Which travel companies are still failing wildlife?
News
Our new report holds booking and travel companies to account on their animal welfare policies and the fact that they profit from animal cruelty.
The suffering of captive wildlife for the sake of tourism is a widespread issue affecting hundreds of thousands of animals globally. At World Animal Protection, we are working to put an end to this inhumane practice and travel companies have a significant role to play in this effort.
Attitudes towards captive wildlife experiences are shifting, as evidenced by the recent passing of the historic Bill S-203 in Canada. This bill banned the keeping, breeding, and trading of cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises, for entertainment purposes.
As a result of this progressive legislation and the hard work of World Animal Protection and our supporters, major Canadian airlines including Transat, Air Canada, WestJet, and Sunwing have pledged to cease promoting and selling tours involving captive cetaceans. Now, the Jane Goodall Act, which aims to end the commercial trade, breeding, and use of more than 800 wildlife species, has been introduced in the Canadian Senate. We hope it will pass without detrimental amendments and without delay.
As tourism recovers post-pandemic, we can expect to see a similar decrease in demand for exploitative wildlife experiences globally. North American companies must continue to lead the way in promoting ethical tourism.
Tracking the travel industry
Our report, Tracking the travel industry, found that several large travel and booking companies continue to profit from captive wildlife entertainment.
The report highlights international travel companies chosen for their relevance, popularity, and influence. We will be checking in with these companies again in the coming years with future editions to keep holding them to account.
We are asking Canadians and people worldwide to use your influence to urge these companies to stop supporting animal suffering by selling cruel wildlife entertainment.
See which companies are still exploiting animals through the sales of captive wildlife entertainment:
Severely failing wild animals
These companies are severely failing wild animals and all of them are selling exploitative wildlife attractions across a wide range of wild animal species.
- Sells exploitative dolphin attractions such as performances or 'swim with' experiences in captive venues
- Sells exploitative elephant attractions such as rides, shows or 'walking' experiences
- Sells exploitative primate attractions such as 'petting' or hand feeding opportunities
- Sells exploitative big cat attractions such as selfies, walk-withs, shows or 'petting' experiences
- Sells exploitative wildlife attractions such as shows, rides, or any direct interactive experiences with any wild animal species
- Sells exploitative dolphin attractions such as performances or 'swim with' experiences in captive venues
- Sells exploitative elephant attractions such as rides, shows or 'walking' experiences
- Sells exploitative primate attractions such as 'petting' or hand feeding opportunities
- Sells exploitative big cat attractions such as selfies, walk-withs, shows or 'petting' experiences
- Sells exploitative wildlife attractions such as shows, rides, or any direct interactive experiences with any wild animal species
- Sells exploitative dolphin attractions such as performances or 'swim with' experiences in captive venues
- Sells exploitative elephant attractions such as rides, shows or 'walking' experiences
- Sells exploitative primate attractions such as 'petting' or hand feeding opportunities
- Sells exploitative big cat attractions such as selfies, walk-withs, shows or 'petting' experiences
- Sells exploitative wildlife attractions such as shows, rides, or any direct interactive experiences with any wild animal species
- Sells exploitative dolphin attractions such as performances or 'swim with' experiences in captive venues
- Sells exploitative elephant attractions such as rides, shows or 'walking' experiences
- Sells exploitative primate attractions such as 'petting' or hand feeding opportunities
- Sells exploitative big cat attractions such as selfies, walk-withs, shows or 'petting' experiences
- Sells exploitative wildlife attractions such as shows, rides, or any direct interactive experiences with any wild animal species
- Sells exploitative dolphin attractions such as performances or 'swim with' experiences in captive venues
- Sells exploitative elephant attractions such as rides, shows or 'walking' experiences
- Sells exploitative primate attractions such as 'petting' or hand feeding opportunities
- Sells exploitative big cat attractions such as selfies, walk-withs, shows or 'petting' experiences
- Sells exploitative wildlife attractions such as shows, rides, or any direct interactive experiences with any wild animal species
Leading the way
These companies are leading the way by ending the sale of cruel wildlife entertainment and have also developed public animal welfare policies.
The Travel Corporation is headquartered in Toronto and is a family of 40 travel brands including Trafalgar and Contiki. In 2014 they stopped the sale of all elephant rides and shows and worked with World Animal Protection to develop an animal welfare policy that led to the phase out of bullfights, captive whale and dolphin attractions and other inhumane tourist activities in its supply chain. In 2020 they updated their policy, to adopt the more progressive Five Domains Framework for assessing animal welfare.
Airbnb worked with World Animal Protection in 2019 to develop its animal welfare policy to ensure that activities featured in its Airbnb Experiences category are protecting, not exploiting, animals. For example, experiences booked through Airbnb cannot allow direction interaction with wild animals (such as petting, feeding, riding or using animals for photo props). The policy also specifically prohibits elephant rides, big cat interactions, and animals performing for entertainment.
Booking.com worked with World Animal Protection to develop its animal welfare policy and will not contract, offer, or promote activities that exploit wild animals. They prohibit wild animal performances, animal fights, animal races, trophy hunting, wild animal rides and captive whale and dolphin venues.
It matters who you book and travel with
We each have the power to help end the exploitation of wild animals for entertainment. Now that you know about these travel giants' policies, please join us in taking action to hold them to account for supporting animal suffering.
1. Don’t book with companies that are failing wildlife
As consumers and travellers, your purchasing power makes a difference and together we have the power to make a significant impact on reducing the exploitation of wild animals in tourism through who we choose to book with.
2. Sign our petition to Groupon
Groupon received one of the lowest scores in our report, help us hold them to account!
Sign the petition telling Groupon to stop profiting from wild animal suffering and adopt a public animal welfare policy that protects animals instead of exploiting them.
3. Share our report
Share our report, Tracking the travel industry, on your network. Help us show these companies that people are paying attention to them and want them to do better for animals.
The latest report from World Animal Protection Canada, Tracking the travel industry, reveals the travel companies still profiting from animals suffering for tourist entertainment, including Groupon. Before you book your next vacation, read more about the companies that are failing wildlife and take action: worldanimalprotection.ca/travel-companies-failing-wildlife