Why it's important for me to support animal welfare when I book holidays

Part of a holiday for many is to see animals in their natural habitat. In today’s day and age, when many wild animals are on the brink of extinction, it is very understandable that we want to get as close as possible to them, but that’s not usually in the animals’ best interest. Many tourism operators are still promoting unethical practices that involve captive animals: Elephant rides, tiger selfies, walks with lions, monkey shows, swimming with dolphins – each 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity for a tourist means a lifetime of suffering for animals. There is hope though: we (I as the travel provider and traveller and you as the traveller and consumer) can help rebuild the tourism industry to be more responsible while meeting customer needs and helping end captive wildlife entertainment for good. I believe, that as travellers, we are becoming more aware of the cruelty involved in these and other wild animal experiences, our attitudes are changing dramatically. It makes me very happy that more and more travellers are choosing holidays based on how animal-friendly they are: • 87% believe wild animals belong in the wild where they can live naturally • 85% would prefer to see animals in the wild • 81% think people should not make an income from keeping wild animals if the animals suffer (Source: World Animal Protection) As a member of the travel industry aiming to become a wildlife-friendly travel business, I want to do my part for animal welfare, secure livelihoods and keep wild animals in the wild. This involves eliminating wildlife entertainment from my supply chain, offering responsible tourist experiences only and which is why I have drafted this pledge: ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY COMMITMENT My business is committed to responsible tourism and protecting animals who are impacted by the travel industry. I have developed this animal welfare policy because animal encounters have become increasingly popular as part of people’s holiday experiences. However, some animal related activities, such as elephant washing and rides, photo opportunities with tigers or watching dolphins perform, lead to suffering through cruel treatment and inhumane conditions. I believe that all animals should be respected for their inherent value and that the best way to experience animals whilst on holiday is by seeing them in their natural habitat. When under human care, both domesticated and non-domesticated (wild) animals, must have ‘a good life’ by enjoying good physical and mental health. The conditions they are provided must favour positive experiences over negative ones within an environment that encourages making choices and enables them to express the widest possible range of natural behaviours. I only work with suppliers if the animals under their care are provided with the highest possible welfare in line with the “Five Domains of Animal Welfare”: NUTRITION: Factors that involve the animal’s access to sufficient, balanced, varied and clean food and water. ENVIRONMENT: Factors that enable comfort through temperature, substrate, space, air, odour, noise and predictability. HEALTH: Factors that enable good health through absence of disease, injury, impairment and good fitness level. BEHAVIOUR: Factors that provide varied, novel and engaging environmental challenges through sensory inputs, exploration, foraging, bonding, playing, retreating and others. MENTAL STATE: By presenting positive situations in the previous four functional domains, the mental state of the animal should benefit from predominantly positive states, such as pleasure, comfort or vitality, while reducing negative states such as fear, frustration, hunger, pain or boredom. I also recognise that the needs of wild animals in particular can never be fully met in captivity. Where wild animals are kept in captivity, the facility must not only provide them with the best possible welfare conditions, it must also contribute towards a shift away from exploitative practices and be supportive of phasing out keeping wild animals for commercial purposes. GUIDELINES I do not sell or promote venues and/or activities that offer tourists any of the following experiences: • Close interaction with wild animals including but not limited to elephant riding and bathing, swimming with dolphins or walking with lions; • Watching wild animal performances, including but not limited to dolphin shows, circuses, orangutan boxing; • Photo opportunities with wild animals, including but not limited to lion or tiger selfies, sloths, or primates, dolphin kissing; • Watching animals fight or race, or being used in other sport or cultural events that cause animals to suffer or die, including but not limited to bullfighting and running, crocodile wrestling, dog fighting, rodeo, elephant polo and horse racing; • Visiting facilities where captive wild animals are bred and kept for commercial products, including but not limited to crocodile farms, civet coffee farms, bear bile farms, turtle farms; • Engaging in trophy, canned hunting or sport fishing. When not in conflict with any of the above guidelines I do offer and/or promotes the following venues and activities where tourists can experience animals: • Genuine animal sanctuaries, rehabilitation facilities and rescue centres that have the highest possible standards of animal care, e.g. sanctuaries certified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) or elephant venues following World Animal Protection’s Elephant-Friendly venue guidelines. • Responsible wildlife watching where a visitor can observe animals in their natural environment from a suitable distance without interrupting their natural behaviours or disturbing their routines, e.g. whale watching experiences certified by the Whale Cetacean Alliance (WCA). • Zoos and aquariums that are accredited by members of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and national zoo and aquarium accrediting bodies which do not hold cetaceans in captivity and do not use wild animals for direct contact activities with visitors or have them perform in shows. If a wildlife adventure is on your bucket list and you wish to ensure your experience is sustainable, responsible and ethical, I would be delighted to help you plan and book your trip with a personal service, expert advice, and 100% financial protection.