers to see the migration responsibly [33:42] The role of social media [39:33] What's at stake if the industry doesn't change course Resources Read Jenn's full interview with safari guide Nick Kleer (who filmed the viral video) Read the transcript of the episode Learn more about Angama's safari lodges Explore &Beyond's lodges and experiences Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts, Unpacked, where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has East Africa's Great Migration Become Too Popular?

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In July 2025, a video from veteran safari guide Nick Kleer went viral, showing more than 150 safari vehicles crowding a single wildebeest crossing in Tanzania's Serengeti. The chaotic scene sparked outrage and raised urgent questions about overtourism in East Africa's most iconic wildlife destinations. But the issue is much more nuanced.   In this episode of View From Afar—the first in a larger safari series that will continue into 2026—Afar senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers speaks with two veteran safari industry leaders about the crisis threatening the Great Migration and what can be done to ease overtourism, while protecting wildlife and local livelihoods.   Guests      Nicky Fitzgerald - Co-founder of Angama, with 45 years in the safari industry     Joss Kent - CEO of &Beyond, lifelong Kenya resident and conservation advocate   In this episode you'll learn     How social media's "seven-second soundbites" have reduced the year-round Great Migration to a single Instagram moment    Why guides face enormous pressure to deliver river crossings, even when it harms wildlife    The role of government regulation, park fees, and resource management in controlling crowds    How global hotel brands entering the safari space are changing the landscape    What travelers can do to experience the migration responsibly   Key moments     [03:13] How the industry arrived at this moment    [07:56] Why this isn't just about river crossings - every major wildlife sighting faces vehicle pressure    [10:16] The complex question of who's responsible: guests, operators, guides, or governments    [20:28] The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara controversy and environmental impact concerns    [30:05] How to encourage travelers to see the migration responsibly    [33:42] The role of social media     [39:33] What's at stake if the industry doesn't change course   Resources     Read Jenn's full interview with safari guide Nick Kleer (who filmed the viral video)    Read the transcript of the episode     Learn more about Angama's safari lodges     Explore &Beyond's lodges and experiences      Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts, Unpacked, where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.  View From Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View From Afar is the travel industry podcast made by the travel industry, for the travel industry. Hosted by the editors of Afar, the show sits down with the CEOs, tourism experts, hoteliers, and destination leaders shaping how the world moves. These are travel industry interviews with the people actually making the decisions, from national tourism boards to the newest hotel brands, often recorded in the room where it happens, including live from major travel industry events like IPW.  Every episode is a real conversation, not a press release. Afar editors talk with travel changemakers about what the next era of travel will be built on: the rise of sustainable tourism, smarter destination management, the travel innovation reshaping the guest experience, and the travel industry challenges no one wants to say out loud. Expect tourism experts interviews that move from travel marketing strategies and travel consumer insights to local tourism initiatives, destination highlights, and the future of travel and tourism development. Past guests have led the tourism efforts of entire states and cities, run major transit and hospitality brands, and steered destinations through record years and hard pivots alike.  If your work touches travel, think of this as your briefing. As a travel podcast built for professionals, View From Afar delivers the travel industry news and travel industry insights that help destination marketers, hospitality industry leaders, tour operators, and travel professionals stay ahead of travel trends 2026 and beyond. It is travel storytelling with a purpose: honest, curious, and grounded in the real experiences of the people building the business of travel.  Afar has spent more than a decade telling travelers where to go and why it matters. View From Afar turns that same lens on the industry itself, giving you a front-row seat to the ideas, the debates, and the travel experiences defining what comes next. New episodes bring new voices and new destinations to the table.  Follow View From Afar wherever you listen, and join the conversation shaping the future of travel.

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