Does your favorite travel company promote harmful wildlife activities?
A new report rating 10 companies on their animal welfare policies shows some promote exploitative experiences like elephant rides and cub petting.
Some international travel companies promote activities that exploit animals, according to a new report by World Animal Protection (WAP), a U.S.-based animal welfare nonprofit.
The report assesses companies’ public animal welfare policies, their efforts to include wildlife-friendly options, and whether they feature interactive animal attractions that cause “irreparable and lifelong harm,” such as elephant rides, dolphin shows, and cub petting. The University of Surrey, in the U.K., carried out the independent analysis.
The report examined 10 companies that offer activities or experiences with wildlife: Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, GetYourGuide, Groupon, Klook, The Travel Corporation, Trip.com, TripAdvisor’s Viator, and TUI Musement.
“These companies would likely agree that they are a trusted resource for their customers,” says Cameron Harsh, programs director at World Animal Protection.
