Recent findings and the popularity of wildlife tourism show that tour operators need to have animal welfare policies in place alongside other social responsibility protocols that need to evolve as new information becomes available. Travel companies that need to develop or update such a policy can start with the tips below.
In Malaysian Borneotravelers who use the Kinabatangan River can watch the proboscis monkey chewing leaves in coastal trees. Like many wildlife tourism experiences, this is a chance to catch a glimpse of an endangered animal in its natural habitat from afar — a seemingly unremarkable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for many people.
But recent research in the International Journal of Primatology
reveals that approaching proboscis monkeys as high as 60 meters (about 200 feet) caused stress to the animals, even when boats were traveling at slow speeds. In other words, even those tour companies that genuinely care about the welfare of the monkeys can do unintended harm.
Nature tourism directly contributed to $120.1 billion of global GDP in 2018 World Travel & Tourism Council. Viewing and experiencing animals in their natural habitat accounted for 4.4 percent of the total GDP of direct tourism, directly creating 9.1 million jobs. Furthermore, nature tourism plays an important role in raising awareness about conservation efforts and often provides incentives for local communities to protect fragile ecosystems.
But despite the importance and popularity of nature tourism, many travel-related companies have failed to develop animal welfare policies.
“On a global scale, there is certainly a great deal of interest in animal welfare among travelers; and in the media you see that animal welfare issues are getting more and more attention; but I’d say we’re not there globally, in terms of companies picking this up and understanding this,” said Melissa Matlowcampaign manager at World animal protection (WAP)
Canada. “It’s just not considered a priority like other environmental sustainability issues.”
These recent findings and the popularity of wildlife tourism are a reminder that tour operators need to have animal welfare policies that coexist with other social responsibility protocols – and that policies need to be flexible and evolve as new information becomes available. For travel companies that need to develop or update such a policy, start the process with the tips below.
Start with high-risk activities
Every company that has taken this journey has found that pulling a single wire to eliminate harmful practices in the wild reveals a myriad of nuances to consider, which can cause paralysis. However, Matlow suggests that companies start by weeding out the obvious offenders: entertainment in the wild. This includes activities such as swimming with dolphins, elephant riding and all other similar “wildlife tourism activities that have the greatest mental impact on animal welfare and conservation.”
Involve travelers in the process
On-site guides are important frontline ambassadors for identifying problematic animal welfare issues. However, encouraging travelers to report concerns, either through a post-travel survey or other means, can reveal concerns that go undetected by tour leaders. Businesses can also use travel experiences to educate people about animal welfare and best practices for observing wildlife in their natural habitat.
“Our research has shown that the people who participate in these activities are nature lovers,” Matlow said, “and I assume that anyone who puts in the effort and money wants to find an experience that aligns with their values. If they understand the impact of understand their behavior and actions on these animals, they would not want to participate, so there are quite a lot of opportunities there.”
Look beyond physical contact
As evidenced by the stress seen in proboscis monkeys in Borneo, animals do not need to be ridden, held or touched to be negatively affected by the presence of humans. Think holistically about how guests appear in spaces where they encounter wildlife and reduce that presence. For example, Green Safaris uses four electric vehicles in three of its safari camps to minimize both noise and odor in the natural environment.
“The vehicles are so quiet that they hardly disturb the wildlife when they are in the bush,” he said Alice Baker from Small World Marketingwho manages Green Safaris’ UK sales, marketing and PR efforts. Green Safaris also runs a solar-powered e-boat Zambia‘s Kafue River and e-bikes at some of his properties.
Take suppliers on a trip
Animal welfare is part of the global climate and biodiversity challenge that travel companies must address. As such, a more holistic perspective and a more holistic response that considers the well-being of all stakeholders is appropriate.
“Both crises are real and take place in the places where we operate; so as a company we are building a really powerful response to how we can invest in solutions in the places we visit with the communities we visit,” said Jamie Sweeting, VP for Social Entrepreneurship and Responsible Travel at G Adventures. “True animal welfare requires a healthy ecosystem and environment to live in.”
If there is room for improvement, work with suppliers instead of abandoning them.
“Don’t just drop a company because it isn’t doing the right thing yet,” says
Susanne EttiGlobal Environmental Impact Manager at Intrepid Travel
— who co-produced a publicly available animal welfare policy toolkit with WAP. “Work with the supplier to educate and inform – not to preach; but say, “Hey, this is where we want to go. How can we get there together?’”
Update the policy as needed
“We tend to oversimplify things in the tourism industry and think, ‘Oh, I’ve been doing animal welfare. I’ve arranged things with the elephants,” Sweeting said. But developing an animal welfare policy is not a one-off activity. As with all corporate social responsibility obligations, companies should regularly consult and update the policy. Attitude change can help accelerate progress; and as travelers’ feelings and expectations evolve, companies must respond accordingly.
“One of the things we emphasize is that animal welfare is an evolving science,” Matlow said. “This is an evolving conversation and requires an open strategy and continuous improvement.”
Published Aug 16, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Joanna Haugen
Founder
rooted
JoAnna Haugen is a writer, speaker, and solutions advocate who has worked in the travel and tourism industry throughout her career. She is also the founder of Rooted – a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact and storytelling. JoAnna, a returned U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, international election observer, and intrepid traveler, helps tourism professionals decolonize travel and support sustainability using strategic communication skills.
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