Checking in … to animal friendly travel
As well as the dedicated supporters who help us protect animals worldwide there are businesses, like award-winning responsible travel company World Expeditions, that work hard for them too.
By working with us the company has ensured that its trips are now governed by an animal welfare code of conduct. We first came to their attention during our campaign to end the cruelty of elephant rides globally, says Sue.
With our help World Expeditions is putting animal protection and welfare at the heart of their tours involving animal encounters.
The company started in 1975 focussing on trekking in Nepal. Its Australian founders were committed to a philosophy of responsibility and sustainability towards local communities and environments, explains chief executive Sue Badyari.
“Our projects provide a direct benefit to the local community and invite travellers to get involved. This work can be hard to manage. There are a lot of expectations and it becomes quite a fine art in dealing with communities in very remote locations across the globe… It’s challenging, but we absolutely love it because we have managed to finesse our approach to good effect over the last 15 years. We are proud of that,” says Sue.
Today the company operates from six offices worldwide – three in Australia, one in Canada, the UK and New Zealand – and arranges travel for 14,000 people annually. A large number of its activities focus on wildlife experiences. Gorilla watching in Rwanda, close encounters with lemurs in Madagascar and safaris in southern Africa are just some of the adventures it offers.
Travelling code
By working with us the company has ensured that its trips are now governed by an animal welfare code of conduct. We first came to their attention during our campaign to end the cruelty of elephant rides globally, says Sue.
“It is only very recent history that elephant riding has been recognised as a no no… There was a very low understanding of what an elephant had gone through to be in a position to be able to take people on their backs.
“This is why there needs to be a more forensic understanding of these matters and organisations like World Animal Protection that can bring this to the fore. So this understanding is why we eradicated any elephant riding from our programme…
We are thrilled to be aligned with World Animal Protection because it provides a framework with people who are expert in this field.”
The code outlines that anyone travelling with the company will view animals responsibly in their natural habitats and visit sanctuaries with the highest welfare standards. The company also commits to promoting cruelty-free souvenirs and never including cruel activities such as posing with tigers or walking with lions in their itineraries.
Looking Forward
Over the next few months Sue says she is looking forward to working with us on some exciting new projects. In particular, a collaboration to offer Wild Animal Encounter Adventures. Check out worldanimalprotection.ca/worldex for more information.
“We are not experts in animal welfare, but we want to do the right thing…And we want other organizations to follow suit; it is not one organization but many that will spread the word.”
Find out more about World Expeditions and responsible travel.
Further reading
