Teaming up for wildlife: travel companies adopt world-moving welfare policy

Header image: Following Giants

With our support, these influential travel industry partners have updated their animal welfare policy – one of the first in the world to use the Five Domains model. This model is the latest science-based framework for assessing animal welfare.

The framework focuses on animal nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and mental or affective state. It aims to help travel brands assess sanctuaries, private reserves and animal experiences around the world. Areas covered include:  distinguishing between domestic and wild animals; unacceptable practices including riding wild animals; ethically viewing animals in the wild and in zoos, sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers.

TTC has committed to making sure all experiences and venues in its itineraries meet the updated policy by 2021.

"Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat is a thrilling and life-changing experience that travelers seek out," says Brett Tollman, TTC's global chief executive.

"Our goal is to continue to provide these unforgettable experiences for our guests, while ensuring we advocate for wild animals and their homes, so we can protect them for generations to come."

Under the policy the following activities are unacceptable and TTC brands will not promote them in any way.

• Any activity involving animals performing for entertainment or other human interests (ie elephant, whale, orca or dolphin show, animal circus).
• Any activity involving animals that were purchased, traded, bred or held captive for the purposes of tourism.
• Any activity involving riding or sitting on wild animals (ie elephant, dolphin or ostrich rides).
• Any activity involving walking with big cats.
• Any type of sport or trophy hunting.
• Consuming meat or other products from endangered or threatened animals (ie shark, tiger, puffin, sea turtle etc).
• Baiting animals for entertainment or to lure them into closer view.
• Any activity that supports the breeding, display and trade of cetaceans (whales, dolphins  and porpoises) for entertainment.
• Any activity involving the use of animals for fights (bullfights, cockfights, crocodile wrestling, bear baiting).

Treadright is a not-for-profit organization set up by the TTC family of brands that include Contiki, Luxury Gold, downunder tours and African Travel. Treadright aims to safeguard the planet, wildlife and people for generations to come and has been working with us since 2015 after TTC signed our elephant-friendly tourism pledge.

Melissa Matlow, Campaign Director says: "We are proud to continue our work with The Travel Corporation and advise them on how to strengthen and implement their animal welfare policy based on the latest research and evidence of animal suffering for tourism and global best practice. We applaud them for standing up against the exploitation of wildlife for tourist entertainment and we encourage other travel companies to follow their lead and build the industry back better and kinder to animals."​

What you can do

With tourism at a stand-still during the pandemic, wildlife aren’t suffering for our entertainment right now. Let’s keep it that way.

Sign our petition to end the global wildlife trade so animals are no longer poached or bred for our entertainment: