some critics say that the potential benefits of ecotourism might be offset by the limited viewing preferences among tourists to protected nature reserves, meaning that most tourists are interested in seeing exciting mega-fauna that might not be as accessible. 'fan favorites' in south africa are the most popular species, particularly among first-time and overseas visitors, but african visitors and experienced wildlife viewers were more interested in bird and plant diversity, scenery, and rarer, less easily-observed and/or less high-profile mammals. many of the species that were most favored by ecotourists in south african are endangered/extinction prone and thus often absent from wildlife areas due to sensitivity to human encroachment and competition with more abundant species. hence, ecotourism may provide incentives for the conservation of intact guilds, and management for ecotourism may align more closely with biodiversity conservation.