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.
When people learn about the animal suffering behind cruel types of wildlife entertainment, they are rejecting cruelty and looking for humane alternatives. Booking and travel companies continue to be part of the solution and we are urging others to follow suit.
Our report highlights international travel companies chosen for their relevance, popularity, and influence in Canada. 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.
Read report: Tracking the travel industry
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.
Groupon
- 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
GetYourGuide
- 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
Trip.com
- 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
TUI Musement
- 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
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
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
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, to your network. Help us show these companies that people are paying attention to them and want them to do better for animals.