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The 20 Best Wildlife Parks & Wildlife Tours in the World

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Global interest in nature-based tourism, which includes wildlife tourism, has grown rapidly over the last decade.

At the same time, wildlife has become increasingly under threat from issues such as habitat loss, poaching, and a lack of funding for conservation.  

Richard Damania, lead economist for the World Bank , succinctly explains the intrinsic connection between economy and ecology in tourism destinations: “Provide jobs and (you’ll) save the environment.”  

But of course it’s not quite that simple, as a National Geographic cover story on the dark truth behind wildlife tourism illustrated.

When managed irresponsibly, wildlife attractions may involve abuse, exploitation, drugged animals, and even death. And unless visitors are well-informed about these issues, they’d probably never know the difference.  

Fortunately, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of examples of wildlife tourism attractions that get it right.

These sustainably-run operations have led to improved well-being for the animals, increased investments in protected areas and reserves, a reduction in poaching, and increased benefits for local communities in the form of jobs, co-management of resources, and revenue-sharing.  

Here’s a look at 20 of the world’s best wildlife parks , as well as wildlife tours specifically designed for animal lovers.

READ MORE: The 25 Best National Parks in Africa for Wildlife Safaris

WILDLIFE PARKS IN AFRICA

1. ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK (Namibia)  

The utterly unique wildlife park encompasses 8,600 square miles of expansive desert landscapes .

At the heart of Etosha National Park are its expansive salt pans. In the wet season they fill with water and attract a bevy of beautiful birds , while in the dry season they blow saline dust out towards the Atlantic Ocean.

The otherworldly park is also home to lots of big game animals, including giraffes , lions, black and white rhinos, and endemic mountain zebras, as well as a wide variety of birds.

Many Namibia wildlife tours include visiting Etosha National Park , looking for desert elephants in Skeleton Coast National Park, seeing the massive Cape fur seal colonies at Swakomund, and much more.  

READ MORE: The 20 Safest Countries in Africa to Visit

2. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK (South Africa)  

Covering more than 7,500 square miles in the eastern part of South Africa , Kruger National Park ranks alongside Etosha among the largest wildlife reserves in all of Africa.

Established in 1926, it’s South Africa’s oldest national park and part of a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve .

Although the region has been struggling to deal with the rise in poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other animals for the illegal wildlife trade over the past decade, Kruger National Park remains a remarkable place.

The park is home to an exceptional range of wildlife, including 517 bird species, 147 species of large mammals, 114 reptile species, and rare, endangered wildlife including black rhinos and the gorgeous African wild dog (a.k.a. painted dog).  

READ MORE: Tips for Visiting Kruger National Park, South Africa

3. MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE (Kenya)

The Masai Mara should need no introduction as the northern stop of Africa’s Great Migration of wildebeest, zebras, and other ungulates, which is arguably one of the world’s greatest wonders for wildlife lovers.

But the 583-square-mile reserve is just part of the Greater Mara Ecosystem, which also includes numerous Maasai-owned wildlife conservancies .

The area is home to 25% of Kenya’s wildlife , including an incredible population of Big Cats (cheetahs, lions , and leopards), as well as their prey (gazelles, impala, wildebeest, etc).

Eco-tour operators like Gamewatchers Safaris  and the Elewana Collection offer an exceptional opportunity to explore the area in depth, covering much of the same epic journey the migration follows each year.

READ MORE: Masai Mara Conservancies: A Model for Community Conservation in Kenya

4. OKAVANGO DELTA (Botswana)

One of the newer UNESCO sites on this list, Botswana’s Okavango Delta earned World Heritage Site status in 2014 for its incredibly diverse wildlife and expansive wetlands ecosystem.

Spreading across 5791 square miles, the region’s vast network of canals and swamps are best explored via traditional canoes , which are known as mokoro .

In the winter, the water draws some 200,000 large mammals (cheetahs, lions, elephants, rhinos, etc.) and 400+ bird species to the area. Thanks to Botswana’s anti-poaching measures, the number of animals here is growing.

Luxury Botswana safaris (such as those offered by Great Plains Conservation ) offer guests an exclusive experience exploring different regions of this fertile landscape, including areas rarely visited by most wildlife tours of the Okavango.

READ MORE: 55 Interesting Facts About Elephants

5. SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (Tanzania)

The southern starting point for the annual Great Migration from Tanzania to Kenya in search of water and fresh grass, this 5,700-square mile UNESCO World Heritage Site was named after the Maasai word for “the place where the land runs on forever.”

It’s an apt moniker, and the Serengeti’s seemingly endless grasslands, riverine forest, bushy savanna, and open woodlands are home to a staggering array of wildlife (not to mention the welcoming Maasai people ).

In just a few days of exploring the area, you can see lots of lions, elephants, giraffes, Nile crocodiles, colobus monkeys, and huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and buffalo crowding the plains.

Numerous tour operators offer immersive excursions that explore this excellent East African wildlife park in depth.

READ MORE: The Top 10 Tanzania National Parks & Reserves

6. VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (Rwanda)  

Made famous by primatologist Diane Fossey ’s groundbreaking work with mountain gorillas back in the 1970s and ‘80s, Volcanoes was the first national park on the african continent.

The park is home to five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountain range, with up to 80 tourists a day paying for pricey permits to spend an incredible hour with one of the 10 habituated gorilla families that make their home here.

The park also offers treks to see habituated groups of endangered golden monkeys, visit Fossey’s grave, and climb Bisoke (a one-day tour) or Karisimbi Volcano (a 2-day trek with overnight camping ) .

We also recommend a visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village , which provides alternative employment opportunities for former poachers and their families. It’s a model for community-based conservation.

READ MORE: 50 Interesting Facts About  Gorillas

7. WILDLIFE PARKS IN ANTARCTICA

Ok, so technically there are no national parks in Antarctica .

But because the entire continent is protected by the Antarctic Treaty System, the coldest, driest, and windiest place on the planet is basically like one giant wildlife reserve. And small ship cruises are a great way to explore it.

The best Antarctic wildlife tours include plenty of Adelie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins on the Antarctic mainland; Magellanic and rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands; and vast colonies of king and macaroni penguins (not to mention elephant and fur seals) on South Georgia Island.

Of course, there will also be plenty of whales , seals, and other wildlife sightings during your time at sea as well!  

READ MORE: 30 Antarctic Animals You Can See on an Antarctica Cruise

WILDLIFE PARKS IN ASIA  

8. BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK (India)

Located in Madhya Pradesh, the 431-square-mile Bandhavgarh National Park & Tiger Reserve boasts one of the highest densities of Bengal tigers in the world.

Thanks to conservation initiatives here and at tiger reserves such as Kanha and Kaziranga National Parks, the Bengal tiger is one of the few endangered species whose population is growing.

But the fearsome cat is hardly this wildlife park’s only attraction: There are also 36 other species of mammals (including leopards, Asian elephants, and nilgai, or “blue bulls”), more than 250 species of birds, and around 80 species of butterflies.

There are three zones in this former maharaja’s hunting grounds that are open to tourists: The Tala zone is considered the best for tigers and also the most photogenic, while Khitauli is great for birdwatching .  

READ MORE: Indian Animals: A Guide to 40 Species of Indian Wildlife 

9. KOMODO NATIONAL PARK (Indonesia)

There are less than 5,000 Komodo dragons left in the world, and most of them are found on two small islands in Indonesia , Komodo Island and Rinca Island.

Along with Padar and 26 smaller islands, this entire archipelago has been protected since 1980 as Komodo National Park .

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, the park was originally designed to protect the world’s largest lizard, which can grow up to 10 feet long.

But it’s also home to remarkable marine life, including whale sharks , manta rays, eagle rays, blue-ringed octopus, and quite a few cetaceans (including dolphins, blue whales, and sperm whales).  

READ MORE: How Fires in Indonesia & Palm Oil Are Killing Orangutans

10. TUBBATAHA REEFS NATURAL PARK (Philippines)

If you enjoy snorkeling and Scuba diving and have a deep appreciation for marine life, a visit to the islands of the Philippines is truly a must.

Located within the South China Sea’s famed “Coral Triangle,” the Philippines is home to some of the world’s most picturesque beaches, colorful coral reef systems, and a dazzling assortment of ocean animals .

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park covers 374 square miles and includes two large atolls and a smaller reef system.

Small ship expedition cruises give guests chances to dive and/or snorkel this ecotourism hotspot in the Palawan province, where they may see some of the reef’s 600 fish species, 13 species of cetaceans, 11 types of sharks, and several species of sea turtles.  

READ MORE: Top 15 Things to Do in Coron, Palawan

11.YALA NATIONAL PARK (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka may not be nearly as well known as neighboring India in terms of tourism, but in the last few years its number of international visitors has been gradually on the rise.

The island nation’s oldest and most renowned national park is also home to the greatest concentration of Sri Lanka wildlife , including leopards, Sri Lankan elephants, sloth bears, jackals, buffalo, crocodiles, and monkeys.

The uncrowded wildlife park also boasts over 150 bird species, and the adjacent Yala East (a.k.a. Kumana National Park) is a notorious nesting site for waterbirds.

Yala is a huge factor in the recent rise of Sri Lanka ecotourism , with an array of incredible natural wonders you won’t see anywhere else in the country.

READ MORE: Endangered Asian Animals: The 10 Best Wildlife Conservation Programs

WILDLIFE PARKS IN AUSTRALIA

12. GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK (Australia)  

Stretching more than 133,000 square miles, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is easily the world’s largest coral reef system.  

The area is home to at least 30 species of cetaceans, over 1,500 species of fish, six species of sea turtles, and around 125 different species of sharks and stingrays.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site also includes mangroves and salt marshes, which provide fertile breeding grounds for frogs and saltwater crocodiles, and around 1.5 million birds (215 species) use its 900 islands to nest or roost.

The Australian National Park ’s reefs are currently being threatened by climate change, with ocean acidification leading to increased coral bleaching. But some cruises take guests to its most pristine places, including Osprey Reef and Lizard Island.

READ MORE: 20 Weird & Cute Australian Animals

WILDLIFE PARKS IN NORTH AMERICA/CENTRAL AMERICA

13. BANFF NATIONAL PARK (Canada)  

Established in 1885, Banff National Park encompasses around 2,564 square miles, and is packed with towering mountains, dense coniferous forest, glaciers, and ice fields.

It’s bounded by Yoho National Park to the west, Kootenay National Park to the south, and Kananaskis Country to the southeast, so the entire region feels like one massive nature area.

The park is home to a wonderful array of alpine animals, including grizzly bears, cougars, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, wolverines, and hundreds of bird species.

If you visit, make time for a road trip along the impressively scenic Icefields Parkway, which extends from the world-renowned Lake Louise to neighboring Jasper National Park .

READ MORE: Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba 

14. CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK (Costa Rica)

Located on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica,  Corcovado National Park has been referred to by  National Geographic  as “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity.”

At 164 square miles, it’s one of the world’s few remaining large areas of lowland  tropical rainforests , with a diverse range of ecosystems providing home to more than 500 different tree species.

During our three days of hiking in the park we spotted a dizzying array of wildlife, including the endangered Baird’s tapir, the rare harpy eagle, all four Costa Rica monkey species, sloths, giant anteaters, collared peccaries, and more.

Scuba divers and snorkelers can also enjoy a day trip to Caño Island, which is 40 minutes away by boat.  

READ MORE: 40 Amazing Costa Rica Animals

15. DENALI NATIONAL PARK (USA)

If you’re interested in wildlife tours, central Alaska’s Denali National Park is arguably the best place in the USA to take one.

With six million acres of pristine wilderness and just one 92-mile road through it (which is only open to private vehicles four days a year), Denali is about as wild as national parks get.

The shuttle bus drivers double as engaging naturalist guides, allowing visitors to sit back, relax, and drop their jaws at the stunning scenery and– if you’re lucky– breathtaking views of the massive mountain for which the park is named.

The prodigious wildlife here includes lots of grizzly bears, moose, caribou, bald eagles, and even wolves. So if you’re planning on hiking or camping here, make sure to familiarize yourself with backcountry safety.

READ MORE: 40 Species of Alaskan Animals You Can See on Vacation

16. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (USA)

If Alaska’s a bit too remote for your budget, the world’s first national park is the next best thing.

Yellowstone National Park has been in the news often in recent years due to overtourism and the misbehavior of some irresponsible visitors .

But don’t let a few bad apples spoil your enjoyment of the inherent beauty of its natural attractions, including Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, the Upper & Lower Geyser Basin, and Grand Prismatic Spring.

Though traffic can be frustrating in peak summer, the shoulder seasons are great for spotting wildlife such as bald eagles, bighorn sheep, bison, elk, grizzly bears, wolves, and much more.

If you want to explore Yellowstone with almost no other tourists, visit in winter, when everything is blanketed in white.  

READ MORE: List of US National Parks By State: an EPIC  Guide

WILDLIFE PARKS IN SOUTH AMERICA

17. GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK (Ecuador)

Located 563 miles off Ecuador’s coast, this volcanic archipelago is a must-see for anyone who loves nature and wildlife, especially avid birdwatchers .

Named the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, the Galapagos Islands have fascinated mankind ever since they influenced Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution during his voyage there in the early 1800s .

The landscapes are remarkably diverse, from the lush green flora of the Santa Cruz highlands to the harsh lava fields on Bartolomé.

It’s also home to some of the world’s most fascinating wildlife, from ocean-feeding Marine Iguanas and comical Blue-Footed Boobies to diminutive Galapagos Penguins and massive Galapagos Tortoises.

READ MORE: 30 Amazing Galapagos Islands Animals

18. PACAYA-SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE (Peru)

Encompassing around 8,000 square miles in remote Loretu, Peru, the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve was easily our favorite part of the Peruvian Amazon .

The protected area includes low hills and portions of the Amazon rainforest that are flooded during the wet season.

So while there are 19 ranger stations, 15 authorized campsites, and five wilderness huts available, the best/only way to explore the reserve for much of the year is by boat.

Eco-friendly Amazon River cruises provide heartwarming cultural exchanges with the indigenous Ribereños, as well as exceptional opportunities to see wildlife like the Amazon river dolphin, Amazonian manatee, a variety of monkeys, and countless colorful birds.

READ MORE: 25 Beautiful Birds in the Amazon Rainforest

19. PANTANAL MATOGROSSENSE (Brazil)

Though Brazil ’s portion of the Amazon forest is currently under serious threat due to fires designed to clear forest, its Pantanal remains one of the world’s truly great destinations for wildlife lovers.

The Brazilian Pantanal is one of the largest tropical wetlands in the world, covering approximately 54,000-75,000 square miles.

The region is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, and around 80% of its floodplains are underwater during the rainy season, making it one of the planet’s richest and most biodiverse ecosystems.

Animal aficionados will have a field day here, as the Pantanal is home to 400 fish species, 300 species of mammals (including the ever-elusive jaguar), and 480 species of reptiles. There are also over 1,000 different bird species in the Pantanal.  

READ MORE: 21 Incredible Animals that Live in the Amazon Rainforest

20. TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK (Chile)

Part of the National System of Protected Forested Areas of Chile, this gem of Patagonia  is among the country’s largest (around 935 square miles) and most popular wildlife parks.

In terms of attractions, Torres del Paine National Park has plenty, from the archaeological history of the Milodon Caves and ancient wall art along the Fauna Trail to the expansive Grey Glacier, part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (the world’s second largest contiguous ice field outside of the poles).

There’s plenty of wildlife, such as foxes, huemul deer, guanacos, pumas, and the massive Andean Condor.

But the park’s most distinctive features are the three towering granite peaks of the Paine Massif itself, which rises some 9,350 feet above sea level.   –Bret Love

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Ethical Animal Tourism: A Guide to Responsible Wildlife Encounters

• By Christian Brandt
• May 21, 2023

I am a huge animal lover, always have been, and always will be. As a child, I always imagined being on a wildlife safari while roaming through the bushes in the small forest next to our house. Twenty years later, I am exploring the world and its animals with the same curiosity I used to have as a child, but with more insights and knowledge about animal tourism, I sometimes wish I wouldn’t have. That’s why ethical animal tourism is such an important topic for me and a crucial part of Giving Getaway.

Animal tourism has become increasingly popular, offering tourists and travelers the opportunity to encounter wildlife up close. However, beneath the surface lie two crucial questions: Are these interactions ethical? And is their welfare prioritized, or are they merely commodities for human entertainment?

That’s why in this blog post, I would like to delve into the ethics of animal tourism and provide a guide to responsible wildlife encounters. By understanding and promoting responsible practices, we can ensure that our encounters with wildlife contribute to their well-being and conservation.

Understanding Animal Tourism

Animal tourism encompasses a wide range of experiences that involve human interaction with wildlife. These experiences can take various forms, such as wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, marine parks, and safaris. Wildlife sanctuaries aim to provide a haven for animals, often focusing on rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation efforts. Zoos, on the other hand, display animals in captivity, while marine parks showcase marine life through exhibits and shows. Safaris offer opportunities to observe and encounter animals in their natural habitats.

However, animal tourism is not without its ethical concerns. The industry often faces criticism for the potential exploitation and mistreatment of animals. Animals in captivity often suffer from inadequate living conditions, restricted movement, and psychological distress.

Moreover, there are instances of animals being used purely for entertainment purposes, which can disregard their natural behaviors and well-being. It is essential to critically examine the ethical implications associated with animal tourism and consider how our choices impact the welfare and conservation of wildlife. So let’s have a look at the ethical issues in animal tourism!

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Ethical Issues in Animal Tourism

In this section, I would like to discuss  instances of mistreatment and abuse within the industry, the potential impact of animal tourism on conservation efforts, and the ethical implications of close encounters and human contact with animals. By examining these issues, we can strive for a deeper understanding of the challenges posed by animal tourism and work towards responsible and ethical practices that prioritize the well-being of animals and the preservation of their natural habitats.

Exploitation and Cruelty Towards Animals

Animals held in captivity or confined within enclosures also face significant challenges that impact their overall welfare. The loss of freedom and restriction of natural behaviors result in stress, frustration, and a diminished quality of life . Improper handling practices, including rough treatment and mishandling during interactions, worsen the distress experienced by these animals. That’s why considering the long-term consequences of captivity and confinement is crucial to understanding the physical and psychological well-being of animals involved in animal tourism.

Conservation and Preservation

Animal tourism often asserts its role in supporting conservation efforts through fund generation and raising awareness. Some establishments claim that visitor fees and donations directly contribute to conservation programs, habitat restoration, and the protection of endangered species. It is important to thoroughly examine the extent to which these claims are fulfilled and how the allocated funds genuinely support conservation initiatives.

The evaluation of wildlife tourism initiatives is vital in assessing their effectiveness in safeguarding species and habitats. This evaluation process entails assessing whether these initiatives genuinely contribute to preserving and recovering endangered species, restoring natural habitats, and promoting sustainable practices.

Critical analysis of the outcomes of wildlife tourism programs is necessary, considering factors such as research efforts, educational initiatives, and the success of reintroduction or rehabilitation programs . By conducting such evaluations, we can determine the true impact of wildlife tourism on conservation goals and make informed decisions to promote responsible practices.

Human-Animal Interactions

Direct interactions between humans and animals in tourism settings pose inherent risks that must be considered. Safety concerns arise when tourists and travelers are allowed to approach potentially dangerous animals closely or engage in activities that may cause harm. Additionally, disease transmission between humans and animals is a significant concern, as certain diseases can be transmitted back and forth.

Careful consideration of these potential risks is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of both humans and animals. Implementing measures to minimize these risks is important for fostering responsible and sustainable animal tourism practices.

Responsible Wildlife Encounters: Guidelines for Ethical Animal Tourism

Let us now have a look at essential guidelines and principles for engaging in animal tourism while prioritizing the welfare and conservation of animals. I will discuss how to make informed decisions, support conservation efforts, respect animal welfare and natural behavior, and contribute to education and awareness. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your wildlife encounters align with responsible and ethical practices, making a positive impact on the well-being of animals and the preservation of their natural environments.

Research and Choose Ethical Animal Tourism Options

It is also essential to look for animal tourism facilities that place a strong emphasis on education, research, and conservation. These establishments go beyond providing mere entertainment and strive to educate visitors about the importance of wildlife conservation and the challenges animals face in their natural habitats. Through educational programs, guided tours, and interactive experiences, they offer opportunities for a deeper understanding of wildlife and its conservation. 

Additionally, supporting facilities actively involved in research initiatives and conservation projects aimed at protecting species and their habitats contributes to advancing scientific knowledge and preserving biodiversity. Feel free to read this post, where I highlight 10 ethical activities in Europe which emphasize both responsible animal tourism and education.

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Support Conservation-Focused Initiatives

When it comes to supporting ethical animal tourism, it is crucial to prioritize sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers that truly prioritize animal welfare. These establishments offer a safe place for animals that have been rescued or require rehabilitation, providing them with a safe and nurturing environment. By choosing to visit and support these ethical sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers, you directly contribute to the well-being and care of the animals. They prioritize the animals’ natural behaviors, allowing them to recover, thrive, and, whenever possible, reintegrate into their natural habitats.

Also, demonstrating your commitment to wildlife conservation involves contributing to organizations actively engaged in conservation efforts . These organizations work tirelessly to safeguard wildlife and their habitats through various initiatives, such as anti-poaching campaigns, habitat restoration, research, and community outreach programs. By donating or volunteering with these organizations, you can play a vital role in funding critical conservation projects and ensuring the long-term sustainability and protection of endangered species.

Respect Animal Welfare and Natural Behavior

Furthermore, it is essential to promote observation-based experiences rather than direct interaction when encountering animals in tourism settings. While the temptation to have close contact or engage in direct interactions may arise, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being and safety of both animals and visitors. Observing animals from a distance allows them to engage in their natural behaviors without disturbance or stress.

It respects their boundaries and mitigates potential risks associated with direct contact. By advocating for observation-based experiences, you actively contribute to the animals’ welfare and provide them with the opportunity to live as naturally as possible.

Educate and Raise Awareness

Education and awareness play a crucial role in promoting responsible and ethical animal tourism. Before visiting an animal tourism facility, take the time to educate yourself about their natural habitats, behaviors, conservation status, and specific challenges they face. This understanding allows for a deeper appreciation and respect for their existence, empowering you to make informed decisions and engage in meaningful discussions during your visit.

Besides that, sharing information about responsible and ethical animal tourism practices is crucial in raising awareness among your friends, family, and social networks. Spread the word about accredited establishments, conservation initiatives, and the importance of respecting animal welfare.

Encourage others to make informed choices when participating in animal tourism and foster a culture of compassion and empathy towards wildlife. By sharing this knowledge, you actively contribute to a collective understanding of the ethical considerations involved and inspire others to make conscious decisions when engaging in animal tourism.

Case Studies: Ethical Animal Tourism Examples

In this section, I want to present case studies of wildlife tourism destinations and programs that prioritize animal welfare and conservation. These examples serve as inspiring models, showing how responsible animal tourism can make a positive impact. By highlighting these exemplary practices, we can draw inspiration and encourage support for responsible animal tourism.

The Elephant Nature Park, Thailand

There you have the opportunity to observe these majestic creatures in their natural behaviors while learning about their stories of rescue and rehabilitation. The park actively fights against activities such as elephant riding, emphasizing the importance of treating elephants with respect and dignity.

The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Galapagos Islands are renowned for their unique biodiversity and have become a prime example of responsible wildlife tourism. Strict regulations are in place to protect the delicate ecosystem and endemic species found on the islands.

You can explore the islands through guided tours led by knowledgeable naturalists who provide educational insights into the remarkable wildlife, including the Galapagos tortoise and marine iguanas. The focus is on preserving the natural habitats and raising awareness about the importance of conservation.

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The Reintroduction of Black Rhinos in South Africa

This initiative has not only led to the recovery of black rhino populations but has also provided employment opportunities for local communities and raised public awareness about the importance of conserving these magnificent creatures.

Community-based marine conservation in the Philippines

In the Philippines, community-based marine conservation initiatives have thrived, empowering local communities to actively participate in protecting and preserving marine ecosystems. Responsible tourism practices, such as guided snorkeling and diving tours, generate income for communities while promoting sustainable fishing practices and the preservation of fragile marine habitats. These initiatives have resulted in the recovery of coral reefs, the conservation of endangered marine species, and the socio-economic development of coastal communities.

These case studies illustrate the potential of ethical animal tourism to make a positive impact on animal welfare, conservation, and community development. By supporting establishments and destinations that prioritize responsible practices, we can contribute to the well-being of animals and the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity. These success stories inspire us to promote and engage in responsible animal tourism, recognizing its role in creating a sustainable future for both wildlife and humans.

Ethical animal tourism demands our attention and consideration. Throughout this guide, we have explored the various ethical concerns and provided guidelines for responsible wildlife encounters. By choosing reputable establishments, supporting conservation efforts, respecting animal welfare, and promoting education, it is possible to make a positive change.

By prioritizing the well-being of animals, preserving habitats, and promoting responsible tourism, we can create a harmonious balance between our desire to connect with wildlife and our commitment to their welfare and conservation. Together, we can shape a future where ethical animal tourism thrives, benefiting both animals and humans alike.

Are you ready to make a difference while traveling? If so, why not use the search widgets or click on the ad banners on this website to  book your accommodations ,  flights ,  rental cars , and  more ? Your completed booking will earn a commission, with 50% of the profits going towards charity events like the  2021 Christmas gift drive for kids and teens in a children’s home in Montenegro .

So not only will you be enjoying a wonderful vacation, but you’ll also be contributing to a better world. Book your trip through our site and join us in making a positive impact today!

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What I learned investigating the wildlife tourism industry

I traveled the world documenting unseen suffering. Here’s what you can do to respect animals during your travels.

Right away, Elephant Valley Thailand felt different. The property, nestled in the forest on the outskirts of Chiang Rai, a small city in northern Thailand, was the fifth elephant attraction I’d visited in a week. I’d seen shows where elephants kicked soccer balls and twirled hula hoops. I’d watched people ride on their backs and swing from their trunks. I’d peeked into the stalls to which elephants returned after working, where they’re chained by their ankles to posts.

But Elephant Valley was quiet. It was the first time all week that I’d seen elephants from a distance. One was bathing in a pond, alone. Another two were eating in the middle of a field. Wooden fences surrounded most of the fields—to keep us out, not them in, John Lee, a manager at Elephant Valley, told me. That’s what struck me most: No one was allowed to touch the animals. These were elephants being elephants. ( Here's why we're shining a light on wildlife tourism. )

Elephant Valley Thailand ”was the most responsible elephant sanctuary that we visited,” says author Natasha Daly.

Elephant Valley Thailand, home to five elephants that previously worked in trekking camps and the logging industry, is unlike most other elephant attractions in Thailand. Many of the country’s 3,800 captive elephants live in camps that offer up-close, interactive experiences that allow visitors to ride or bathe the animals or watch them perform in shows. The activities are a massive draw for travelers from around the world, part of a lucrative global industry that puts people together with exotic animals for once-in-a-lifetime encounters.

It’s what brought me to Thailand , a monthlong stop on a reporting trip for National Geographic magazine that took photographer Kirsten Luce and me to four continents over a year and a half. Our goal was simple: to look at the animals that entertain us and the people who seek them out. Those people are you and they’re me. I have a photo of myself at two years old, perched on an elephant’s back at a zoo in my hometown of Toronto , Canada. Eight years ago, on my honeymoon, I went swimming with captive manta rays in Mexico . But seven years later, while reporting the story, I found myself watching a group of tourists pass around a tiger cub after paying a couple of dollars to feed him a bottle of milk—and wondering if anyone else was questioning why he wasn’t with his mom.

It’s complicated. People love animals and naturally want to get close to them—and genuinely want to learn more about them too. It’s a desire that’s increasingly fueled by social media, where travelers share their experiences instantaneously. The reality that many tourists don’t see is that to stay in business, elephant interactions—and photo ops with tigers and swimming with manta rays—rely on a steady stream of working wild animals, all of which have been caught or bred or trained into submission.

Related: 10 animals to see on a Botswana safari

And it’s all too easy to misread signs of suffering. Captive elephants sway their trunks back and forth—almost as if they’re dancing. In reality, it’s a sign of psychological distress. Sloths seem to love cuddling, but their hug is really just an attempt to cling to what feels to them like a tree trunk. Dolphins appear to be smiling but that’s the natural set of their mouths.

Travelers are increasingly recognizing that many animal tourist attractions may not be ethical. More and more backpackers are shunning elephant riding. ( Follow these tips for ethical animal encounters. )

The industry knows it. Dozens of properties in Thailand now call themselves “sanctuaries.” Many look a lot like Elephant Valley and boast five-star ratings on travel sites such as TripAdvisor . But Kirsten and I found that, unlike Elephant Valley, almost every one offers elephant bathing for visitors who wish to splash with an elephant in a river or mud pit. Often the bathing is repeated all day long. And only trained elephants will submit to baths.

Jack Highwood opened Elephant Valley in 2016. The 40-acre property is his second elephant sanctuary, following a much bigger one he established in Cambodia. He chose to go small with the Thai sanctuary, installing inexpensive wooden fencing and minimal infrastructure because he wanted to make the model as easy as possible for others to copy. It felt peaceful, several visitors at Elephant Valley told me. As if the elephants didn’t even know they were there.

While traveling the world, I spoke to tourists everywhere. In restaurants and hostels. At aquariums and monkey shows. I would often ask people if they prefer to have an up-close experience with an animal in captivity or observe it from afar in the wild. More often than not, they told me the latter. Yet captive encounters remain extremely popular. Maybe because an animal sighting is assured. Maybe because the animals seem happy, and it seems that your admission fee is going to contribute to someone’s paycheck. Maybe, perhaps most compelling of all, because it gives you a photograph—you, together with an exotic animal—that can go straight to your social media feed, where likes and comments are guaranteed.

Across the Pacific, on the North Shore of Oahu, in Hawaii , there’s a beach called Laniakea. People more commonly call it Turtle Beach, because sea turtles regularly come ashore. They’ll pick a spot and sleep in the sun, sometimes for hours at a time. Volunteers are there every day to keep people away from the animals. When a turtle emerges from the sea, the volunteers block off space for it with rope, giving the turtle ample room to relax in peace.

One weekday in September, I sat with dozens of tourists behind the rope and watched them watching a turtle. For the most part, people were respectful. A few asked why they couldn’t touch. It’s illegal to touch sea turtles in Hawaii, the volunteers explained. And it’s important to respect their space, they added. This is their beach too, after all.

It can be hard for most people to tell the difference between ethical and problematic wildlife experiences. There are many shades of gray. But you might follow a few simple guidelines :

Keep your distance. Seek experiences that offer observation of animals engaging in natural behaviors in natural environments.

Do your research. A highly rated place may not necessarily be humane. Read those one- and two-star reviews. It’s often in the pans that visitors chronicle animal welfare concerns.

Beware of buzzwords. A facility may use phrases on their website or promotional materials such as “gives back to conservation,” “rescue,” and “sanctuary,” but if it still offers extensive interaction, that may be a red flag.

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Growing Wildlife-Based Tourism Sustainably: A New Report and Q&A

Copyright: Sanjayda, Shutterstock.com

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• While wildlife and biodiversity are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and a lack of funding for protection, nature-based tourism is on the rise and could help provide solutions for these issues.
• The publication Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism highlights successful wildlife tourism programs in seven countries in Africa and Asia that can be used as models to promote conservation and boost economies.
• World Bank lead economist Richard Damania answers questions on the drivers, innovations and challenges for wildlife tourism, and why the World Bank Group and governments should support sustainable tourism strategies.

Wildlife tourism is a powerful tool countries can leverage to grow and diversify their economies while protecting their biodiversity and meeting several Sustainable Development Goals. It is also a way to engage tourists in wildlife conservation and inject money into local communities living closest to wildlife. Success stories and lessons learned from nature-based tourism are emerging from across the globe.

“Here is a way of squaring the circle: provide jobs and save the environment,” said World Bank lead economist Richard Damania, who has extensive experience in understanding the link between tourism and the economy . In 2016, travel and tourism contributed $7.6 trillion, or 10.2%, to total GDP, and the industry provided jobs to one in 10 people, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council .

While nature-based tourism, which includes wildlife tourism, has been expanding rapidly in the last decade or so due to increased demand and opportunities, wildlife and biodiversity are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and a lack of funding for protection.

Which is why more than ever countries need to look to concrete examples of well-planned, sustainably-run tourism operations that have led to increased investments in protected areas and reserves, a reduction in poaching, an increase in the non-consumptive value of wildlife through viewing , and opportunities for rural communities to improve their livelihoods through tourism-related jobs, revenue-sharing arrangements, and co-management of natural resources.

A recently-released publication— Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism —developed by the World Bank Group and the Global Wildlife Program , funded by the Global Environment Facility , showcases sustainable wildlife tourism models that can be applied to developing countries, and offers solutions and case studies to bring insight into this sector as a mechanism for inclusive poverty reduction and global conservation.

The Global Wildlife Program spoke with Damania to learn more about the growth, challenges, and innovations in wildlife-based tourism.

Copyright: Wandel Guides, Shutterstock.com

Why should the World Bank support conservation endeavors, and how does wildlife tourism help support our mission?

Enlightened self-interest is one obvious reason why we need to promote wildlife tourism.  It provides the most obvious way to reconcile the interests of nature with the imperative for development and growth. Tourism simultaneously creates jobs while, when done well, protects natural habitats.

Prudence and precaution are another reason why investments in nature-based tourism ought to be promoted. The science of “ planetary boundaries ” warns us that many fragile natural environments and ecosystems are reaching their limits and in some cases, the hypothesized safe boundaries have been crossed. Further damage will imply that we lose important ecosystem services such as watershed and soil protection with damaging consequences for development.

But, in my mind, perhaps the most important reason is humanity’s moral and ethical imperative as stewards of global ecosystems. Simply because humanity has the ability to destroy or convert ecosystems and drive species to extinction does not make it ethically justifiable. There needs to be an ethical balance and that is where ecotourism comes in. We need jobs and economic growth, but here is a way to get jobs and growth in ways that meet our moral and ethical obligation.

What have been the drivers behind a burgeoning nature-based/wildlife-based tourism sector?  

I think there are two things that drive it: as habitats diminish there is more scarcity and their value goes up. Everyone wants to see the last remaining habitats of wild gorillas for instance, or the few remaining wild tigers in India. In sum scarcity confers economic value. 

Another force driving demand is the internet and rising lifestyles—you can learn about animals and habitats you might not have known existed, and more people have the ability to visit them. So, you have supply diminishing on one hand, and demand rising on the other hand which creates an opportunity for economic progress together with conservation.

What is your advice to governments and others who are developing or expanding on a nature or wildlife-based tourism strategy?

Tourism benefits need to be shared better . There is a lack of balance with too many tourists in some places, and none elsewhere. Some destinations face gross overcrowding, such as South Africa’s Krueger National Park or the Masai Mara in Kenya where you have tourists looking at other tourists, instead of at lions. We need to be able to distribute the demand for tourists more equally. The Bank has a role to play in developing the right kind of tourism infrastructure.

Those living closest to nature and wildlife must also benefit .   The local inhabitants that live in the national parks or at their periphery are usually extremely poor. Having tourism operations that can benefit them is extremely important for social corporate reasons, but also for sustainability reasons. If the benefits of tourism flow to the local communities, they will value the parks much more.

We also need to be mindful of   wildlife corridors . We know that dispersion and migration are fundamental biological determinants of species survival. Closed systems where animals cannot move to breed are not sustainable in the long run. As we break off the corridors because of infrastructure and increasing human populations we are putting the ecosystems on life support.

There are some who believe we can manage these closed ecosystems, but it takes an immense amount of self assurance in science to suggest this with confidence, and it is unclear that one can manage ecosystems that we do not adequately understand. A measure of caution and humility is needed when we are stretching the bounds of what is known to science.

What are some of the innovative partnerships that are helping the wildlife-based tourism businesses in developing countries? 

One very successful model that has combined wildlife conservation and management and community benefits and welfare is the  Ruaha Carnivore Project  in Tanzania, part of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unite ( WildCRU ). They use a payment for ecosystem services (PES) scheme and do all the right things.

Another example are the community conservancies in Namibia. The community manages the land for wildlife and there are a variety of profit sharing commercial tourism arrangements—although not everything always works fairly or perfectly. Incentives matter deeply and communities need to be guided and need technical assistance in setting up commercial arrangements.

The Bank needs to understand these better and find ways of scaling those up. The IFC has a very good role to play here as well. 

To learn more and to explore numerous examples of community involvement in wildlife tourism from Botswana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Uganda, read the report  Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism   or find a one-page fact sheet here .

The Global Wildlife Program (GWP) is led by the World Bank and funded by a $131 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The program is working with 19 countries across Africa and Asia to promote wildlife conservation and sustainable development by combatting illicit trafficking in wildlife, and investing in wildlife-based tourism. 

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Is There Such a Thing as Ethical Animal Tourism?

A road map on how to responsibly integrate animals into your next vacation..

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Humans have always been torn between our desire to interact with animals and their right to just be animals.

Photo by Gerdie Hutomo/Shutterstock

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a bull hook. In the late ’90s, I visited the Big Apple Circus in New York City. Performers and crew members preparing for the night’s show raced around in an atmosphere that smelled of caramelizing cotton candy, hot peanuts, and animal manure. I was standing near a staging area when I saw a young girl wearing a sparkly costume and walking with an elephant. She held a stout pole with a metal hook at its end and I asked her what it was for. She raised her arm, made a fierce face, and said, “To hit them when they don’t obey.” My face flushed with shame—I considered myself an animal lover. Yet I hadn’t known the elephants suffered for my entertainment. I felt foolish and sad. And I vowed to learn more.

The image haunted me for years afterward, and with good reason. We now know much more about animal sentience thanks to scientists like primatologist Jane Goodall , who demonstrated that chimpanzees have complex social lives with families, friends, and enemies, as well as the capacity to use tools. Today, we know this about many more animals as well, from elephants to dolphins to ravens. As Goodall sat quietly in the chimpanzees’ forest habitat in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park and observed them, she understood she was making a connection with them. She also understood that when humans form a meaningful connection with an animal—whether with a chimpanzee or a pet dog—we often come to the conclusion that we’re not the only ones on the planet with unique personalities and complex emotions.

The tension between our desire to connect with wildlife and their right to, well, just be animals, has always been a source of discomfort, and sadly, makes the creatures we so desperately want to interact with suffer. Is it possible to have it both ways—to honor our yearning and the animals’ welfare too? That’s where ethical tourism comes in.

Infinitely cute, baby sloths are often snatched from their mothers in the wild and are subject to claw and mouth mutilation by poachers, rendering them unable to fight back.

Photo by Sue Sharp

The nature of the beast

When we buy a ticket at an animal attraction, we indulge the fantasy that, say, a dolphin is happy to swim with us or that a baby sloth needs our hugs. But there are many things happening behind the scenes that we don’t see. For example, dolphins are actually incapable of smiling and their seemingly sunny expressions are simply a quirk of their anatomy . And, unfortunately, those baby sloths at the tourist trap have likely been snatched from their mothers by poachers and have a high likelihood of dying after just a few weeks in captivity without ever having a real shot at returning to the wild.

World Animal Protection , a London-based nonprofit animal welfare organization, believes that at least 550,000 wild animals are suffering in unethical tourist attractions globally and around 110 million people visit them per year. So, how do we figure out if a wildlife-focused venue we want to visit is treating animals ethically? One way is to ask a few questions based upon the Five Domains of Animal Welfare —guidelines established by animal welfare scientists that assess the diet, living situation, health, and behavior of captive animals. However, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if a venue lets visitors touch, ride, feed, or watch a wild animal perform tricks, it’s probably unethical.

But what exactly does “wild” mean? In the 200,000 years we’ve been on Earth, humans have cut, paved, built, shorn, burned, and farmed much of the natural world. Recent research indicates only 23 percent of the planet’s land surface (excluding Antarctica) and 13 percent of the ocean can now be classified as wilderness. Even seeing animals “in the wild,” such as on safari or in a national park, involves visiting environments that have been carefully groomed to meet human needs—but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Ideally, the most ethical parks will allow animals the autonomy to forage and flourish and keep crowds to a minimum.

As Goodall pointed out in a 2020 interview with G Adventures , responsible wildlife travel can actually help animal conservation in three important ways: “One, it takes foreign exchange in, so the central government is happy. Two, it helps to pay the staff and the rangers who can actually protect the animals. Three, the people who go on these tours come back with a passion for helping conservation.”

Without a doubt, demand for wildlife attractions has spiked— the U.N. World Tourism Organization estimates the business accounts for 7 percent of global tourism’s GDP, a number that is predicted to grow about 3 percent annually. Some of this increased interest could be attributed to the fact that all things cute, cuddly, and exotic are extremely popular on social media. Remember Abby the dachshund and Bonedigger the lion , who were famously lovey dovey with one another? Yup, they were residents of G.W. Exotic Animal Park— Joe Exotic’s legally embattled, now defunct zoo .

So, what to do about animal attractions going viral? World Animal Protection has teamed up with a number of tech companies to help social-savvy travelers make more ethical choices. As of 2017, when a term like #tigerselfie is searched on Instagram, a pop-up message will appear stating that “animal abuse and the sale of endangered animals or their parts is not allowed” on the platform—a direct result of WAP’s Wildlife Selfie Code . Then, after it was accused by WAP of profiting off of animal cruelty in 2016 , TripAdvisor quickly stopped letting customers book tickets to unethical wildlife attractions. But if travelers are keen on integrating exotic critters directly into their travel plans, WAP and Airbnb created Airbnb Animal Experiences in 2019, which “offers a fresh new way to connect with animals” following the Five Domains—excursions include hanging out with alpacas in Colorado or viewing rehabilitated and released macaws .

Nicole Barrantes, who is one of WAP’s wildlife campaign managers, believes the stances tech companies have adopted over the years are an effective first step. “When people go online, on Expedia for example, and search for ‘dolphin show tickets,’ they won’t pop up anymore—and that changes the narrative about what’s acceptable in animal experiences,” she says.

SeaWorld came under heavy fire after the release of “Blackfish.”

Photo by Irina Silvestrova

A kettle of fish

Few incidents concerning animal welfare have gotten as much attention in recent years as the fallout that followed the 2013 release of Blackfish . The documentary follows the life of orca Tillikum, who was captured off the coast of Iceland in 1983 and was bullied by his tank mates once he arrived at SeaWorld , in Florida. Once the film made its debut at the Sundance Film festival, it sparked almost immediate outrage across the world. SeaWorld soon promised to stop breeding orcas by 2016 and phase out its orca shows by 2019, forfeiting nearly $15.9 million in revenue in the process. The company was also forced to pay $65 million to settle a lawsuit that accused it of misleading investors about the financial impact the film had on the attraction’s finances.

But beyond exposing one company’s transgression, Blackfish sparked a national conversation about the rights of animals (especially marine species) held in captivity for our entertainment. Should we be caging dolphins when they have the ability to develop languages and have one of the largest brain-to-body ratios on the planet?

Multiple studies have found that even in the wild, dolphins are negatively impacted by the presence of tourists . Whale and Dolphin Conservation , an international organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins, argues that dive and swim tour vessels interrupt their natural behaviors . “It can have a major effect, because the energy the dolphins have to spend avoiding you affects their calorie intake, which affects their ability to raise and feed their young,” says Melissa Walker, WDC’s deputy director of North America.

The best way to see dolphins? World Animal Protection advises observing them from the deck of a dolphin watch operation that follows a responsible code of conduct or, better yet, from shore. Try to look for companies that are certified with the NOAA Dolphin SMART program , which gives a seal of approval to marine wildlife tourism businesses that follow strict guidelines and use noninvasive observation techniques. “We urge everyone to avoid venues with captive dolphins or businesses that promise to let people interact with wild dolphins,” says WAP wildlife campaign manager Liz Cabrera Holtz.

Since they’re highly regulated, gorilla treks are one of the most ethical animal experiences out there.

Photo by Gudkov Andrey/Shutterstock

The 800-pound gorilla

As Goodall noted, something inexplicable happens during a positive animal encounter. Perhaps nowhere is that phenomenon more evident than during a gorilla trek. Gorillas share 98 percent of their DNA with us. They have a human-like social structure , take time to both work and rest, and have opposable thumbs and fingers just like us. For those who are interested in seeing our evolutionary cousins, the mountain gorilla encounter also happens to be one of the most ethical animal activities out there, because it’s one of the most highly regulated and controlled animal experiences out there. Though rules vary between Uganda and Rwanda, only small groups are allowed at a time to see a single group of mountain gorillas a day, and visitors are briefed on rules they must follow during their encounter—no touching is allowed. It is also now standard protocol for caretakers and visitors to wear surgical masks when they interact with gorillas to prevent reverse zoonotic disease —COVID-19, in particular.

The worldwide mountain gorilla population has been slowly increasing thanks to intensive conservation efforts, and there are currently more than 1,000 collectively found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Gorilla permits—which allow small groups of visitors to spend one hour watching a family from a distance of at least 23 feet —can set visitors back anywhere from $450 to $1,500 , but the cost helps bolster conservation efforts and pays staff who care for gorillas’ health and protect them from poachers, as well as bolster the economy of local communities living close to the park.

In a nutshell

The aim of ethical wildlife tourism is to protect animals and preserve their species and habitats. Do your research and ask questions based upon the Five Domains to choose reputable safari lodges, camps, sanctuaries, dive operators, and tour experiences that are committed to animal welfare and habitat preservation. Be sure to pack a good set of binoculars to observe critters from a safe, proper distance. If you dive or snorkel, let the sea turtles, dolphins, and fish come to you if they so choose—many will be as curious about you as you are about them—but don’t chase after them. Observe them with humility and change the story, as Jane Goodall did, and remember that we, too, are animals.

Lenora Todaro is the author of Sea Lions in the Parking Lot: Animals on the Move in a Time of Pandemic .

>>Next: Botswana’s Chobe Game Lodge Is Changing Safaris With All-Women Guide Teams

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Wildlife is our world heritage, unwto/chimelong.

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Why Wildlife?

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Wildlife tourism refers to the observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats.

It encompasses segments such as eco-tourism, safari tours and mountain tourism among others. Wildlife watching tourism occurs mainly in protected areas. Nature, national parks and wildlife are considered the most important tourism assets for tourists travelling for instance to Africa.

A WWF report shows that 93% of all natural heritage sites support recreation and tourism and 91% of them provide jobs. For instance, in Belize, more than  50% of the population  are said to be supported by income generated through reef-related tourism and fisheries.

Wildlife represents biodiversity, essential for our health and the well-being of the whole planet.

Wildlife represents biodiversity, essential for our health and the well-being of the whole planet. We live in an interconnected ecological system, where each macro- and microorganism, whether animal, plant or fish affects the other.  Alteration of the natural habitat of any organism will trigger a dynamo effect,  so non-equilibrium in the ecological system as a whole endangers the life cycle of many species. Around 40,000 species of animals, fungi and plants benefit humans. More than the third of our pharmaceuticals originate from wild plants

Wildlife remains a major concern for the international, regional and local communities. Among the multiple risks that menace wildlife are: diseases, climate change and actions of human nature, such as poaching and illegal trafficking. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List Index:

• Amphibians are declining most rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean, partly due to the chytrid fungal disease, 
• The greatest extinction risks for birds and mammals are found in South-Eastern Asia, mainly owing to the conversion of lowland forests.
• 7,000 species of animals and plants have been detected in illegal trade, and the list of species under international protection continues to grow.

Policy measures and higher sensitization of the general public and of specific stakeholders like media professionals appear as needed paths to ensure protection of wildlife and therefore of biodiversity. The engagement of printed, audiovisual and electronic and online media outlets in advocating wildlife as an essential component of biodiversity and as an added potential to tourism development by reporting professionally, accurately and comprehensively on this topic remains a major goal. The increased capacity of the media will enable a framework of action together with governments and civil society to improve wildlife and biodiversity protection.

A WWF report shows that 93% of all natural heritage sites support recreation and tourism and 91% of them provide jobs

Wildlife in the Agenda 2030

Besides been mentioned in the SDGs, wildlife and biodiversity have been placed at the core of most of the discussions of the Agenda 2030. The recent UN Biodiversity Conference (December 2016) was integrated by two Working Groups. Working Group I (WG I) addressed cooperation with other conventions and organizations; a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization; and socioeconomic considerations, liability and redress, risk assessment and risk management, and unintentional transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

The Working Group II (WG II) approved conference room papers (CRPs) on sustainable wildlife management, recommendations from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), and climate-related geo-engineering. WG II further addressed marine debris and underwater noise, marine spatial planning, biodiversity in cold-water areas and pollinators.

Reasons for wildlife protection and conservation

For those still not convinced about the potential of wildlife, lets remind some of the benefits:

• Biodiversity: In nature, different species are connected through various food webs. The disappearance of one species could influence several others down the line.
• Agriculture:  Promoting wildlife conservation could help secure future food supplies. 
• Research:  There may be many undiscovered plants and animals in the wild. 50 percent of the drugs available in the United States were originally developed from microbial organisms, plants, and animals.
• Economics of Eco-Services: ecosystem activities have an effect on the quantity and quality of fresh water accessible to humans.
• Ecotourism: enjoying African ecosystems has been a tremendous stimulus for economies within Africa.
• Environmental Indicators: various animals can serve as indicators for other environmental problems is one of the rarely discussed benefits of wildlife conservation. The loss of peregrine falcons and bald eagles was one of the factors that alerted scientists to the toxicity of DDT,  unnoticed for longer in a less diverse ecosystem.
• Education:  Studying animals and their habitats can be a valuable learning experience for students of all ages.
• Psychological Benefits: Ecotourists experience a tremendous sense of wonder, contentment, and fulfillment from their wildlife encounters.

Challenges in the wildlife global cause

• Trafficking in wildlife and their parts is a criminal international trade worth an estimated $20 billion a year
• Several iconic species —including elephants, rhinos, and tigers, as well as many lesser known species — toward the precipice of extinction
• Examples: The loss of African elephants: 100,000 over the past three years (96 elephants a day, with only 400,000 remaining in the wild across all of Africa).
• Fewer than 30,000 wild rhinos survive.
• A mere 3,200 wild tigers survive in the forests of Asia, including only 1,000 breeding females.

Areas of work , three central goals:

• Stopping the killing;
• Stopping the trafficking; and
• Stopping the demand

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ANIMALS IN TOURISM

Wildlife tourism is a huge market and can promote local livelihoods, education and conservation . Opportunities to see and interact with wild animals abound in many tourist destinations around the world, from taking a sloth selfie or feeding a crocodile, to riding an elephant or cuddling a tiger cub, tourists are offered a whole host of experiences by a wide range of facilities and individuals.

Many experiences though, can put an animal’s welfare at risk and maybe even your own. Often unwillingly and without knowing it, as tourists we can contribute to significant  animal suffering and illegal activities such as endangered wildlife trading, as well as putting our own health and safety in jeopardy.

Despite an increasing understanding of what constitutes good animal welfare and our recognition of animals as sentient beings with the ability to feel pleasure and pain, many tourist activities exist that involve the exploitation and mistreatment of animals.

You can make a difference though. Put animal welfare first and do not disturb wildlife, keep a respectful distance, avoid photo opportunities, animal handling interactions, riding animals and buying animal products. And trust your instincts, if something doesn’t feel right – don’t do it.

There are many ways you can have a great holiday and help animals…

Animal-friendly tourism.

You can ensure your actions don’t contribute to animal cruelty and that your holiday experience benefits animals, rather than harms them. You hold the power to make choices that speak volumes. What you choose to experience or avoid can help ensure animal wellbeing, not animal suffering, and send a clear message to travel and tourism companies around the world that animal welfare matters. Choose animal-friendly tourism.

We’re working with tourism companies for better animal welfare

Animal cruelty is often unintentionally fuelled through tourists and the tourism trade. There is increasing demand for travel and tourism companies to show due regard for the ethical and welfare aspects of wildlife tourism and we are pleased to have partnered with Booking.com and Explore to have the opportunity to work with their enthusiastic teams in this regard.

Like many other travel companies, Booking.com and Explore both recognise their responsibilities towards ensuring any experiences they offer do not negatively impact animals’ lives. As such, they have both created a set of animal welfare standards, provides guiding principles in how animals can be a part of the travel experience in a responsible, ethical and respectful way.

Having travel companies committing to ensuring their partners around the world meet these standards can drive forward positive changes for animals which may be impacted by the tourism industry.

As experienced animal welfare auditors and advisors in global animal welfare practice, Wild Welfare will continue to help travel and tourism companies willing to improve animal welfare within their offers and experiences. By working with companies in travel, we can help end future captive animal exploitation within the tourism industry, ensuring expeditions and experiences involving wildlife are governed by protective policies like the ones Booking.com and Explore have developed, to ensure minimal disturbance and increased welfare.

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Animal tourism: how to tell what is ethical and what isn’t

Terms like ethical , sustainable , and all their variations are widely used (and often misused) by companies and tour operators trying to lure people into animal tourism attractions and make a profit out of them.

But what is truly sustainable? Are aquariums and zoos ethical? How to make sure the facility you’re visiting doesn’t exploit or abuse the animals?

You’re about to find the answers to all these questions and more!

What is animal tourism?

Animal tourism consists of all those activities that let visitors observe and/or interact with animals in their natural habitat or in captivity. It is also referred to as wildlife tourism when it involves wild animals like big cats, lions, rhinos, and elephants.

Animal tourism is a huge market that accounts for 20 to 40% of global tourism. Unfortunately, unethical practices are quite common and only a small fraction of tourists know what goes on behind the scenes. A study conducted by conservation biologist Tom Moorhouse showed that less than 8% of the participants were able to recognize cruelty , exploitation , and neglect while visiting wildlife tourism attractions.

These questionable facilities often overshadow the positive impact animal tourism may generate in terms of conservation and animal welfare.

Positive impacts of wildlife tourism

To begin with, animal tourism is an important driver of economic growth and social development. According to the World Tourism Organization , 7% of all tourism activities entail wildlife with a 3% growth annually. This comes with economic benefits, jobs , and opportunities for entire communities. It also means that people who resort to hunting or poaching for a living can find alternative sources of income that don’t involve killing wildlife.

Ethical animal tourism also contributes to conservation efforts . For example, The entrance fees tourists pay at national parks and other animal tourism attractions finance research projects, special breeding programs, the upkeep of the facilities, and the improvement of the infrastructure. Ecotourism generates 84% of all the funds national parks receive every year ( PlosOne ).

Ethical tourism also benefits the animals directly by promoting respectful interactions and behaviors that don’t disturb nor harm the flora and fauna.

Negative impacts of wildlife tourism

Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold. Animal tourism has dark sides that visitors rarely see.

Hundreds of thousands of animals around the world lead miserable lives as they are forced to perform tricks or pose for pictures with tourists. They may seem docile and friendly, but that’s just the result of cruel training , drugs , and captivity .

Cubs are frequently separated from their mothers as soon as they’re born to have them accustomed to people from early on. Captive animals often don’t have enough space to move and are not fed properly with serious consequences for their physical and mental well-being.

Even animals that are free in the wild pay the price of tourism. For example, it is common for safari guides to feed the wildlife to keep them close to the vehicle and offer better selfie opportunities to the guests. This exposes the animals to great risks and makes them the weak link in the species .

Unethical animal tourism is also a threat to visitors and animals alike. Accidents happen quite frequently, but companies and tour operators never take accountability for their irresponsible practices. The animals involved likely end up culled and those actually responsible get away with it.

Finally, zoonosis is another risk when people closely interact with animals.

Learn more about the negative impacts of tourism here .

Wild vs domesticated animals in tourism

Understanding the difference between wild and domesticated animals is the first step to avoiding falling into unethical tourist traps.

In fact, the same activity can be ethical when it involves domesticated animals but harmful to wild ones. Think about petting a dog versus petting a lion – the latter is unnatural and would never happen spontaneously in the wild. So, a zoo offering such opportunities to visitors is unethical and should be avoided.

Here are some simple definitions to fully grasp the difference between wild and domesticated animals.

Wild animals

Wild animals are those belonging to undomesticated species . They live in their natural habitats and are able to fulfill all their needs by themselves. In other words, they don’t need anyone to look after or feed them to survive. Not only would feeding or interacting with them be unnecessary but even extremely harmful.

Wild animals are genetically different from their domesticated counterparts and present different needs and behaviors. That’s why they should never be in captivity unless necessary.

Any tourism activity that involves feeding, cuddling, playing with, or disturbing wild animals in any way is unethical.

Domesticated animals

Domesticated animals are those belonging to species that went through a spontaneous process of domestication that lasted thousands of years. They have co-evolved with humans over such a long time that their nature and even genetics are deeply changed. They are docile and naturally bond with people.

It is important to remark that domestication is the result of natural selection and not manmade. It affects the entire species and not single individuals.

Examples of common domesticated animals include dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, cows, pigs, alpacas, llamas, hamsters, and ferrets.

The fact that these animals are domesticated still doesn’t mean they should be exploited or mistreated – always make sure you book activities from responsible companies.

Tamed animals

Tamed animals are wild animals that for some reason have adapted to a captive environment . Some examples of tamed animals are elephants in circuses, pandas in zoos, sharks in aquariums, and the like. Although these animals are docile and seem to willingly interact with people, they still present the same genetics and needs as their “cousins” that are still free. Unlike domestication, taming is a manmade process and only affects the individuals involved while the species remains wild.

Tamed animals can’t be released back into the wild and tourist money often finances their upkeep. Some facilities like circuses are inherently unethical, but others like zoos, sanctuaries, and aquariums can be the way to go to support conservation.

Feral animals

Feral animals are domesticated animals that live free in nature. In some cases, they are unfriendly and cannot be easily approached but this doesn’t change that they are domesticated. Stray cats or dogs are examples of feral animals.

Urban wildlife

Urban wildlife refers to wild animals that independently frequent urban areas and are used to the presence of people. However, they are not bred and maintain their wild nature. Examples include gulls, foxes, mice, raccoons, and coyotes.

Urban wildlife is not directly used in tourism, but it’s wise to do some digging before vising a destination. There may be some rules in place to keep these animals away from the city centers such as not feeding them or calling the authorities if they show up rather than dealing with them yourself.

Types of animal tourism

Animal tourism comes in all shapes and sizes. Wild and/or domesticated animals are used, they may be free in nature or in captivity, and tourists may be allowed to look at them from afar or have closer encounters.

The most common types of wildlife tourism are:

1. Captive-wildlife tourism , where animals are in captivity;

2. Wildlife-watching tourism , where animals are free in nature;

3. Fishing and hunting tourism , where the final goal is to kill the animals for different purposes.

At Extra Mile Project , we believe that fishing and hunting tourism is not ethical for several reasons. Because of that, you won’t find more information and tips about it in this article. If you are interested in this kind of tourism, we encourage doing extensive research on all the implications for the wildlife, the environment, and the local community and choosing the most sustainable option available.

Captive-wildlife tourism

Captivity is frequently frowned upon, but it is not necessarily a synonym for unethical.

It is not always possible to release animals back into the wild and keeping them captive may be the best option to ensure their survival . It is the case of animals who were born and bred in captivity or endangered species threatened by trophy hunters, poachers, and other factors.

Unfortunately, captive animals are much more likely to be exploited and abused as they have no way to defend themselves and can’t escape. That’s why it’s really important that we, as tourists, do our part to support ethical facilities and educate ourselves on how to properly approach these animals.

Tourist attractions with captive animals

If you’re planning to visit a zoo, wildlife sanctuary, aquarium, or pet café, and are concerned about the ethics of these places, these next paragraphs are for you!

Keep reading and take note of how to tell if an animal tourism attraction is ethical or not.

Zoos and aquariums

Many arguments could be made for and against zoos and aquariums, but numbers don’t lie – they are among the most popular animal tourism attractions with an average of 700 million visitors per year ( IUCN ).

They do contribute to conservation efforts thanks to entrance fees but often entail animal abuse and exploitation . It’s important to do some research and choose carefully where to go.

But, how do you know if the facility you’re planning to visit is ethical?

Ethical checklist

If you’re planning to visit a zoo or aquarium, look out for the following elements:

1. Credentials and certifications . Third-party certifications indicate a facility is committed to animal welfare and ensures a good quality of life for the animals it hosts.

Unfortunately, they are not 100% reliable – many certified facilities allow unethical behaviors such as feeding or cuddling wild animals. So, a good starting point but not enough.

2. No interactions with the animals . Tourists shouldn’t be allowed to get in close contact with the wildlife. This means that activities such as swimming with dolphins, petting tigers, and feeding lions shouldn’t be offered at all.

Ethical alternatives are possible. For example, tourists may help the zookeepers prepare the food and watch them feed the animals instead of feeding them directly.

There should also be signs with clear limitations about forbidden behaviors.

3. Involvement in conservation, education, and research . Visit the facility’s website and check if they have partnerships with scientific and research entities, universities, governmental bodies, or anything else that would suggest their involvement in conservation and research projects.

4. Adequate spaces and conditions . The facility should provide the animals with adequate spaces and installations depending on their species and needs. There should also be spots where they can hide from tourists if they want to.

5. No animal trades . Ethical zoos and aquariums don’t buy or sell animals. More often than not, greed gets in the way of ensuring adequate investments in and commitment to animal welfare.

6. No animal exploitation . Animals should live in an environment that is as close as possible to their habitat and be able to maintain their natural behaviors. This can’t happen if the animals are used as tourist attractions for rides, shows, and selfies. The facilities offering these activities can’t be considered ethical.

Zoos and aquariums may also host domesticated animals that are naturally inclined to human interactions. In that case, closer encounters are not as harmful and can be considered ethical within certain limits.

However, all the points above still stand – the fact that a species is domesticated doesn’t imply the animals can be exploited.

Cafes, restaurants, and hotels

They advertise themselves as “the perfect places for animal lovers”, but there’s nothing more unethical than zoo hotels with polar bears on display 24/7 or restaurants that let their guests feed giraffes while they wait for their meal.

By going to these places, tourists just encourage wildlife exploitation and trade both directly (with their money and presence) and indirectly (they share pictures on social media, more people will want to go).

There are a few exceptions such as pet cafes that only have domesticated animals. Still, they shouldn’t treat the animals as props or means to get more customers.

When in doubt, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does the facility host or display wild animals?

If the answer is yes, don’t waste time looking for further details. That place is unethical, no matter how happy the animals look or how sustainable they say they are.

Wild animals that can’t be released in the wild need an environment that reproduces their natural habitat and should not be forced to interact with humans – it’s not in their nature. In addition, the animals are usually bought from questionable sellers who profit from wildlife trade.

2. Is the place adequate for the animals?

Domesticated animals still have their needs. The space should be big enough for them to move around without being stepped on by guests. Some effort should be put into environmental enrichment as well: the animals should be provided with items like cat furniture to climb, toys to stimulate their instincts, chew toys, and so on.

3. Are the animals free to walk around and avoid guests if they want to?

Although domesticated animals are naturally inclined to interact with humans, they may not feel social all the time. There should be areas where the animals can go and avoid guests. Also, the staff should not hand them to the guests so they can take selfies – the interactions should be as natural as possible.

4. Bonus question: are the animals rescued?

This is not essential, but it’s an extra indication that the facility does not trade animals.

You can find the ultimate guide to finding sustainable accommodation here .

Sanctuaries

Sanctuaries are protected spaces for animals that can’t be released into the wild.

They typically have no cages and the natural habitat of the species is used when possible. Many sanctuaries have been built around a specific habitat rather than artificially trying to reproduce that habitat. The animals have been often rescued from other unethical facilities and rehabilitated after being mistreated and abused.

Watch out, though. A lot of places call themselves sanctuaries but are just exploitative businesses in disguise.

To make things easier, here are some common elements any legit sanctuary should have:

1. Tourists are only allowed to visit the area with a professional guide and can’t roam freely and independently. This is fundamental to prevent unethical behaviors and ensure safety for the visitors and the animals.

2. The facility manages the visitor flows . There are fixed time slots to distribute the visitors throughout the day and not cause distress to the wildlife. Sanctuaries should never be overcrowded and should limit the time visitors spend there to avoid disturbing the animals.

3. No interactions with the wildlife are allowed . As already said, these are totally unnatural and involve abuses and cruelty behind the scenes.

4. No animal shows and performances are offered to tourists. Sanctuaries should provide the animals with living conditions that are as close as possible to their original habitat. Training them to perform to make extra money is extremely unethical.

5. The animals are rescued and not bought. Sanctuaries should be all about animal welfare and no wildlife trade should be involved.

6. The facility doesn’t host baby animals or, if it does, tourists are not allowed to interact with them in any way. Cute baby animals are certainly great for business. Most people are willing to pay extra fees to cuddle and bottle-feed cubs.

However, legit sanctuaries don’t have a large number of baby animals regularly. When they do, chances are that the sanctuary captures them in nature taking them away from their mothers, or breeds them in captivity. By using baby animals as tourist attractions, the sanctuary also deprives them of any opportunity of being reintroduced into their habitat in the future.

The infographic below shows what the life of a lion looks like in an unethical sanctuary.

Wildlife-watching tourism

When animals are free in the wild, the negative impacts of tourism on them are less obvious. But the harm caused by unethical practices can be just as bad.

Wildlife encounters in nature are unpredictable and can’t be guaranteed. This is obviously not good for business – how can you sell something you don’t even own or have control over?

Because of that, a lot of tour operators resort to unethical practices . For example, they often feed wild animals to make sure they stick around a certain area or to attract them closer to the vehicle during a safari. This exposes both the animals and the tourists to huge risks and creates unbalances within the ecosystem . You should always do your best to choose responsible tour operators and speak up if you see something wrong.

Don’t forget to respect the wildlife when you are on your own either. There’s no strict control over tourists hiking in a national park, having picnics in the woods, and similar activities. Uniformed people may be tempted to feed the wildlife, hike off the designated trail, or take rocks, plants, and other natural objects as souvenirs. Don’t be like that! Do your research and always follow the guidelines of the place you’re visiting – rules are there for a reason.

Tourist attractions with animals free in nature

There’s certainly no shortage of tourist attractions with animals free in nature.

Safaris, whale watching, cage-diving with sharks, snorkeling… do you have any of these on your bucket list?

Read on to find out what is truly ethical and what isn’t.

There’s nothing quite like spotting an elephant or a zebra a few steps away from you, and safaris are arguably the best option to do so. Watch out, though – safaris are not all the same and not equally ethical!

With so many options available – guided, self-drive, cycling, horseback, walking, camping, photographic, etc. – it’s impossible to lay out a list of universal rules to find an ethical safari. But here are some insights you may want to consider.

1. Do your research before booking to avoid bad surprises later. Look at the company’s website, the services they offer, pictures of previous safaris, and reviews from other visitors. You may also look for any certifications of sustainability.

2. Always prefer a guided tour over self-drive safaris. A guide is an expert in the area and can make sure the visitors stay safe and don’t engage in harmful or risky activities.

3. Make sure the guide is responsible and not improvised. A guided tour is only ethical if the guide is knowledgeable of the area and strives to minimize the impact of the tour on the environment and the wildlife. This implies not getting too close to the animals and interfering with their natural behaviors, not leaving the designated path to get closer to the animals and ruining the vegetation in the process, not driving too fast, and not following the animals if they’re running away. The guide should share their expertise and educate the tourists instead.

4. Feeding the wildlife is never acceptable . Using food as bait to attract them closer to the car is incredibly wrong.

5. Avoid companies that guarantee animal encounters on their website and offer to refund your ticket if not. Animals are unpredictable and there’s no way companies can guarantee seeing them. If they do, they have likely been feeding the animals over time and know exactly where to go.

6. Private parks and reserves may be a better choice than public ones. In certain countries, public parks are places of corruption and poaching. In addition, there’s no monitoring of the thousands of visitors driving around, disturbing and encircling the animals with their cars. Private parks are not necessarily ethical but the owners are likely more interested in protecting their “assets”.

Cage diving with sharks

Cage diving refers to being taken underwater in a protective cage to observe sharks or other creatures from up close.

Thrill-seekers will be disappointed, but cage-diving experiences are inherently unethical and should be avoided.

It’s been scientifically proven that cage diving provokes stress and abnormal behaviors in sharks. The main reason is that companies offering such experiences regularly feed the sharks to keep them in the area – nobody would be happy to spend an hour in a cage and the sharks don’t even show up. However, this is harmful on many levels.

First, the sharks are distracted from foraging on energy-rich preys they would normally eat and their energy balance is altered . Plus, the interactions with tourists cost the sharks even more energy than normal.

Second, the sharks will always associate humans with food and will be exposed to the risks of being caught and slaughtered for their fins or meat.

Last but not least, feeding the sharks poses a threat to freedivers . Sharks may get very close to them looking for food. This may end up in serious or even fatal accidents.

If you want to observe cetaceans in their natural habitat, whale- and dolphin-watching are valid alternatives to cage diving.

Whale- and dolphin-watching

Whale- and dolphin-watching are generally ethical activities that allow tourists to observe cetaceans from a boat or dinghy.

But, how to tell if a tour is truly ethical?

1. Do your research before booking . You may find on the company’s website hints of them being unethical. A common red flag is when companies guarantee you will see whales or dolphins and if not, they will reimburse your ticket. It’s impossible to control nature, chances are that the tour guides feed the animals to attract them close to the boat.

2. The boat shouldn’t be perceived as a threat by the animals . This means not exceeding a speed of 5 knots, approaching the animals and keeping parallel to their course, and stopping and turning off the engine once you spot a pod.

3. Don’t follow the animals . It would scare them away and separate the moms from their babies.

4. The boat shouldn’t get too close to the animals to avoid scaring them or even colliding with them. A distance of 30-60 meters (35-65 yards) should be maintained.

5. It is advisable to spend a limited amount of time observing the wildlife (30 minutes) and then leave.

6. Don’t swim with cetaceans . Swimming with dolphins is an extremely popular addition to these tours. However, when offered as part of an experience you paid for, it usually involves feeding the dolphins to attract them and keep them close. Swimming with cetaceans is even illegal in many countries.

7. Don’t pollute . If you have the choice, prefer boats with electric engines or no engine at all. They don’t release pollutants in the water and are silent, so they don’t disturb species like dolphins that communicate through sounds. For the same reason, the boat shouldn’t play music during the tour and tourists should be as quiet as possible.

Bird watching

A lot of what has been said about whales and dolphins is also valid for bird-watching. Whether you go bird-watching by yourself or on a tour, keep in mind the following tips.

1. Keep enough distance . This is fundamental to not alter the birds’ natural behaviors. Be extra careful when they’re nesting or feeding their young as these situations make them feel vulnerable and their stress levels may easily skyrocket if you get too close.

2. Do not make noise or play pre-recorded bird calls to attract the birds’ attention.

3. Follow the established path . Bird-watching may not be allowed in certain areas of high criticality. Rules are there for a reason, so don’t try to bend them.

4. If you take photos of the birds, don’t share the exact location on social media . It could lead hunters directly to the birds or attract crowds that will disturb the fauna.

5. If you book a bird-watching experience through a company, make sure they’re ethical and don’t guarantee bird encounters . Just like for whale-watching, tour operators that claim you’re going to see a certain species for sure likely feed those birds to keep them close and accustom them to the presence of people.

If you’ve read this article until now, you know the drill – watch the animals without disturbing them, interfering with their natural behaviors, or trying to interact with them. The same goes for snorkeling.

1. Don’t touch anything underwater – marine life, corals, shells, and so on. Those ecosystems are very fragile and easily damaged.

2. Don’t take anything away . You may be tempted to take something home as a souvenir, but remember – even what seems to be useless could be food or home to certain species.

3. Don’t stir up the sand from the seabed . It may harm the corals by blocking the sunlight they need to survive.

4. Use reef-safe sunscreen to avoid dispersing chemicals in the ocean.

Ethical animal tourism: final tips

1. Do your research about the activity you’re planning to do and make sure it’s ethical. This article is a good starting point, then Google is a powerful tool to learn about the behind-the-scenes of animal tourism.

2. Only choose ethical facilities and tour operators . Look for reviews from previous visitors and, if you have any doubts, don’t be afraid to send them an email and ask for further details.

3. Avoid any experiences that cause animal exploitation and unnatural behaviors . Common examples are elephant or camel rides, dolphin shows, monkey performances, and so on.

4. Do not feed or disturb the wildlife .

5. Do not buy products that may potentially encourage trophy-hunting, poaching, and illegal activities . For instance, buying ivory accessories increases the demand for ivory and, in turn, elephant poaching.

6. Spread the word about both ethical and unethical facilities you come across.

7. If you witness something illegal, report it to the authorities .

Further reading

1. Net Effects of Ecotourism on Threatened Species Survival – article on PlosOne

2. The Customer Isn’t Always Right—Conservation and Animal Welfare Implications of the Increasing Demand for Wildlife Tourism – article on PlosOne

3. Wildlife is our world heritage – blog post by the World Tourism Organization

4. Interacting with wildlife tourism increases activity of white sharks – article on Conservation Physiology

Three related articles

ECO-FRIENDLY PACKING LIST

HOW AND WHERE TO FIND SUSTAINABLE ACCOMMODATION

HOW TO TRAVEL LOCALLY: A FULL GUIDE TO LOCAL TOURISM

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Animal tourism: What you need to know

This is a controversial topic no matter where you start. But as eco travel becomes more popular, we all need to be aware of animal tourism. People do things like riding elephants, picking animals up for a photo when it just wants to ‘be’. Is this really what animal tourism is?

The only hopeful reason for this kind of behavior is that people are misinformed about ethical animal interactions. We need to be aware of animal tourism and it’s real effects.

Table of Contents

Wild animal tourism numbers

Our ability as humans to impact the planet is astounding. A recent report by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), denotes that the total animal population (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians) has declined by 60% since 1970, with deforestation playing a big role.

Many animals end up in sanctuaries or conservation parks around the world because of this reason. As the animal population declines, their popularity as tourist attractions increases.

Approximately 110 million people visit wildlife tourist attractions around the globe each year World Animal Protection

The mistreatment of the animals themselves is the main concern for animal tourism . Unfortunately, it happens more than we’d like to believe. The World Animal Protection has released the following statistics:

• 75% Of wildlife tourist attractions have a negative impact on wild animals
• 80%  Of tourists cannot see the negative impact a Wildlife Tourists Attraction has on animal welfare.
• 16,000  is the number of elephants in captivity worldwide – a quarter of the total number on the planet.
• 5,000  is the number of captive tigers in the US alone. In the wild, there are just 3,200.
• 1,600  is the estimated number of bottlenose dolphins being used for entertainment worldwide.
• 4 Million  Number of visitors to SeaWorld San Diego in 2012.

A brief history of Animal Tourism

The monetization of animal tourism goes back as far as the Roman Empire (at least).

“Capturing and transporting live animals from distant lands was a lucrative industry in the Roman provinces. And, most of them were killed in live hunting shows, or animal battles.” – The Atlantic

This has been documented as far back as Augustus (the first Roman emperor), where he claims that “he had 3,500 African animals killed in 26 venationes (death battles)  over the course of his reign.”

It didn’t end there; “the emperor Titus inaugurated the Colosseum with a hundred days of spectacle in which 5,000 wild beasts were killed. And in public games held from 108 to 109 C.E., the emperor Trajan arranged for 11,000 animals to fight in the arena.”

This was animal tourism of the Roman era.

Killing to Tricks

The Romans noticed intelligence in elephants.

“Pompey’s elephant-hunt spectacle, which took place close to the end of the Roman Republic, provoked an emotional response from the crowds. When the elephants had lost all hope of escape, they tried to gain the compassion of the crowd by indescribable gestures of entreaty, deploring their fate with a sort of wailing” – The Atlantic

In between their brutal battles, elephants were shackled and forced to perform tasks. Pliny (a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher), in his Natural History, suggests that elephants would be found practicing these tasks on their own accord.

Animals became more than blood battles, they had the ability to perform assigned tasks.

“There were no zoos in ancient Rome but there was something like a cross between a zoo and a circus. All these species were used for shows in the arena; some were also kept by the wealthy for their own entertainment.  We know from writings, for example, that monkeys would be dressed as soldiers and ride in small chariots pulled by goats.” – Explore Italian Culture

When tricks hit the road 

The Romans had grand stages and arenas for their wild animals to be paraded. But once the empire declined, the owners of these remaining trained animals, had to find other ways to make a profit.

“Lacking great stadiums in which to present them, caravans of trained beasts would often travel to the people.” And so began the concept of the traveling animal show.

“These circuses, as they would come to be known, soon sprang up throughout Europe and, by the 1790s, in the New World as well. Often they were not elaborate affairs. In about the year 1815, an early pioneer in the industry, New York native Hackaliah Bailey, traveled throughout New England with a single elephant he purchased from a boat captain who had won it in an auction in London. His success spurred many imitators, and soon exotic animals from throughout the world were imported and exploited for profit.” – The Dodo

The exotic tourist hunt 

“The Safari intrigue peaked when former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt went to East Africa to hunt big game from April 1909 to March 1910. The specimens collected were for the ‘National Museum’, which is now called the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History.” – Where is the Wildlife

Thankfully now you can go on a “safari” without having to kill any of the animals. Unfortunately, some people still use the exercise to sport-hunt some near-endangered species.

The dolphin show 

Skip ahead a few years and iterations of the zoo to Florida, USA, in 1938. This saw the opening of ‘Marine Studios’ and the introduction of the bottlenose dolphin for public display.

Investigative journalist, William M. Johnson writes in his book  The Rose-Tinted Menagerie, dolphins potential as entertainers first emerged when:

“During feeding time at Marine Studios, it is said, dolphins gradually fell into the habit of jumping up to catch the fish that were thrown to them, and this miniature spectacle always amused the public, the keepers and curator. Then a year later in 1939, Cecil M. Walker on the night-shift observed one evening how a dolphin pushed a pelican feather across the surface of the water towards him. Just for the hell of it he took the feather and threw it back into the water, whereupon, to his great surprise, the dolphin brought it back again. The game continued with Walker experimenting with a ball, an inner tube of a bicycle, small stones, and other objects. As the game took shape with other dolphins joining in the act, it began to resemble the repertoire seen today in every dolphinarium in the world.” The Rose Tinted Menagerie

With the explosion of dolphinariums over the years came the exploitation of so many species.

Types of animal tourism and their effect

The main platforms for animal tourism include:

• Sanctuaries
• Wild Interaction
• Sale of exotic animals
• Photos with exotic animals

The real animal tourism effects you don’t see 

How do the animals get into their captive lives? And what is it like for them once inside?

A report by World Animal Protection summarises the most popular animal tourism attractions around the world with their direct, negative impacts.

What about eco-tourism animal attractions .

A current, popular “eco-tourism” attraction is causing quite a bit of controversy. It is swimming with Whale Sharks, in Oslob (Philippines).

Every day, boatloads of tourists go to a location where local fishermen “feed” the whale sharks (by hand, which means that the Sharks breach the surface) while tourists swim around them and get photographs. Is this what it means to eco travel ?

An upside to it all?

“The scene at Oslob is chaotic, and the controversy is real,” “But the sharks are alive and not lying dead, fins removed, in cold storage somewhere in Asia.” National Geographic

The area is profiting, with “ sixty percent of the tourism revenue going to the fishermen, thirty percent to the municipality and 10 percent to the local village” which helps the community.

It has also eased pressure on the depleted coral reefs as fewer fishermen are fishing on them.

A down side?

There’s always two sides to every story.

Some of the sharks are becoming dependant on the food supply. “Scientists worry that sharks that take advantage of the free feed for prolonged periods may suffer ill effects, both physiologically and behaviorally. “

The system is also far from perfect. “A survey by LAMAVE , found that rules and guidelines regarding responsible whale shark sighting were being broken a whopping 97% of the time. In most cases, it was the physical touching of the Whale Sharks.”

Can animal tourism have a truly positive effect?

The Great Ape tourism industry has a long standing history:

• As one of the leaders of animal tourism, there are strict guidelines for best practices.
• The industry has been at the forefront of animal activism and education into the world of non-human group interaction.
• It is thought to be non-invasive (no physical touching of the animals themselves, taking only small groups going at a time).

The intentions of Gorilla tourism are great. The main objective is to contribute to gorilla conservation – through raising awareness, assuring protected habitat, and bringing in revenue.

However, it isn’t one-sided. For example, the benefits vs. risks of the gorilla tourism industry cover many grey areas. It really depends on who you ask if it’s a “good” or “bad” thing.

The Table below (from UNAFAS (9)) highlights some of the pro’s and con’s of the industry on conservation and the community.

What about coral? 

Coral is actually an animal (not a marine plant) because they do not make their own food, as plants do. Corals have tiny, tentacle-like arms that they use to capture their food from the water and sweep into their inscrutable mouths.

Many locations around the world (scientific labs, marine conversation parks, private aquariums) take coral from the wild and encourage its growth or house them in tanks for public viewing. This is a kind of zoo.

Is that just as bad as keeping lions in a zoo?

Marine parks on the other hand are more like conservation parks. Our favorite is St John in the USVI .

Alternatively, if we don’t study them or try to save them, we may result in even more natural loss. It poses the question, should corals be taken from their “home” when they are young and tampered with to try and learn how to save them? Or even be bred for mass reproduction in order to increase the natural population that’s been dying due to human interference?

This is where ethics really comes into play.

Ethics in Animal tourism

Ethics in animal tourism breaks down into two main concerns:

• Animal rights
• Animal welfare

The best example of the ethical battle on animal tourism is given by the BBC in the following example of Zoos vs. Circuses .

Animals in zoos  

Animal rights:

If animals have rights, then zoos are wrong because it:

• treats the animal as a means to achieve some human end
• fails to treat animals with the respect they deserve
• violates the animal’s right to live in freedom

Animal welfare:

From the welfare point of view, it is wrong to keep an animal in a zoo if the animal has a less pleasant life than it would have outside the zoo.

Animals in circuses 

The use of animals to entertain human beings is wrong because it:

The use of animals to entertain human beings is wrong from the welfare point of view because it:

• removes animals from their natural habitat and social structure
• involves the animal in performances that are foreign to their natural behaviour
• may involve cruelty during the show (e.g. bullfighting, rodeos)
• may involve cruelty in training the animal
• it may involve cruelty in the way the animal is kept and transported
• animals can be taught to perform provided their minimum needs for food and shelter are met; proper respect for animals requires better treatment than the minimum

Animals Sanctuaries and Conservation Parks

Sanctuaries and conservation parks are the best option for animals in captivity. However, they are still in captivity (not by choice). 

From an ethical standpoint:

• In order for the animal to arrive at a true sanctuary, it means that it has already undergone significant human interference and likely trauma. 
• While their remaining life in a sanctuary may be improved, there will still be human interaction 
• It’s also not viable to release the animals back into the wild most of the time. So the animals are essentially stuck in captivity. 

For example, “while all elephants deserve to live in the wild, that is no longer a viable solution. Calls to ban all captive elephants in places like Thailand don’t take into account the reality that there is no longer enough land — nor adequate protection from poachers — to safely reintroduce wild elephants into most of Southeast Asia.”

Volunteering at a sanctuary in Bolivia , it was difficult to see, the animals, knowing they would likely never have a “normal life”. 

So is it better to have animals living in an artificial reality (one depicted by humans) than not living at all?

Do animals have rights?

I think we’re all quite comfortable with the concept of animal wellbeing. But what about rights?

A great example of this is the “monkey selfie”. Famously orchestrated by the Naruto, a crested macaque monkey in Indonesia

In summary, a monkey took a photographer’s camera and shot a selfie of himself. The photo went viral and the photographer made some serious income from it.

This posed some ethical questions about animals’ ability to have ownership of something. PETA asked some serious questions, such as “doesn’t that photo belong to the monkey? Doesn’t he deserve some of those profits?”

After a series of lawsuits, it was deemed that the monkey had no rights. Luckily, the photographer was understanding and “donated 25% of his profits to protecting the monkey and his tribe.”

But should the monkey have gotten more?

The future of animal rights?

“Scientific research is contributing to a greater understanding of wild animals and reinforcing moral arguments against captivity. Studies have demonstrated that elephants, dolphins, and great apes are self-aware; the cognitive abilities of corvids and parrots rival great apes in many psychological areas, and octopuses possess neurological substrates known to generate consciousness.” Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain & The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness

“ Psychologists propose that some nonhuman animals experience psychological trauma and mental health issues similar to humans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.”

At this stage it’s up to us, the people, to decide how we want animals to be treated. I relate to this famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi. What do you think?

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Gandhi

There is hope for Animal Tourism

Things are definitely changing for the better.

“ TripAdvisor announced in October 2016  that it would remove from its website all opportunities for travelers to directly book animal tourism experiences through its platform. And in November 2015,  SeaWorld responded to consumer protests  and announced it would phase out its controversial killer whale show.

In another win for animal welfare advocates, elephants at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed their last show in May 2016 — all of the circus’ elephants have now retired to a 50-acre conservation center in Florida.

Choose ethical wildlife encounters

There are a lot of grey areas when it comes to the subject of animal tourism. The best wildlife experiences occur when you see them in their natural habitat, and you look, don’t touch. Alternatively, animal sanctuaries that follow the GFAS guidelines are the kinds of facilities we should be supporting. As an eco traveler, you should be not only aware but make conscious decisions about choosing which kind of animal tourism to support.

In contrast, animal shows, photo opportunities, zoos, or rides are definitely not.

If you’ve got any thoughts or experiences with animal tourism you’d like to share, let us know below.

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Aaron is one of the co-founders of The Dharma Trails. His background in marine eco tourism and writing have blended together to create the eco travel platform read by users around the world.

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2 thoughts on “animal tourism: what you need to know”.

A thought-provoking article, thankyou. But I found your conclusions to support sanctuary and conservation parks are only relevant to some parts of the world, and overlooks the very best option – the many excellent animal experiences in the wild. Could I suggest that you propose a scale of best to worst animal experiences. 1. See the animal in the wild at a distance where it is not fed, attracted or harassed in any way, with a tour operator or organisation that is active in conservation (eg Seeing koalas with Echidna Walkabout or Exceptional Kangaroo Island, Australia ). 2. See the animal in the wild where it is attracted by non-harmful means, and couldn’t be reliably seen any other way (eg . Pelagic birdwatching for albatrosses) 3. See the animal at a distance in a large, natural sanctuary that contributes to conservation (eg. Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Botswana), ….and so on.

Hi Jannie, thanks for your comment. Apologies for the delayed response, your comment seemed to go direct to our spam folder! So only just reading it now. Great idea! And yes, I think a rating scale would be very useful! Will check out the Echinda Walkabout Tour also 🙂

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Why Wildlife Tourism Isn’t Always A Good Thing

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Wildlife tourism refers to any tourism that involves wildlife- from swimming with dolphins to volunteering at a turtle conservation centre. The wildlife tourism industry is diverse, taking many different shapes and forms. However, the wildlife tourism industry is also very controversial and has been subject to a lot of negative media coverage in recent years.

In this article I will teach you about what wildlife tourism is and I will introduce you to the different types of wildlife tourism that occur around the world. I will also explain to you why this is a very important industry and the many advantages of wildlife tourism. Lastly, I will outline some of the negative aspects that are associated with wildlife tourism and provide suggestions on how wildlife tourism can be responsible.

What is wildlife tourism?

Zoos and aquariums, animal rescue centres and sanctuaries, birdwatching, whale watching, hunting and fishing, swimming with dolphins, playing with lions and tigers, cuddling a panda, elephant riding, shark cage diving, gorilla trekking, monkey forests, ostrich riding, conservation, breeding porogrammes, economic benefits, job creation, mistreatment of the animals, introduction of disease, wild animals can be dangerous, changes in animal behaviour, reduced breeding success, do your research before you go, don’t get too close, sanctuaries and rescue centres are better than zoos, don’t mess with nature, animal souvenirs, eat carefully, raise awareness about wildlife tourism, wildlife tourism: further reading.

Put simply, wildlife tourism is tourism that involves wildlife. But the important question is, what is wildlife? And when does a wild animal stop being ‘wild’?

Most types of animal tourism involves the use of animals that are or were once living in the wild. Whether its a stray cat who was taken into a shelter, or a zoo-based rhinoceros that was rescued from poachers, unless bred in captivity, the majority of animals that we see in the tourism industry come from the wild.

As such, wildlife tourism, in its broadest sense, encounters all types of tourism that involves animals. Types of wildlife tourism can then be segregated into two categories: animals in captivity and animals in the wild.

Types of wildlife tourism

There are many different types of wildlife tourism.

The United Nations estimates that tourism involving wildlife accounts for around 7% of all tourism around the world. However, they exclude animals in captivity, so unreality this figure is likely much higher. From safaris in Tanzania to diving at then Great Barrier Reef, there are plenty of ways that tourists can watch and get up close and personal with wildlife.

Below, Have outlined the most commonly found types of wildlife tourism around the world, with examples.

A safari takes place in an animal’s natural habitat. Safari’s usually involve the use of a small safari vehicle and a ranger, who will drive tourists to areas where there are likely to be animals.

Safari is traditionally associated with Africa, but can also be found in other parts of the world.

Popular safari destinations: Tanzania; Kenya; South Africa

A zoo or an aquarium is a place where animals are kept captivity, usually in cages. Zoos are renowned for having small enclosures and for domesticating animals.

Some zoos and aquariums have important research projects and breeding programmes. Many will also take on rescue animals or marine life.

Popular zoos: San Diego Zoo; Singapore Zoo; Australia zoo, London Zoo

Popular aquariums: Georgia aquarium; Marine Life Park, Sentosa, Singapore; Dubai Mall Aquarium

Many farms around the world have been commercialised to allow visitors in to see the animals. They may include feeding experiences and the opportunity to interact with the animals, such as stocking the rabbits or riding the horses.

Farms are usually small, independently owned businesses that are not famous around the world, but that are well known within the local area.

Animal rescue centres and sanctuaries are businesses who rescue animals and then care for them.

Oftentimes they will look like a zoo, and may be commercialised in a similar way. However, the funds made should be reinvested into the business, rather than for profitable gain.

Popular animal rescue centres and sanctuaries: Elephant Nature Park, Thailand; Lonely Pine Koala Sanctuary, Australia; Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica ; The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya; Panda Research Centre,Chengdu, China

Birdwatching, also referred to as birding, occurs in a bird’s natural habitat. It involves watching the birds, often from a distance with the use of binoculars.

It can also involve the use of a webcam, facilitating virtual tourism .

Popular birdwatching destinations: The Gambia ; The Galapagos; The Pantanal, Brazil

Whale watching usually occurs on tours, when tourists will be taken out to sea on a boat in search of whales. There will usually be a guide who will provide details about the whales and who is able to spot them easily through a trained eye.

Popular what watching destinations: Australia; Iceland; South Africa ; Canada

Hunting is the practice of pursuing and capturing or killing wild animals. Many animals are hunted for enjoyment throughout the world, from deer to pigeon to bears.

Hunting can be both legal and illegal depending on where it takes place and what is being hunted.

Likewise, fishing is a popular activity around the globe. Some people fish for enjoyment and return the fish to the water once caught and others eat or sell the fish.

Popular hunting animals: Deer; pigeon; rabbit; bears

Diving is a popular form of wildlife tourism, enabling tourists to experience life beneath the sea.

Many people will undertake PADI courses or similar to enable them to dive deeper and swim further.

Popular dive sites: the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; The Red Sea,Egypt ; Blue Hole,Belize, Gili Islands, Bali

Wildlife encounters

Many people are keen to get up close and personal with wildlife.

Back in the 2000’s everyone was doing it. If you had a photo of you and a baby tiger as your Facebook profile picture you were one of the cool kids. Upload that same photo today and you will likely experience a barrage of abuse from your nature-loving friends and connections.

Some types of wildlife encounters are great. Take volunteer work, for example. There are many conservation projects around the world that are desperate for volunteer tourists to help run their operations.

However, most animals encounters are not so good. Animals are often drugged or abused to keep them calm around the tourists. They are kept in inhumane conditions and treated unethically- I mean, would you want to walk up and down the road all day long with people on your back?!

Here are some the most common wildlife encounters around the world:

You can swim with dolphins in the wild in a handful of places around the world.

It is more common, however, to swim with dolphins that are in enclosures. These animals are taken out of their natural habitats and asked to perform trips and entertain tourists.

Popular places to swim with dolphins: USA, Mexico, Bahamas , Portugal.

There are plenty of places that allow you to have an up close and personal experience with lions and tigers.

Naturally, these are dangerous animals, so that instantly raises alarm bells to me. Oftentimes these animals are drugged and abused to ensure that they ‘perform’ for the tourist.

Popular places to play with lions and tigers: Thailand, India , South Africa

Cuddling a panda is a thing of the past unless you are a volunteer tourist (and still many would argue even this is unethical). The last commercial activity which enabled you to cuddle and have your photograph taken with a panda stopped operations in 2018.

However, there are still plenty of opportunities to visit the famous giant pandas, most of which are in China .

Popular places to visit pandas: China

Elephant riding is most commonly found in Asia. Elephants are used to carry tourists around as a leisure activity. There have been many ethical debates about this, which has resulted in a reduction of elephant rides taken around the world.

Now, many elephant organisations are trying to appeal to tourists who take a more ethical approach by transforming their organisation into an ‘elephant sanctuary. Whilst these are sometimes genuine, with ethical practices, some are not so- they simply disguise their unethical approaches by giving themselves the title ‘sanctuary’.

Popular elephant riding destinations: Thailand , Cambodia, India

A cat cafe is a venue that houses a variety of cats, whilst also serving basic food and beverages. People pay an entrance fee or hourly rate to sit with the cats. You can play with the cats and stroke them. Cat cafes are most commonly found in Asia and are particularly popular in Japan, although you can also find them in other parts of the world.

Some cat cafes claim to be rescue centres or sanctuaries, but most operate on a for-profit business. Some do not allow young children in, for fear off them scaring or hurting the animals. Others have no such rules. A cafe is obviously not a natural place for a cat to live, and some argue that the concept in unethical.

Popular destinations with cat cafes: Japan, Thailand ,

Shark cage diving is essentially underwater diving or snorkelling whilst inside a cage. A process called chumming ( baiting the sharks with minced fish) is used to lure the sharks towards the cage.

Shark cage diving can be dangerous both for the person inside the cage and for the shark. The methods are also questionable. Encouraging the sharks to behave in a way that they wouldn’t usually will lead to lasting behavioural changes, which will inevitably have a knock on effect on other marine life and the wider ecosystem.

Popular shark cage diving destinations: South Africa, Florida

Gorilla trekking occurs in remote areas on the African continent . The concept is quite simple- tourists go hiking in search of gorillas.

Gorilla trekking is a unique experience, and tours are pricey. Tourists generally keep their distance and there have been few negative impacts reported.

However, there is always potential for abuse. Careful regulation and monitoring needs to remain in place to ensure that the gorillas are not tempted into certain areas with food or disturbed by the presence of trekkers.

Popular gorilla trekking destinations: Rwanda, Uganda

A monkey forest is a wooded area where monkeys live. This could be the monkeys’ natural habitat, but more likely they have been placed there intentionally.

Visitors will usually pay an entrance fee. They are then free to roam around the forested area and interact with the monkeys. Some monkey forest areas are relatively natural, whereas others may have monkey shows or circuses.

It can be dangerous to visit a monkey forest. As a result of human interaction and loss of natural habitat and feeding grounds monkey often become vicious. It is common for them to bite tourists, which then requires the person to visit a hospital for a rabies jab.

Ostrich riding occurs mostly on ostrich farms and was a popular tourist activity until fairly recently. In 2017, ostrich riding was banned in South Africa, which is where it most commonly occurred.

Ostrich riding as a form of wildlife tourism was/is unethical. This is because the weight of the tourist can seriously hurt the ostrich. It is also not good to make the ostrich spend its day running up and down with people on its back.

Popular places to ride an ostrich: South Africa

Benefits of wildlife tourism

Wildlife tourism can be a great thing. There are many positive impacts of wildlife tourism including; conservation, research, breeding programmes and economic benefits.

For many wildlife tourism businesses, conservation is their top priority. In fact, most places where the focus is conservation would rather not have any tourists come to visit at all, however it is the tourists that pay the bills and allow their business to operate.

Wildlife tourism businesses can be fantastic for conservation and can raise a lot of money. These types of businesses are usually charities or trusts. They do not make a profit and their intentions are wholesome.

Wildlife tourism also facilitates important research. Research can help us to further understand the animals and therefore to better cater for them, both in the wild and in captivity.

Many wildlife tourism projects have successful breeding programmes. From Siberian tigers and pandas in China to koalas in Australia to lions in Botswana, there are successful breeding programmes underway around the world.

Many of these programmes would not be able to operate without the money raised from tourists.

There are many positive economic impacts of wildlife tourism.

Wildlife tourism brings tourists to a given area, and they bring money with them! They spend money on hotels, on food and on transport.

This money can then be reinvested into the economy and spent on areas such as healthcare and education.

Another economic advantage of wildlife tourism that is worth mentioning is job creation. Whatever type of wildlife business it is, it will require staff. This helps to boost employment figures in the area as well as helping the boost the overall economic prospects resulting from wildlife tourism.

Disadvantages of wildlife tourism

Sadly, there are also many disadvantages of wildlife tourism. Whilst there is great potential for wildlife tourism to do good, many businesses are poorly managed and demonstrate unethical practices. This most commonly includes; the mistreatment of animals, introduction of disease, dangerous behaviour, changes in the animal’s behaviour and reduced breeding success.

Mistreatment of animals is common, especially in developing countries.

Fortunately, there is a lot more awareness of this nowadays than there once was. Recent years have seen many laws and regulations introduced in the name of animal welfare all over the world. This has helped to reduce the mistreatment of animals in the wildlife tourism business.

Nevertheless, mistreatment does still occur and it is pretty common. There are still circuses that use animals and attractions that make animals perform tricks for tourists. From elephant camps in Thailand to monkeys dressed as babies in Morocco, there are many examples of mistreatment around the world.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I think that all understand animals can pass disease onto humans. And this also works the other way around.

When tourists are allowed to have close interaction with animals there is a risk of them passing on illnesses that the animals do not have immunity to. A common cold might not be a big deal for a human, but it could kill a lion cub, for example.

Many of the people who work in animal tourism are not trained in this field and could unintentionally introduce disease either to humans or to the animals that they are working with.

Animals are unpredictable and can be dangerous. Elephants can easily trample people, sharks can bite and monkeys can give a person rabies.

Using animals in a tourism setting can have serious implications for its welfare and wellbeing.

How would you respond if you were locked in a cage and only let out to perform tricks? I bet your behaviour would change!

These behavioural changes can be unpredictable and dangerous, for both the tourist and the animal.

When animals are taken away from their usual habitat and exposed to tourists they may have trouble breeding.

For businesses that claim to be conservation centres, this can actually have the opposite effect. Instead of protecting the species it can exemplify and exhasberate its extinction.

Responsible wildlife tourism

The moral of the story here is this- wildlife tourism can be great, but it needs great management. When wildlife tourism is bad, it is very bad.

Wildlife tourism businesses need to operate under sustainable tourism practices. In recent years we have seen many wildlife tourism organisations change their practices. This is perhaps most common in Thailand, where many elephant riding companies have become sanctuaries.

But it’s not just down to the business, it’s down to us tourists too! Here are some of the things that can do to ensure responsible wildlife tourism.

This is sometimes easier said than done, because there isn’t always a great deal of information available about every wildlife tourism attraction. Nonetheless, you should always try to research the place that you are considering visiting before you do so.

There are many wildlife conscious people around in today’s world, and if it is a major attraction that you are thinking about going to then there will be reviews on Trip Advisor and other review sites. And if there is mistreatment of the animals then you will most likely find information about it here.

If the reviews are bad then I urge you not to go. Yes, you might get to have a cuddle with a lion cub, that’s cute. But think about the picture picture here.

Getting too close to animals can have a number of negative impacts. It can scare the animals, it can cause changes to their behaviour, it can cause them to stop breeding or relocate town area that is less safe. It can also be dangerous.

Be sensible and keep your distance from animals.

If you really want an animal experience, you should choose to visit a sanctuary or research centre rather than a zoo. From the outside, the differences might not be that obvious, but from the inside the differences are big.

The treatment of the animals should be better, to start with. Plus sanctuaries have underlying motives that are not about making money. They are there to protect, rehabilitate and conserve the species, not to exploit it. For these types of organisations, allowing visitors is a means of making enough money to support the conservation project, not a way to get rich as the expensive of a poor animal(s).

Beware, however. Some places label themselves as sanctuaries, when there is in reality little conservation involved. It is simply cover up for their less altruistic intentions. This is why doing your research is important- don’t just read what you see on the tin!

Let nature be nature. Don’t put clothes on animals, don’t feed them and don’t interfere with them.

All of these things lead to instant and progressive changes in animal behaviours. The wildlife that you are seeing today won’t be the same in 10 or 20 or 30 years if you keep messing with it.

Be mindful of souvenirs that you are buying. Sometimes souvenirs are made with ivy or animal fur, for example. This has inevitably involved the death of an animal. So be careful when you go shopping and think before you buy.

There’re also a number of destinations that use wildlife in their food and drink.

In Vietnam, for example, many backpackers think it is funny to drink snakes blood or drinks theatre made bu drowning live snakes in them. There is nothing funny our cool about killing a snake. End of.

In countries such as China and Japan, it is common to see (often endangered) shark on the menu un restaurants. And in Iceland you can eat whale or puffin. I’m not a vegetarian, but I draw the line on eating endangered animals, and you should too.

The most important thing you can do is raise awareness.

If you visit wildlife attraction that you think is doing a great job, write a review on Trip Advisor, tell your friends. Every little helps to support their cause.

Likewise, if you see an attraction that is operating unethically, then you should definitely speak out. This is especially important with smaller, lesser known attractions. If nobody tells you, then you don’t know, right?

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article about wildlife tourism and that you have learnt something new today! If you want to learn a bit more, then I recommend the following:

• Wildlife Tourism – A landmark contribution to the rapidly growing field of wildlife tourism, especially in regard to its underpinning foundations of science, conservation and policy. 
• Wildlife Tourism Futures: Encounters with Wild, Captive and Artificial Animals – An excellent book focussing on future wildlife tourism development and management; the experiential value, educational components and ethical relevance of tourism-animal encounters; and the technology applied to wildlife tourism. 
• Marine Wildlife and Tourism Management: Insights from the Natural and Social Sciences – This book demonstrates that through scientific approaches to understanding and managing tourist interactions with marine wildlife, sustainable marine tourism can be achieved.

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What Is Ecotourism? Definition, Examples, and Pros and Cons

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Ecotourism Definition and Principles

Pros and cons.

• Examples of Ecotourism
• Frequently Asked Questions

Ecotourism is about more than simply visiting natural attractions or natural places; it’s about doing so in a responsible and sustainable manner. The term itself refers to traveling to natural areas with a focus on environmental conservation. The goal is to educate tourists about conservation efforts while offering them the chance to explore nature.

Ecotourism has benefited destinations like Madagascar, Ecuador, Kenya, and Costa Rica, and has helped provide economic growth in some of the world’s most impoverished communities. The global ecotourism market produced $92.2 billion in 2019 and is forecasted to generate $103.8 billion by 2027.

A conservationist by the name of Hector Ceballos-Lascurain is often credited with the first definition of ecotourism in 1987, that is, “tourism that consists in travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas.”

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of ecotourism since 1990, defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education [both in its staff and its guests].”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) looks at ecotourism as a significant tool for conservation, though it shouldn’t be seen as a fix-all when it comes to conservation challenges:

“There may be some areas that are just not appropriate for ecotourism development and some businesses that just won’t work in the larger tourism market. That is why it is so important to understand the basics of developing and running a successful business, to ensure that your business idea is viable and will be profitable, allowing it to most effectively benefit the surrounding environment and communities.”

Marketing an ecosystem, species, or landscape towards ecotourists helps create value, and that value can help raise funds to protect and conserve those natural resources.

Sustainable ecotourism should be guided by three core principles: conservation, communities, and education.

Conservation

Conservation is arguably the most important component of ecotourism because it should offer long-term, sustainable solutions to enhancing and protecting biodiversity and nature. This is typically achieved through economic incentives paid by tourists seeking a nature-based experience, but can also come from the tourism organizations themselves, research, or direct environmental conservation efforts.

Communities

Ecotourism should increase employment opportunities and empower local communities, helping in the fight against global social issues like poverty and achieving sustainable development.

Interpretation

One of the most overlooked aspects of ecotourism is the education component. Yes, we all want to see these beautiful, natural places, but it also pays to learn about them. Increasing awareness about environmental issues and promoting a greater understanding and appreciation for nature is arguably just as important as conservation.

As one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry, there are bound to be some downsides to ecotourism. Whenever humans interact with animals or even with the environment, it risks the chance of human-wildlife conflict or other negative effects; if done so with respect and responsibility in mind, however, ecotourism can reap enormous benefits to protected areas.

As an industry that relies heavily on the presentation of eco-friendly components to attract customers, ecotourism has the inevitable potential as a vessel for greenwashing. Part of planning a trip rooted in ecotourism is doing research to ensure that an organization is truly providing substantial benefits to the environment rather than exploiting it.

Ecotourism Can Provide Sustainable Income for Local Communities

Sustainably managed ecotourism can support poverty alleviation by providing employment for local communities, which can offer them alternative means of livelihood outside of unsustainable ones (such as poaching).

Research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that communities in regions surrounding conservation areas in Costa Rica had poverty rates that were 16% lower than in areas that weren’t near protected parks. These protected areas didn’t just benefit from conservation funds due to ecotourism, but also helped to reduce poverty as well.

It Protects Natural Ecosystems

Ecotourism offers unique travel experiences focusing on nature and education, with an emphasis on sustainability and highlighting threatened or endangered species. It combines conservation with local communities and sustainable travel , highlighting principles (and operations) that minimize negative impacts and expose visitors to unique ecosystems and natural areas. When managed correctly, ecotourism can benefit both the traveler and the environment, since the money that goes into ecotourism often goes directly towards protecting the natural areas they visit.

Each year, researchers release findings on how tourist presence affects wildlife, sometimes with varying results. A study measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol in wild habituated Malaysian orangutans found that the animals were not chronically stressed by the presence of ecotourists. The orangutans lived in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, where a local community-managed organization operates while maintaining strict guidelines to protect them.

Ecotourism May Also Hurt Those Same Natural Ecosystems

Somewhat ironically, sometimes ecotourism can hurt ecosystems just as much as it can help. Another study in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution found that ecotourism can alter animal behaviors in ways that put them at risk. If the presence of humans changes the way animals behave, those changes may make them more vulnerable by influencing their reaction to predators or poachers.

It's not just the animals who are at risk. As ecotourism activities become too popular, it can lead to the construction of new infrastructure to accommodate more visitors. Similarly, more crowds mean more pressure on local resources, increased pollution, and a higher chance of damaging the soil and plant quality through erosion. On the social side, these activities may displace Indigenous groups or local communities from their native lands, preventing them from benefiting from the economic opportunities of tourism.

Ecotourism Offers the Opportunity to Experience Nature

Renown conservationist Jane Goodall has a famous quote: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.” It can be difficult to understand something that we haven’t seen with our own eyes, and ecotourism gives travelers the opportunity to gain new experiences in natural areas while learning about the issues they face. 

Ecotourism also educates children about nature, potentially creating new generations of nature lovers that could someday become conservationists themselves. Even adult visitors may learn new ways to improve their ecological footprints .

EXAMPLES OF ECOTOURISM

The East African country has some competitive advantages over its neighbors thanks to its rich natural resources, paired with the fact that it has allocated over 25% of its total area to wildlife national parks and protected areas. Because of this, an estimated 90% of tourists visit to Tanzania seeking out ecotourism activities. Ecotourism, in turn, supports 400,000 jobs and accounts for 17.2% of the national GDP, earning about $1 billion each year as its leading economic sector.

Some of Tanzania’s biggest highlights include the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro , and Zanzibar, though the country still often goes overlooked by American tourists. Visitors can take a walking safari tour in the famous Ngorongoro Conservation area, for example, with fees going to support the local Maasai community.

The country is also known for its chimpanzees , and there are several ecotourism opportunities in Gombe National Park that go directly towards protecting chimpanzee habitats.

Galapagos Islands

It comes as no surprise that the place first made famous by legendary naturalist Charles Darwin would go on to become one of the most sought-after ecotourism destinations on Earth, the Galapagos Islands .

The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism require tour providers to conserve water and energy, recycle waste, source locally produced goods, hire local employees with a fair wage, and offer employees additional training. A total of 97% of the land area on the Galapagos is part of the official national park, and all of its 330 islands have been divided into zones that are either completely free of human impact, protected restoration areas, or reduced impact zones adjacent to tourist-friendly areas.

Local authorities still have to be on their toes, however, since UNESCO lists increased tourism as one of the main threats facing the Galapagos today. The bulk of funding for the conservation and management of the archipelago comes from a combination of governmental institutions and entry fees paid by tourists.

Costa Rica is well-known throughout the world for its emphasis on nature-based tourism, from its numerous animal sanctuaries to its plethora of national parks and reserves. Programs like its “Ecological Blue Flag” program help inform tourists of beaches that have maintained a strict set of eco-friendly criteria.

The country’s forest cover went from 26% in 1983 to over 52% in 2021 thanks to the government’s decision to create more protected areas and promote ecotourism in the country . Now, over a quarter of its total land area is zoned as protected territory.

Costa Rica welcomes 1.7 million travelers per year, and most of them come to experience the country’s vibrant wildlife and diverse ecosystems. Its numerous biological reserves and protected parks hold some of the most extraordinary biodiversity on Earth, so the country takes special care to keep environmental conservation high on its list of priorities. 

New Zealand

In 2019, tourism generated $16.2 billion, or 5.8% of the GDP, in New Zealand. That same year, 8.4% of its citizens were employed in the tourism industry, and tourists generated $3.8 billion in tax revenue.

The country offers a vast number of ecotourism experiences, from animal sanctuaries to natural wildlife on land, sea, and even natural caves. New Zealand’s South Pacific environment, full of sights like glaciers and volcanic landscapes, is actually quite fragile, so the government puts a lot of effort into keeping it safe.

Tongariro National Park, for example, is the oldest national park in the country, and has been named by UNESCO as one of only 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites. Its diverse volcanic landscapes and the cultural heritage of the indigenous Maori tribes within the create the perfect combination of community, education, and conservation.

How to Be a Responsible Ecotourist

• Ensure that the organizations you hire provide financial contributions to benefit conservation and find out where your money is going.
• Ask about specific steps the organization takes to protect the environment where they operate, such as recycling or promoting sustainable policies.
• Find out if they include the local community in their activities, such as hiring local guides, giving back, or through initiatives to empower the community.
• Make sure there are educational elements to the program. Does the organization take steps to respect the destination’s culture as well as its biodiversity?
• See if your organization is connected to a non-profit or charity like the International Ecotourism Society .
• Understand that wildlife interactions should be non-invasive and avoid negative impacts on the animals.

Ecotourism activities typically involve visiting and enjoying a natural place without disturbing the landscape or its inhabitants. This might involve going for a hike on a forest trail, mountain biking, surfing, bird watching, camping, or forest bathing . 

Traveling in a way that minimizes carbon emissions, like taking a train or bike instead of flying, may also be part of an ecotourism trip. Because these modes of travel tend to be slower, they may be appreciated as enjoyable and relaxing ecotourism activities.

The Wolf Conservation Center ’s programing in New York State is an example of ecotourism. This non-profit organization is dedicated to the preservation of endangered wolf species. It hosts educational sessions that allow visitors to observe wolves from a safe distance. These programs help to fund the nonprofit organization’s conservation and wildlife rehabilitation efforts.

Stonehouse, Bernard. " Ecotourism ." Environmental Geology: Encyclopedia of Earth Science , 1999, doi:10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_101

" What is Ecotourism? " The International Ecotourism Society .

" Tourism ." International Union for Conservation of Nature .

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1307712111

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0033357

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.09.010

https://doi.org/10.5897/JHMT2016.0207

" Galapagos Islands ." UNESCO .

" About Costa Rica ." Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington DC .

https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/tourism-satellite-account-2019

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Dr. Jane Goodall on Responsible Animal Tourism — and Her Hope for the Future

"Tourism, well-managed, is very important for various reasons," Dr. Goodall told T+L when speaking about the state of animal tourism.

Amiee White Beazley

When I caught up with 89-year-old Dr. Jane Goodall, she was visiting the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, in Colorado, where she gave three lectures to local school children on behalf of the Jane Goodall Institute and her youth organization Roots & Shoots. It was early autumn in Colorado and the last hummingbirds of summer dashed from flower to flower before embarking on their fall migration. The animal expert, who admits to not only loving birds, but all living things, was in her element among the wild landscape.

Still traveling more than 300 days per year for in-person events, Dr. Goodall shows no signs of slowing down as she shares her philosophy of hope throughout the world. 

Travel + Leisure: I’m interested in your thoughts on the role animal and conservation tourism can play in developing nations, particularly those in Africa. How can tourism benefit local ecosystems and resident wildlife? 

Jane Goodall: Well, it's got two sides to it. The main answer is, how is the place tourism managed? That's the absolute key. In many countries, the government finds that people will pay to go and see, for example, mountain gorillas in Rwanda. So the researchers there said, ‘No more than six people at a time, and they can't stay more than an hour.’ Well, the governments there think, ‘Okay, we get all this money for six. Now we'll map it to twelve.’ These areas are getting too many tourists and it’s affecting the animals. That's killing the goose that lays the golden egg. 

Is there a solution? Can one be a responsible traveler?

I don't have the solution, and sometimes tourism exploits the animals terribly. But tourism, well-managed, is very important for various reasons. One, it has a major effect on the people on the tour, especially if they have a knowledgeable local guide who knows not only about lions and elephants, but birds and maybe butterflies, so that even if you don't see the big things, you can be entertained. And the benefits the country gets means the national parks get more money, too. There's a lot of employment in the parks and nearby hospitality — at hotels and restaurants — which provides lots and lots of jobs. The local people begin to see a value to the animals. 

Rajah Bose/Gonzaga University

You’re right. Being in the place and actually seeing the animals in their habitat with your own eyes makes you want to fight to protect it.

There's no question about it. When you look into a chimpanzee’s eyes, a gorilla’s eyes, or an elephant’s, it changes you. 

Part of your relentless worldwide schedule is to reassure people that hope for the environment is not lost, and that even individual actions can make a difference.

Individuals can do their part even if it's just not using pesticide on their lawns or supporting places for hummingbirds or bees. It can be that simple. Not eating meat or not eating meat one day a week to start with. Industrialized meat is bad for you, it's horrible for the animals, and it's destroying the environment. So even if everybody on the planet who’s still eating meat stopped eating it for just one day and then two days, it would make a huge difference. 

Your lectures lately focus on the idea that there is hope for a better world. I share in your optimism, but sometimes it feels like things get darker and darker. What drives you to keep going?

I wouldn't keep going if I didn't know that going to a place makes a difference. And I only know that because people tell me. I get letters saying ‘I'd given up. But after your lecture, I promise you I'll do my bit.’ Hundreds of young people have written to say joining Roots & Shoots was the best thing [they] ever did. Even in Tanzania, a 12-year-old boy said, ‘Until Roots & Shoots, I didn't know animals had feelings. Now, I'll never hurt another animal as long as I live.’ That's amazing. 

Are you still surprised this is the way your life has unfolded? The amazing legacy you’ve been able to create?

The only way I can cope with this craziness is by saying, well, there's two Janes, this one, I'm talking to you, perfectly normal, and then there's the icon that was created by National Geographic and so on. I go through an airport with dark glasses and my hair down, and still people recognized me. So I thought, well, okay, the only thing to do is to make use of it, so I'll use it. 

And after, when – if – you finally decide to stop traveling, who will be the next Jane Goodall? Do you think that the next Jane will be one of these children who have heard your message? 

I think there'll be a lot of Jane Goodalls springing up. I mean, nobody can be me. I've lived 90 years. You can't expect a child to know all the things that you learn in 90 years. But passion, commitment, dedication, children today have all of these. Some children are doing amazing things. They give me hope that that nature can come back if you give it a chance, even totally destroyed places. And animals on the brink can be given another chance. 

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Can Animals Be the Key to the Development of Tourism: A Case Study of Livestock in Agritourism

Associated data.

All the data discussed in the manuscript are present within the text and tables.

Simple Summary

Animals are an integral and important part of human life. It is clear that when traveling, tourists often choose places where animals are present. They look for places with wild animals more often. Our article introduces issues concerning the role of farm animals in the creation of agritourism products and the prospects of using animals in agritourism. On the one hand, farm animals are an additional source for people who run agritourism farms and make the stay of tourists in rural areas more attractive. The presence of livestock acts as a magnet, attracting more tourists to these farms and achieving higher returns on agritourism activities. However, among the reasons for the lack of contact with animals in agritourism offerings, farmers indicated: the lack of financial resources and the lack of conditions to provide the animals with adequate maintenance. It is worth introducing farm animals as a tourist attraction in agritourism offerings.

Animals are an integral part of human life. Currently, they constitute a relevant factor contributing to the tourist experiences of individuals travelling for tourist purposes. Domestic (farm) animals constitute a tourist attraction, are a source of income for individuals running agritourism farms, and render the tourists’ stay in rural areas more attractive. It is important to maintain the welfare of livestock based on principles of sustainability. The authors conducted research among agritourism providers in Wielkopolska Voivodeship. The aim of the survey was to determine whether agritourism farms keep livestock, what species they are, and whether they are important in building an agritourism product and what the prospects are for using animals in agritourism. A questionnaire was used for the study. The use of a variety of animal species facilitates the maintenance of biodiversity on the farm. Our research shows that 57.3% of the analysed agritourism providers included animals. Additionally, we discovered that the presence of livestock acts as a magnet that draws more tourists towards the individuals running agritourism farms and thus causes them to obtain higher profit from the agritourism business. According to the surveyed individuals, the most influential reason for the absence of livestock on their farms was the lack of financial resources and conditions to provide the animals with proper maintenance. Such findings may prompt the introduction of livestock as a tourist attraction in agritourism in other regions.

1. Introduction

Animals have been accompanying humans for centuries [ 1 ], constituting an essential part of the surrounding ecosystem [ 2 ]. They interact with humans on the level of production and coexistence. In this case, production should be understood as the provision of food and animal raw materials, such as clothing [ 3 ]. Keeping livestock for food purposes fits perfectly into this notion. In turn, coexistence refers to wild animals whose presence is important for maintaining biodiversity in the ecosystem.

Animals are an important and influential element of tourism. For many people, they constitute an integral part of their valued recreational activities [ 4 ]. Tourism provides many people with the opportunity to see and interact with a variety of species, which they would not normally encounter, all over the world and often in their natural habitat [ 5 ].

According to World Animal Protection, more than half a million wild animals are used as tourist entertainment, yet this number includes only the registered animals in tourist facilities [ 6 ]. Wildlife tourism is defined as tourism based on encounters with non-domesticated (non-human) animals and may be divided into non-consumptive and consumptive. The former involves observing or interacting with animals in natural or man-made environments, while consumptive wildlife tourism entails the intentional killing of animals, usually through hunting or fishing [ 7 ].

Non-consumptive wildlife tourism accounts for 20 to 40% of all international tourism [ 8 ]. It is estimated that between 230,000 and 550,000 animals are currently used for recreational purposes, and only 1500 to 13,000 animals in the tourism industry are treated in a way that ensures their good condition and safety [ 9 ]. An analysis of comments concerning animal-related attractions posted by tourists on TripAdvisor reveals that 80% of travellers do not recognise the problem or take into consideration animal welfare [ 10 ].

Wildlife tourism provides nature with the opportunity to earn its own right to survive [ 11 ], while the economic benefits it generates serve to protect wild animals and their natural habitat [ 12 ]. Consistently high demand for encounters with captive, partially captive, and wild animals persists [ 13 ], and the funds raised in this regard generate profit for communities and activities focused on the conservation of nature around the world [ 14 ].

Tourism uses various species of animals in different ways. Opportunities to observe or interact with wild animals have been created in numerous tourist destinations that are easily accessible and very popular among many consumers. Such opportunities vary from country to country, with each destination having its own legal and cultural approach to animal welfare. Animals can participate in festivals, be used as street entertainment, or be observed in captivity. They are also frequently associated with the source of income of local communities [ 15 ]. Tourists decide to travel to see and interact (pet, swim with, ride, take selfies) with dolphins, tigers, and other charismatic, endangered, and exotic animals [ 16 ]. The tourism industry includes a variety of attractions for tourists to participate in: from safaris providing the opportunity to observe wild animals, zoos, meeting and cuddling cats in cafes, or volunteering to work with goats on farms, to “danger tourism” involving close encounters with fearsome predators [ 17 ].

The creation of new tourism products is an ongoing process. One of its primary issues consists of creating them in a way that allows attracting the largest possible number of tourists. Regardless of the geographical region or wildlife, observing, photographing, or having direct contact with wild animals has always been the aim of travels for individuals who value interactions with animals. An example may be trips to Africa organised to observe the so-called “Africa’s big five animals” [ 18 ], gorillas [ 19 ], and cetaceans [ 20 ] and to participate in birdwatching, which is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world [ 21 ]. Tourists are capable of negatively affecting animal welfare, as evidenced in the study by Moorhouse et al. [ 10 ]. Moreover, it should be noted that wild animals may pose a threat to tourists—such examples include brown bear [ 22 ] and polar bear attacks [ 23 ]. Fishing [ 24 ] and hunting tourism, which, contrary to numerous opinions, can contribute to the protection of many species, is also very popular [ 25 ]. A certain form of interaction with animals is also culinary tourism, which manifests by the desire to taste food prepared from a particular species of animal in the place of its occurrence. A very popular example involves the consumption of seafood in coastal areas.

Categories of wild and domestic animals are not fixed and permanent—they are created by humans and contain numerous contradictions [ 26 ]. Animals are part of human life in many ways: from pets and farm animals to wildlife. Humans have used them as a food source, labour force, companions, or simply products for centuries. For most of human history, animals have been used for their utility value. Animals and animal products have been directly used to satisfy the needs of individuals or entire communities [ 12 ]. They should not be regarded as commodities that may be utilised for the benefit of humans [ 27 ].

Changes in tourists’ tastes may be used to improve standards of animal welfare in the future. Moreover, many Western tourists are inclined to practise “sustainable”, “eco”, and “ethical” tourism [ 17 ].

Currently, more attention is focused on the welfare of kept animals. For many modern societies, this is an issue of increasing importance, which dates back to the early British animal protection laws of the 19th century [ 28 ]. A proper approach to the welfare of livestock has created, at least in the case of some consumers, both the desire and demand for products derived from animals raised following welfare standards but has also satisfied that demand through the development of a supply chain involving such products. That is precisely how animal welfare transformed into a distinctive product value [ 29 ]. Furthermore, there is growing interest in animal welfare in a range of tourism recreation contexts also with regard to tourist activity [ 30 ].

Research on domestic animals in tourism, including livestock, has received much less attention than studies on wild animals [ 16 ]. Four reasons responsible for this state of affairs can be identified [ 31 ]:

• Unequal power relations, according to which humans control all aspects of animals’ lives;
• Domestic animals are “everyday” animals, which indicates they are not regarded with the kind of interest that tourists take in strange and exotic animals;
• There is tension created by a significant number of domestic animals used as a source of food;
• Due to their controlled existence, domestic animals are perceived as less authentic than wild animals.

Undoubtedly, human–animal interactions are extremely important components of the overall experience for humans [ 32 ]. Animals are an integral element of countless human leisure experiences and positively affect their, i.e., humans’, physical, mental, and social condition [ 33 ]. The therapeutic role of animals in leisure time is widely recognised [ 5 ] and includes examples such as hippotherapy [ 34 ], dog therapy [ 35 ], feline therapy [ 36 ], donkey therapy [ 37 ], and apitherapy [ 38 ].

One form of tourism in which animals, particularly livestock, are part of a commercial product directed at tourists is agritourism. The literature on the subject does not include works that focus on the use of domestic animals in tourism. Our work helps to fill this gap.

Livestock can be a potentially profitable enterprise for small-scale agricultural operations. Livestock can offer a farm new revenue streams as well as increased fertility and weed control. Additionally, this activity can become a tourist attraction and can attract tourists, giving the farm a new function, a tourist function. However, there are new challenges of raising livestock on agritourism farms which are discussed here, including particular considerations related to producing poultry, rabbits, hogs, sheep, goats, bees, and cattle.

This study aims to determine whether farm animals—and if so, which species—are kept on agritourism farms, and whether the farm animals affect the attractiveness of the agritourism offering.

Literature Review

Agritourism is not a new phenomenon. Busby and Rendle [ 39 ] believe that since the beginning of the 20th century, farmers have expanded recreational opportunities (that they offered) to include accommodation services. At first, agritourism was regarded as an additional, secondary activity performed on a farm but then quickly gained popularity and became one of the forms of tourism [ 40 ]. It was a universal means to mitigate problems at the farm level as a strategy for economic growth and diversification [ 41 ], but also at the regional and local level of rural areas, i.e., migration [ 42 ] or affecting the increase in income of the local community [ 43 ]. Agritourism allowed for acquiring additional benefits at the regional level, i.e., creation and maintenance of jobs, environmental improvement in rural regions, and rural heritage and identity preservation [ 44 ]. However, the agritourism relationship between agriculture and tourism is symbiotic [ 45 , 46 ]. Agritourism is a practice of attracting tourists to agricultural areas, generally for educational or recreational purposes. Due to the economic difficulties, as well as changes in agriculture and animal husbandry around the world, many farmers—particularly those running small family farms—found that they need to expand their agricultural business model and discover new methods of generating income.

The most important specific features of agritourism distinguishing it from other forms of tourism are the elements that connect the main agricultural and tourist activities, which are the rhythm of life on the farm, the presence of livestock, fresh food, smells, sounds, the proximity of the farming family and villagers, possibility of getting to know family habits, everyday activities of villagers, hospitality, new acquaintances and friendships, culture and customs, tradition and history of villages and the region, folklore, space, contact with nature, freedom of movement, silence, peace, possibility of recreation and sports, etc. [ 47 , 48 , 49 ]. Undoubtedly, an important element of agritourism is the accommodation of tourists in the house of a farmer offering agritourism services [ 43 , 50 ]. Adapting a residential house (furnishing rooms, etc.) and its immediate surroundings for guests (e.g., a recreational device) is associated with getting to know the needs and expectations of potential agritourists [ 51 ].

Majewski [ 48 ] emphasises that agritourism should be conducted on a farm, where plant and animal production constitutes one of the biggest attractions for tourists. Currently, the concept of agritourism [ 52 ] includes resting at the facilities maintained by the farmer and located on a functioning farm, where apart from spending the night, eating meals made of products derived from the farm or its vicinity, participating in field and farm work, and observing farm animals and plant production, it is also possible to undertake recreational activities on the area of the farm and beyond. Authentic agritourism is conducted on a fully operational farm, where agricultural activities predominate over tourism, as well as where familiar and direct contact with the host and his or her family members takes place in an unaltered agricultural environment [ 53 ]. A farm on which the farmer keeps various species and breeds of animals is more attractive to visitors. This involves the contact of tourists, mainly children, with live animals, such as poultry, rabbits, goats, sheep, calves, etc. [ 49 ].

Agritourism shows people what is happening on the farm in order to better inform them about daily agricultural practices and activities. Its underlying assumption is that if people see the farm, they will better understand what is happening there and why, which in turn should reduce concerns about animal welfare or production practices [ 54 ]. Farm and farm-related activities can be divided into five groups as follows:

• − Observation of the agricultural production process including plant and animal production and food processing, as well as guided tours or private farms (ranches), which are widely offered in different countries;
• − Actual participation in the process of plant and animal production and processing (e.g., assistance in milking cows, hay production, etc.);
• − Animal shows or demonstrations, including cow milking, sheep shearing, angora rabbit shearing, cattle sales, or cowboy rodeos;
• − Marked trails on the farm;
• − Direct contact with domestic animals or the nature of farms in different kinds of petting zoos or safaris [ 49 ].

Farm animals may constitute a valuable agritourism attraction while simultaneously being part of the cultural heritage of rural areas [ 55 ]. For many small-scale livestock farmers, species and breeds of these animals are linked to unique domestic systems of knowledge and management practices, which have been gathered over centuries by countless generations [ 56 ].

To be part of the tourism product and a tourist attraction, animals must be provided with adequate welfare which is not necessarily better on small farms compared to large farms. Observing the behaviour of farm animals is the first element in assessing their physical and mental comfort [ 57 ].

Freedom to perform natural behaviour, however, is the main issue in the eyes of the general public, so technologies in which the use of enclosures and pastures that should be the basis of nutrition for many species during the growing season play a huge role. These technologies simultaneously ensure a better quality of food raw materials [ 58 ]. Keeping animals outside of buildings provides better opportunities for tourists to observe and interact with animals. Landscape conservation is also an important function of livestock grazing [ 59 ].

Another method includes using livestock as a raw material for meal preparation. The increasing tendency to seek locally produced food applies particularly to the hospitality and tourism industry, including agritourism, which heavily relies on local identity [ 60 ].

Aspects such as humane treatment of animals, the environmental impact of the main supply chain, and the interest of tourists in tasting local food, especially meat, in agritourism is important for many consumers [ 60 ]. Tourists seem to particularly favour culinary tourism [ 61 ], which is implemented on agritourism farms. Hall and Sharples [ 62 ] believe that culinary tourism is associated with unforgettable experiences related to food and drinks, as well as places where good food is prepared for entertainment purposes, but also includes visits to local producers, local markets, cooking shows, and all activities related to tourism and food [ 63 ]. This form of tourism allows for the use of resources from agritourism farms and their surroundings [ 64 ].

The agritourism product is a complex category, and its individual elements perform different functions [ 65 ]. Livestock can become a product with different purposes, i.e., for people from cities who do not have contact with animals, they can meet the need for interacting with animals, and for city children, they can meet the need to better understand animals and their role in, e.g., human nutrition.

According to Sayre and Henderson [ 66 ], animals on a farm can be used in a variety of ways. It all depends both on the species that the agritourism operator has and on their creativity.

According to Hurst and Niehm [ 67 ], the market of local products in rural areas is largely untapped by both vacationers and residents. If the owners of agritourism farms were able to increase those sales, including meat produced based on principles of sustainability, not only would they raise their income, but they would also diversify their income sources [ 60 ].

2. Materials and Methods

The study was conducted in 2019, in the form of a telephone interview called CATI (computer assisted telephone interviews), based on questionnaires ( Supplementary Materials ) prepared by the authors of the paper. Telephone interviews are now widely used in scientific research [ 43 , 68 , 69 , 70 ].

The questionnaire consists of the following parts: part I—questions related to the location of the agritourism farm (3 questions), part II—records and a brief description of agritourism and agricultural activities (8 questions), part III—identification of species kept on the agritourism farm (2 questions), part IV—assessment of the attractiveness of animals kept on an agritourism farm (5 questions). Seven reasons for the lack of animals are identified in the questionnaire. At the end of the questionnaire, the respondents could indicate which species of animals, in their opinion, could make the agritourism offering more attractive.

Sample size determination is an important major step in the design of a research study. Its calculation is an essential step in research protocols and is a must to justify the size of research studies in papers, reports, etc. [ 71 , 72 ].

The study sample consisted of 394 agritourism farms from a total number of 686 farms (as of 2017) located in Wielkopolska Voivodeship.

The finite population sample size formula was used for calculating the sample size of agritourism farms covered by this study:

where n is sample size, e is permissible error, N is population size, and Z α /2 is value resulting from the confidence interval used; for a 95% confidence level, Z α /2 = 1.96, and P is the estimated proportion in the population (usually, it is set at P = 50%). P is the estimated expected proportion in the population covered by the study. As the proportion in the population of operators is unknown, the least favourable assumption was made, namely that P = 50%, because at that P level, the product P (1 − P ) reaches the maximum value.

It is thus assumed that:

• Confidence level = 95%;
• Permissible error = 5%;
• N = 686 (the number of agritourism farms in 2017).

The minimum sample size was 246 when the maximum error was 5%. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. When entering the study, it was assumed that if the telephone contact was not possible during the first phone attempt, the next phone attempt would be conducted after one hour. When the second phone attempt was not successful, subsequent phone attempts were made the next day. A total of 394 phone calls were obtained during the survey. All data gleaned were subjected to preliminary analysis, followed by statistical analysis, with the identification of significant differences for two independent samples by the Mann–Whitney U test and the Wald–Wolfowitz runs test. The statistical analysis was performed using the STATISTICA 13.3 program (TIBCO Software Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA). Three data presentation methods were used to characterise the phenomena examined: tabular, graphical, and descriptive.

3.1. Characteristics of Agritourism Activities in the Researched Agritourism Farms

A total of 365 providers of agritourism agreed to participate in the survey and be interviewed, while 29 refused to participate in the survey. According to the survey, 117 agritourism operators did not run any agritourism business in 2019. The agritourism activity related to hosting tourists on a working farm was carried out by 248 farmers. Only 142 farms out of all the analysed farms kept animals.

Given the period of conducting the agritourism business, it was found that the oldest agritourism farm hosted tourists continuously since 1980, while the youngest agritourism farm started hosting guests for on-farm recreation in 2018. It should be noted that more than 1/3 of the surveyed agritourism farms were established in the 20th century.

The accommodation base is the most important component of agritourism. All the quarters included in the research provided their agritourists with accommodation in rooms. The number of rooms largely determines the possibility of accommodating a certain number of guests, and the number of beds is also important. The average number of rooms in the researched farms was up to five (80.6%), and the number of beds was 15 (Me = 12). Analysing the data on the number of tourists enjoying leisure in the surveyed agritourism farms, it ranged from 10 to 500 per year.

3.2. Characteristics of Kept Animals in the Researched Agritourism Farms

To achieve the research objective, the surveyed agritourism farms were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of providers of agritourism who owned livestock: 142 farms with animals. The second group included agritourism operators who did not own animals: 106 animal-free farms. The study is shows that 57.3% of the analysed agritourism farms in the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship featured animals.

When analysing the data concerning agricultural activities carried out in the surveyed farms ( Table 1 ), statistically significant differentiation was found in terms of the agricultural holding area. Undoubtedly, livestock husbandry is associated with having adequate space for these animals. The main purpose of livestock husbandry was a sale, while the secondary purpose was an attraction for tourists who enjoy spending holidays in the countryside. This is confirmed by the share of agricultural income in total income, which was higher for agritourism operators who owned animals than those who did not own animals. Moreover, a significantly higher share of other income sources (67.9%) was found for providers of agritourism who did not own animals.

Characteristics of the surveyed agritourism operators.

Source: own studies.

On the other hand, taking into account the share of income from agritourism activity, a statistically significantly higher level was found among operators with animals. Higher income from agritourism activities in facilities with animals resulted from the greater number of tourists using their offering. Their services were used on average by 117 tourists, and the average for operators without animals was 73 tourists. It is worth emphasizing that the average value of the number of tourists turned out to be statistically significant ( p < 0.000). There was no statistically significant differentiation ( p > 0.05) in the number of rooms and number of beds between the studied groups

Agritourism operators usually keep several species of animals on their farm. Horses (52.8%), hens (62.7%), cattle (18.3%), goats (16.9%), sheep (12.7%) and pigs (12.7%) were the most popular animals kept on farms. It should be noted that one in five of the surveyed facilities kept fish in ponds owned by the farm, and one in six of the surveyed facilities kept rabbits.

Livestock can become an element of the core of an agritourism product, a basic product, or an extended product ( Table 2 ). For people from cities who do not have contact with animals, they can meet the need for interacting with animals, and for city children, they can meet the need to better understand animals and their role in, e.g., human nutrition. As a basic product, they can be one of the components of the diet of tourists staying at an agritourism farm or culinary products prepared for sale. Being an element of an extended product, which distinguishes a given offer from other competitors, they can give the opportunity to learn how to prepare a local culinary product, participate in the handling of animals, or even organize a mini zoo and use the healing properties of contact with animals as part of animal therapy.

Farm animals as an element of an agritourism product.

3.3. Reasons for Keeping and Lack of Animals in the Agritourism Farms

The choice to keep animals is not accidental since these animals are the key to increasing the tourist attractiveness of the run business. They are the source of meat, excluding horses, which are not eaten in Poland, and they are the source of valued products such as milk, eggs, and fish. The conducted analyses also showed that during the selection of animal species, agritourism operators paid attention to their origin and importance for the conservation of rural heritage. Therefore, they most often chose native breeds of livestock.

The respondents who did not keep animals were further asked about the reasons for not keeping animals on the farm ( Figure 1 ).

Reasons for not keeping livestock. Source: own studies.

According to almost half (49.1%) of the providers of agritourism, lack of money to keep animals, followed by lack of conditions to keep them (45.3%), is the main reason for not having animals. Interestingly, according to one third of the respondents, the reason for the absence of animals in their agritourism farm is the lack of interest from tourists.

First of all, the respondents indicated the reasons that were included in the answer to the questionnaire question; in addition, some of them gave other reasons that were not on the list of answers to the question.

One of the reasons for not keeping animals on an agritourism farm was the poor health and age of the farm owners.

Respondent 1: “My age and health condition do not allow me to take care of animals”.

Many owners indicated that the reason for the lack of animals on the agritourism farm was the lack of time but also the lack of people who would be able to help with the care of animals.

Respondent 2: “I don’t have time to work with animals; I miss extra hands to work with animals ”.

Several respondents indicated that the reason for the lack of keeping animals on an agritourism farm was the lack of appropriate infrastructure, and more specifically of buildings in which these animals can be kept.

Respondent 3: “I don’t have suitable buildings for keeping animals”.

In contrast to several owners of the surveyed agritourism farms, some indicated that the reason for not keeping animals on their farm was cooperation with other farmers who had animals, and tourists could see them there.

Respondent 4: “The animals are at my neighbor’s farm, tourists can see them there”.

A few respondents stated that the costs of keeping animals were too high as the reason for not keeping animals on their farm, and their production was described as unprofitable.

Respondent 5: “Keeping animals is an additional cost, production is unprofitable.”

The above responses from farmers indicate that they are aware of the limitations of keeping animals on the farm and providing them with good conditions and welfare. Perhaps these responses may indicate that if there was more interest from tourists, farmers would overcome the difficulties of not keeping their animals on their farm.

4. Discussion

The obtained results have practical and important consequences for agritourism owners. Our research shows that farmers consider animals an important element of their agritourism offering. This is confirmed by studies [ 73 , 74 ] that suggest that animals are frequently the key to attracting tourists to spend holidays in the countryside on an agritourism farm.

The profitability of agritourism is an important factor from the point of view of the development of a tourist activity. The share of income from agritourism activities is important, which shows the development of agritourism as a source of additional income for the farming family [ 75 ]. It is very important to measure income from accommodations, food, and additional services: for example, by offering souvenirs to be purchased by tourists or agricultural products to be bought on the farm (fruits, vegetables, honey, milk, etc.), bike rental, guide services, horseback riding, etc. [ 75 , 76 ]. Studies cited by other authors show that agritourism has a significant and positive impact on farm profitability [ 43 , 77 ]. The value of income from agritourism varied and depended on the size of the facility, the agritourism offering, and the number of visiting tourists [ 75 ].

Livestock is an integral part of a sustainable farm [ 78 ]. The use of different animal species enables biodiversity conservation on the farm, expressed not only by the number of animal species but also by the diversity of crops necessary both for humans and animals, which simultaneously ensures maintenance of soil fertility [ 79 ].

Keeping animals can have long-term effects on the environment and can contribute to the preservation of characteristic plant species not found in neighbouring habitats [ 80 ]. Animals also contribute to the protection of the landscape, maintaining valuable plant communities in their natural state—an example may be the protection of xerothermic grasslands in western Poland, where sheep are used for this purpose [ 81 ].

In addition to providing a variety of food products and clothing products, the animals produce manure, which is a valuable natural fertiliser that enables a steady turnover of organic matter on the farm. Natural fertilisation is part of both sustainable farming and organic farming [ 82 ].

Large-scale farms, which also use large-scale animal husbandry, are widely used today [ 83 ]. The use of large-scale animal husbandry is justified for reasons of production cost reduction; however, it is frequently associated with the production of food products that do not have specific qualities. Animal husbandry in sustainable farms or organic farms certainly has good prospects because of the preservation of on-farm cycles (soil-plant-animal-soil), contribution to biodiversity conservation, and production of high-quality food products [ 3 , 84 ].

The grazing of livestock may affect wild species. It was found that the presence of cows on the pasture significantly influences the feeding efficiency of the white stork ( Ciconia ciconia ), and this may, in turn, contribute to increasing the population of the species [ 85 ]. Additionally, the presence of storks may be attractive to tourists [ 86 ].

Animals may be unnecessary on large-scale farms using mineral fertilisers, but on small farms concerned with sustainability and biodiversity, they are important because some farms may use their own manure as fertiliser.

In the case of agritourism farms, small-scale animal husbandry also leads to better interactions between visitors and animals. The guests, in addition to gaining knowledge concerning the functioning of the farm, also perform a sort of control function, especially in terms of animal husbandry conditions.

Animal husbandry in agritourism farms provides various opportunities for interacting with animals, from simple observation through participation in daily activities related to feeding, grooming, and herding to animal therapy, and finally to processing of animal food raw materials [ 87 , 88 ]. Agritourism farm owners often select animal species and breeds that are resistant to less favourable conditions for animal welfare, are resistant to diseases, and have interesting traits [ 89 ].

Maintaining high biodiversity in agricultural farms and, particularly, in agritourism farms is important, and organic agritourism farms should contribute not only to making the offer more attractive to guests but also to protecting and popularising the husbandry of local animal breeds and plant varieties that may become extinct in the current economic reality due to their frequently low productivity [ 90 ]. At the same time, animals should be treated as a cultural heritage element with great socio-cultural significance and an ever-increasing educational function [ 91 ], which generates intangible benefits associated with the region [ 92 ].

According to the farmers participating in our survey, an interesting measure from the point of view of guests visiting agritourism operators would be to introduce exotic animals to the livestock (e.g., alpacas, llamas). However, when it comes to maintaining local biodiversity and agritourism objectives, keeping exotic animals on farms seems questionable [ 93 ]. Exotic animals are certainly a factor that increases the attractiveness of the farm’s offering; however, agritourism activities carried out on sustainable farms, where traditional crops are grown and animals typical of the region are kept, are of great importance to become an opportunity for guests to learn about the agricultural culture of the region [ 80 , 85 , 92 ].

The native breeds of livestock, as well as native varieties of crops, are part of the national heritage [ 79 ]. The existence of such breeds proves the ability to carry out husbandry work aimed at creating animals that are best adapted to local environmental conditions (climate, fodder), which can demonstrate, frequently in difficult conditions, longevity, good parameters of reproductive traits, and production of food raw materials (meat, milk, eggs) or clothing raw materials (wool, leather) of high utility values [ 94 , 95 , 96 ]. Keeping native animal breeds is especially valuable in agritourism due to their adaptation to local environmental conditions, disease resistance, health, and low feed requirements [ 97 ]. The results of our research indicate that native breeds of livestock are not very common in agritourism. Research by other authors shows that they perform important popularizing, promotional, and educational functions, and tourists are eager to photograph them, like to observe them, and believe that their presence has a positive effect on the landscape [ 98 , 99 , 100 ].

Tourism needs are evolving, and tourists are looking for a multi-sensory rural experience [ 101 ]. The agritourism farms that offer attractions based on livestock are part of this trend. While there is not much literature concerning animal welfare in tourism or entertainment, there are articles analysing animal welfare in other sectors [ 102 ]. However, the concern for animal welfare contributes to the profitability of tourism [ 103 ].

In terms of the appreciation of farm animal welfare, it varies depending on producers and consumers. Consumers often focus on naturalness and its relation to animal welfare, while producers often focus on meeting basic health requirements [ 104 ]. Animals have a wide range of needs that are a consequence of many functional systems that make their life possible [ 78 ]. Animal welfare can be defined as “how well an animal manages to live under the conditions in which it exists” [ 105 ]. Healthy livestock is the most productive and economically viable, achieving increased growth rate, milk yield, or egg production per unit of input, as well as improved fertility, longer vitality, and better carcass quality [ 106 ].

The role of farmers should be emphasised; they are a sort of guide playing an important role as facilitators helping tourists to overcome environmental challenges and better understand the animal world [ 107 ].

5. Conclusions

This study makes a significant theoretical contribution to understanding the importance of livestock in building an agritourism product.

A large part of the surveyed agritourism suppliers (57.3%) had animals, which are both an immanent feature of the agricultural holding and the agritourism business. In this case, there is a clear relationship related to the size of the land owned, which is important for having adequate space for these animals. Our research has shown that keeping animals in agritourism farms is an attraction for tourists visiting them.

Keeping livestock provided an attraction for tourists using the offered services, but it also provided a source of income from the sale of those animals. This is confirmed by the share of agricultural income in total income, which was higher for agritourism operators who owned animals than for those who did not own animals. Plus, it is also confirmed by a higher share of income from agritourism in the group of farms with animals.

The surveyed facilities usually keep several species of animals. Their selection is purposeful because these animals are not only key to increasing tourist attractiveness, but they also provide a source of meat, products, and preserves.

The biodiversity conservation in agricultural holdings, especially in agritourism farms, should, on the one hand, contribute to the protection and popularisation of husbandry of local animal breeds and varieties of native plants and, on the other hand, make the offering more attractive for guests.

This study does not exhaust the problem of keeping animals in agritourism farms. Therefore, it is important that such research is continued in the future, taking into account the opinions of various players in the agritourism market, both farmers and tourists. The survey used a questionnaire to obtain farmers’ opinions on keeping farm animals on agritourism farms. We believe that the research can be extended to include in-depth interviews with farmers running agritourism farms and keeping animals and those who stopped keeping animals completely. This would enable a better understanding of the importance of animals in creating a farm tourism product and the problems that arise for farmers from combining the two businesses.

Future research should aim to gain knowledge concerning the preferences of potential agritourists regarding which livestock they would like to encounter during their agritourism trips. In addition, further research is needed among farmers running agritourism activities in various regions of Poland and other European Union countries and the comparison of these results.

Supplementary Materials

The following are available online at https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/ani11082357/s1 , Questionnaires used for telephone interviews called CATI (computer assisted telephone interviews).

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; methodology, J.U.; software, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; validation, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; formal analysis, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; investigation, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; resources, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; data curation, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; writing—original draft preparation, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; writing—review and editing, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; visualization, A.J.; supervision, R.S.; project administration, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; funding acquisition, A.J., J.U., and R.S.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Research conducted by statutory funding, no. 506.538.05.00, of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland; Laboratory of Rural Tourism, Department of Zoology.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Not all fun and games: the missing ethics of animals in tourism

Emeritus Associate Professor, Murdoch University

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Jim Macbeth has received funding from the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre and project relevant partner organisations, including government departments.

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Animals are a mainstay of global tourism development. They’re consumed in fishing and hunting, and used as part of “experiences” - horses in trail rides, marine mammals in theme parks, whale sharks for us to swim with.

In Sea World USA, orcas (killer whales) are kept for the entertainment of the public. We deprive them of their liberty to do this, but it is rarely questioned – except, ironically, when a captive orca kills or injures their human “trainer” , or when animal rights organisations launch a specific campaign on the issue.

Recently, an article on The Conversation stated:

Because animals don’t have the strong protections that come from legal personhood, we don’t give their interests serious consideration when we make decisions about habitat destruction.

A similar problem occurs in tourism, where the denial of personhood,or failure to recognise the individual, leads to a lack of care for the rights and welfare of animals, even in so-called ecotourism.

Ethics in tourism

Tourism was for too long seen as a benign industry. A business-centred approach to discussing tourism often meant that the prime concern was to attract more tourists and increase economic benefits, with insufficient critical analysis of its effects. There has been little serious consideration of the ethical principles underlying many tourism products.

I have tried to encourage tourism academics, planners and operators to consider their own ethical approach, especially now in the context of sustainability. It’s a starting point to thinking carefully about the ethics of the industry in which they are engaged.

In 1999, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) adopted a Code of Ethics . In 2004, the Organisation formed The World Committee on Tourism Ethics as an independent, non-aligned body to oversee the application of the Code.

However, the Code of Ethics does not include any mention of animals. It is anthropocentric and assumes species superiority for humans.

It’s hard enough to encourage tourists, tourism operators and government regulators to consider issues of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for human society. Expanding this concern to animals is a tough task in many cases. Nonetheless there has been increasing demand to improve animal welfare . Animal rights is more complicated and contested.

There are three different ways to look at the issue of animal use: welfare, rights and utilitarianism.

Welfare and rights are often confused. “Rights” is often used in the literature when it is actually “welfare” that’s being considered. So what is the difference between these terms?

• Animal welfare

Welfare represents the “bigger cages” argument. It assumes it is fine for animals to be confined, as long as they are well treated. It focuses on animal health, both psychological and physical. This debate tends to segue into conversations about the potential damage to income streams if animals die or become sick.

To use the example of orcas at Sea World, the welfare perspective wants the animal to remain healthy. This concern is based not only out of some level of respect for the animal, but also because a sick orca cannot perform and can no longer be one of Sea World’s star attractions.

The animal welfare perspective is anthropocentric, seeing human rights above all others. The failure to even consider animals in the UNWTO code of ethics is similarly anthropocentric.

Animal rights

The animal rights view, on the other hand, gives inherent value to the individual. Rights are usually determined by consciousness, sentience and intentionality – attributes that an orca at Sea World possesses. This perspective holds that humans should respect other animals and their experience, regardless of the animal’s usefulness to humans.

Animal rights also recognises the importance of “natural” behaviours for animals. Orcas swim thousands of kilometres every week in the wild, but at Sea World are confined to a tank. The rights perspective represents an “empty cages” approach - that is, we have no right to confine animals to captivity at all.

Utilitarianism

The third perspective is that of utilitarianism , most famously associated with philosopher Peter Singer . It is not rights-based but rather seeks the outcome that produces the most “happiness”, or, more recently, “optimum outcomes” for all beings.

It measures consequences of actions, not inherent morality. It doesn’t assume human superiority, which means it is not only the outcomes for humans that must be considered.

Some people see utilitarianism as a useful tool for deciding whether a certain activity can be justified. It asks whether the “pleasure” - including education - experienced by the humans outweighs the “pain” experienced by the animals removed from their natural habitat and social relationships.

It is important to note that zoos are not only about education, but have other purposes such as conservation and captive breeding of threatened species.

The problematic ethics of ecotourism

Ecotourism often relies on animals. It has an “eco” label, but is it always ethical?

Many people think non-consumptive activities such as catch-and-release fishing are ecotourism. But these activities raise serious ethical issues. Although fish are not killed, catch and release nonetheless stresses and injures them .

An increasing number of “ecotourism” products impinge on habitat, such as through the development of resorts in national parks to allow tourists greater access and choices when visiting.

Whale and dolphin engagement are marketed as animal friendly, but there is scientific evidence they have adverse effects on populations. Intense viewing of dolphins and whales can lead to interruption of feeding patterns, stress from vessel noise and changes in habitat .

Some fear that the tourism product will deplete stocks and damage the tourism income stream. But others take a less anthropocentric position: they’re concerned about the rights of the animals themselves.

Animal rights and genuine welfare concerns are not easily reconciled with economic imperatives, or with public policy that encourages development at almost any cost. However, humans possess the ability to consider their ethical position. As such, we have a responsibility to do so in all areas, including tourism.

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Guidelines for animals in tourism.

• February 4, 2022

Understanding your animal footprint

At the Good Tourism Institute we believe that animals belong in the wild, in their own natural habitat. However, animals in captivity remain a popular tourism experience. Still too many tour operators actively promote and offer animal activities where animal welfare guidelines are not adhered.

The use of animals in tourism experience is in demand by a large group of travellers. Riding elephants, cuddling with tiger cubs or posing with a monkey. It’s all seen as the greatest tourism experience. But are you aware of the poor living conditions and treatments of these animals? The process before a traveller can take a picture with a wild animal is long and not natural at all.

In order to become a better tour operator, it’s essential to understand your animal footprint and how your tours affect wildlife. Understanding these consequences is the first step to create a better future for animals, and at the same time offer great experiences too!

“Wild animals belong in the wild: help keep them there”. – World Animal Protection

Negative effects of animals in tourism

Often the negative impact on the animals is invisible, but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Actually, tourism often leads to disruption of wildlife’s normal daily activities. Using animals in tourism puts pressure on animal welfare and conservation. Threats facing the animals vary from:

• Egg collection
• Human wildlife conflict
• Habitat loss
• Being locked up and used as pet

Animals in captivity are facing poor welfare conditions. They are captured, taken from their own habitats or bred in captivity. Often separated from their mothers at a very young age, hand-raised and kept in small enclosures. Suffer a lifetime of abuse and cruelty. Are trained, their behaviour domesticated and exhausted for the entertainment of travellers. Imagine the process before tourists can ride elephants, walk with lions, stroke tigers or swim with dolphins.

However, not only in captivity, but also in the wild animals are disturbed. Whales, seals and dolphins are cornered when there are too many boats at the same time, just to take better pictures. The same situation occurs when safari vehicles want to get a better look at lions and elephants. Leatherback turtles are disturbed on beaches when laying eggs. The natural behavior of all these animals is disturbed by tourism and forces them to change their routine. Wildlife is endangered by actions of tour operators and travellers.

Positive effects of animals in tourism

Luckily, besides the negative effects, tourism also has a positive impact on animals. Tour operators and travellers are both in the position to contribute to their conservation and habitats. To conserve endangered species and to maintain their homes. Good wildlife tourism is encouraging people to enjoy and protect animals in the wild instead of destroying their natural environment.

Making animals more valuable alive than dead, serves as a powerful incentive to support conservation. Park fees are used for maintenance of national parks and protected areas. Furthermore, local communities are also financially supported. To stop them from poaching, they need to understand wildlife brings more income when they are alive.

Thereby, wildlife tourism also increases awareness around flora and fauna species. Wildlife tours connect travellers to nature and make them understand and value the ecological importance of wildlife.

The opportunities for travellers to spot wildlife in their natural environment are endless. By combining the activity with conservation research, the use of tourism is even more powerful. For example, whales can be tracked with a boat full of enthusiastic travellers eager to help. Part of the tour fee then goes to the local conservation research. Similar experiences can also conserve animals like:

• Polar bears
• Sea turtles
• And many more wildlife

Exception to the rule

Wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centers are the exception to the rule when it comes to captive animals in tourism. These centers simply exist to care for captive animals rescued from zoos and performance centers. They also exist to protect animals from extinction and to care for animal orphans due to poaching. These sanctuaries do not encourage touching or riding the animals and only keep them in captivity because they can’t be released in the wild (yet).

Putting it into practice

In order to become a better tour operator and to protect animal rights, it’s essential you put it into practice. To provide clarity, we have listed our own guidelines.

Good Tourism Institute animals in tourism guidelines

We discourage:.

• Activities that allow travellers to interact with captive wildlife such as riding, walking, (bottle)feeding and cuddling
• Organisations or places that do not follow animal welfare guidelines
• Wildlife centers with a breeding, trade or hunting program
• Parks with animal shows or performances for travellers

We encourage:

• Experiences where travellers can view wildlife in their own habitat
• Wildlife activities that comply with animal welfare guidelines
• Tourism activities that combine conservation research
• Wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centers that are exceptions to the rule

Managing customer demands

Even though there are still travellers demanding unfriendly animal activities, part of being a successful tour operator also includes taking responsibility for animal welfare. In this case, animal welfare takes precedence over customer satisfaction. Refuse to book unfriendly animal activities to your travellers.

“Being a successful tour operator also means taking responsibility for animal welfare”.

Education is key in upholding customer satisfaction. It will help travellers understand your decision and value you for it. By explaining the negative effects of tourism, and to show the positive effects of your animal friendly experience, you will help them make the right decisions (also in the future) that won’t harm wildlife.

The best place to behold animals is always in the wild, and from a distance. Always ensure local communities are also benefitting from wildlife tourism and support conservation projects. Offer your customers experiences where they can see wildlife in their own environment, involve them in conservation and make sure they have a great time.

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Wow ,animal well being is paramount regardless of what our customers are opting for .We need to stand by our word as DMC.s and let customers understand what our values for both animals and plants are

Without a doubt Priscilla! This is such an important responsibility of a tourism business. How do you communicate this to your customers?

Anne de Jong

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Home » Responsible Travel » Ethical Animal Tourism and You: Is Wildlife Tourism OK in 2024?

Ethical Animal Tourism and You: Is Wildlife Tourism OK in 2024?

Today, ladyfingers and gentlebread, on this very special episode of  The Broke Backpacker’s Takes , we’re discussing ethical animal tourism. I like my travel responsible—a starched collar accented by a dashing Windsor knot. Understanding wildlife tourism, and how we as travellers relate to it, is a big part of that.

Personally, I have a 50-Foot-Pole Policy, as in  ‘don’t touch with’ . But here’s what the years of travel have taught me:  people are going to do it anyway.  We love animals, and we just wanna pat the bastards! Even the scary munch-your-face-off bastards.

So instead of just being silent on the topic, let’s approach it. The importance of wildlife tourism—or more aptly, the conversation around it—cannot be stated enough. I can advocate for a stringent do-not-support policy, but it’s still important that we discuss our shared and individual impacts on wildlife through tourism.

The positives, the negatives, and the types of wildlife tourism… Can we really engage with animals as tourists without turning animals into tourist attractions themselves? How can we help to stop animal cruelty in tourism?

Does ethical animal tourism even exist? Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

What is Wildlife Tourism?

Types of wildlife tourism in destinations around the world: the good, the bad, and the ugly, travel responsibly – can we be ethical animal tourists, ethical animal tourism and you: the hippo-cratic oath.

To put it simply, it’s tourism involving animals. It’s animals serving as entertainment for tourists. Whether it’s for the proposed ecological benefits or for the dollar dollar bills (y’all), if there are animals and tourists then it’s animal tourism.

IF you wanted to get semantic, you could stress that wildlife tourism specifically involves interaction (either actively or passively) with animals in their natural habit. However, we’re going to use the two terms pretty interchangeably here.

While having animals in their natural habitat is certainly a point in favour of any institution of wildlife tourism, it doesn’t necessarily make it ethical animal tourism. Examples of wildlife tourism—some worse than others—include:

• Zoos and wildlife parks
• Elephant tourism (elephant riding, sanctuaries, walks, etc.)
• Animal photography
• Performing animals (eg. monkeys, cobra charming, dolphins)
• Etcetera, etcetera

The actual list of wildlife tourism types and example is pretty exhaustive, but that’s the gist!

The history of wildlife tourism is a long and chequered past that often intersects with the histories and traditions of many cultures spread throughout our planet. But once money gets involved, things become an industry. When a lot of money gets involved, industries become destructive.

As growing ideas of ethical tourism and responsible travel have increasingly taken the spotlight in the travel industry, so too have many of these archaic practices been put under scrutiny. Now we’re starting to ask the question…

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Is Ethical Animal Tourism Possible?

I’m going to be honest; I came into writing this with the wishful thesis of ‘yes’ . I wanted there to be an easy answer on how to do wildlife tourism right, but there’s not.

We can simplify it into two main perspectives:

• No. It’s all bad. Be a vegan. Fuck your eggs for breakfast!
• It’s a sticky subject, but it’s not all bad. There are positive impacts of wildlife tourism too.

And the truth is that they’re both true. In an imperfect world where animals are already crushed by the spread of humanity’s needs and desires, there are benefits to wildlife tourism.

However, the situation really does suck a whole lot. Reprehensible practices have seeped into industries across the board, and it’s not like they were coming from the most glowing history to begin with. It’s a minefield of nuclear lava-sharks where a single wrong choice means promoting the suffering of living creatures.

But what’s the biggest truth of all? That we’re just such gosh-darn animals lovers—tourists gonna tourist!

The idea that you can bludgeon the desire to engage with animals touristically out of all travellers is about as realistic as bludgeoning veganism into the entire global population. These are a myriad of multi-million dollar industries spread throughout countless countries, languages, and, indeed, cultural values. Any changes that can be made are going to come slow.

So maybe, I propose, it’s not about whether ethical animal tourism is possible. As with most things in life, it’s not a clear-cut monochrome morality.

What we should hone in on is harm minimisation, education, and the reduction of our negative impact on wildlife through tourism.

Ethical animal tourism is about being aware; it’s about viewing the whole picture and finding your place within the frame. You may not take the complete non-involvement route as I do, but even just thinking about this stuff more and being aware of your footprint in the animal kingdom is a step in the right direction.

Making more responsible decisions about how you interact with animals—and where you put your dollar dollar bills (y’all)—as a tourist is ethical.

So before we get into the countless examples of animal abuse in tourism industries (and what we can do about it), let’s remember the good stuff.

Some Positive Impacts of Wildlife Tourism

None of these arguments are bulletproof, nor do I necessarily stand behind them, however, to truly break down what animal tourism is (and where you stand on it), it’s important to recognise all perspectives.

Conservationism is the big one that defines the importance of wildlife tourism and is both directly and indirectly linked to most positivity in the industry. Wildlife tourism is often interwoven with conservation efforts. This is encapsulated in many ways:

• Financially – Many forms of animal tourism act as a financial boon to conservation efforts either through monetary contributions or by being a self-funded act of conservation in of itself.
• Breeding/restoration of wildlife populations – It’s also common for many institutions in the industry—particularly wildlife parks and zoos—to breed animals (sometimes rehabilitating them into wild habitats) and prevent critically endangered species from reaching extinction.
• Habitat conservation – ‘Eco’ forms of ethical tourism (eg. accommodation, villages, and volunteering projects) tend to be forms of habitat conservation by default.
• Population maintenance – The truth is conservation runs both ways: sometimes a cull is equally necessary as a boom. Maintenance of populations is both a necessity in successful conservation management and safe and sustainable wildlife tourism.
• Poaching prevention – Pretty basic—wherever there are throngs of tourists and locals benefitting from the wildlife, there tend to be fewer poachers around being complete wastes-of-oxygen.
• Promoting awareness – Sustainable and animal-friendly tourism practices integrate people with both animals and education of good behaviour. Awareness and education of eco-friendly travels is going to be one of the recurring themes of this article.

It’s also important to understand what conservationists call the “umbrella effect” . It’s almost standard that when you focus conservation efforts on one particular organism in a habitat, the entire local ecosystem benefits. To put it bluntly, if we’re “saving the whales” , we’re almost definitely saving the dolphins, fish, plankton, coral, and giant squids too.

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There are destinations around the world that we just can’t help but associate with magnificent beasties! The Big Five in Africa, elephants and monkeys right across Asia, whatever the hell is going on with Australia’s weird-ass wildlife… There are places in the world that people travel too with near-giddiness to interact with the local fauna.

That’s why sometimes we get overexcited and don’t stop to think about our impact on wildlife as tourists. While some types of animal tourism are heavily entrenched in certain destinations, that doesn’t mean the industries have a glowing record. It also doesn’t mean that an organisation that appears to be promoting animal-friendly tourism aren’t havens of cruelty behind the scenes (see the case of Thailand’s infamous Tiger Temple ).

Let’s break down the common types of wildlife tourism you’re going to encounter on the road. These are the kinds of animal-based activities that you’ll find in some of the most popular wildlife tourism destinations in the world. While some things are obviously deplorable even to the untrained eye in ethical tourism, some of these we don’t think about so much…

Until we see it pop up the news headlines several years later along with 40 dead tiger cubs.

The Ethics of Elephant Tourism

Let’s get one thing abso-fucking-lutely crystal:  do not ride an elephant ever. Not in a saddle, not bareback, not anything. Unless you’re deep in the jungles of Laos, a wildfire breaks out, and an elephant comes screaming out of the thickets to personally rescue you, no riding.

This is how an elephant is trained for tourist rides.  This is not a happy watch and you may want to skip it; you have been warned.

Elephant tourism is huge (hah). People adore elephants. And how could you not?

They’re the gentle giants of the animal kingdom! (That occasionally trample entire villages to rubble.)

Elephant tourism is one of the most common and one of the most egregious types of wildlife tourism. In Asia in particular—primarily, South and Southeast Asia—you’re going to have ample opportunities to engage with these beloved beasts. One of the main forms of wildlife tourism in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other Asian destinations are elephant sanctuaries and orphanages, and, sadly, a lot of them are epicentres for animal abuse.

Does that mean you should scratch a day with Dumbo off your travel goals list? No, of course not! There are plenty of elephant sanctuaries around that do incredible work, and there are plenty of opportunities to experience them without patronising something else more insidious.

However, that’s a mammoth  subject; ethical elephant tourism deserves (and gets) its own piece. The primary takeaway is that  you need to research extensively before visiting  anything elephant-related.

It’s genuinely one of the most overlooked examples of wildlife tourism gone wrong, particularly and rather surprisingly with backpackers. There are countless examples of abuse right through the elephant tourism industry from chaining to beating to separating calves and mothers to even just the sheer fallacy that it’s possible to provide a natural habitat for a 4+ tonne, 6+ metre creature in captivity.

Just, think about it.

The Story of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (and the Alternatives)

It’s another horror story of looks being deceiving. There’s a famous elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka— Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage . For years this place was seen as the gold standard of elephant tourism in Sri Lanka. Tourists adored it, and even most cliche stock and Insta photos of Sri Lankan elephants bathing in a river were taken there.

These days, a quick Google of “Pinnawala” will return very different results: a whole host of articles and blogs professing  exactly why you shouldn’t visit . The reasons are solid too—allegations and hands-on witnesses to instances of serious elephant abuse. Yet still, tourists go to Pinnawala; most just don’t know.

That’s why research is your own best friend when it comes to engaging with elephant tourism. Truthfully, there’s more abuse present in the industry then there are good intentions;  the margin for error is very small.

So instead, here’s a shoutout to a few places doing it right! If you’re kickin’ around Asia and looking for that elephantine experience, try these places instead.

One of the finest examples of wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka. Is it wholesome? You bet your bottom dollar it is!

Why ride an elephant when you go for a tranquil stroll with it? Large considerations have been given to the wellbeing of their lovelies and Millennium Elephant Foundation now offers the  Elephant Walk Experience . Instead of riding, the emphasis is on simply being with the wondrous creatures.

Walking with them, bathing with them, and learning about them in a much more ethically sound manner has taken the forefront. There’s even a  volunteer project  for those that just can’t get enough! This charity does  a lot  of good work, and it’s the funding from tourists and volunteers that makes it able to keep fighting the good fight.

Definitely check them out!

Rehoming, repopulating, rewilding: the three ‘re-‘s of the Elephant Conservation Center! This crew does amazing work. For years now these guys have been doing spectacular work for elephant populations in Laos.

Providing a home for both wild and ex-working elephants (in the logging and tourism industries), the Elephant Conservation Center’s main purpose is the herding and reintroduction of elephants back into the wild habitats of Laos. They perform veterinary care, habitat protection, and numerous other acts of whimsies. However, the primary goal is always on rehabilitation and the bolstering of Laos’s elephant population.

You can definitely sleep well at night knowing that your dollars are going towards with this crew. The Elephant Conservation Center has got some fantastic options for tourists to get involved and enjoy elephants in an abuse-free environment.

Thailand actually has a lot of ethical elephant sanctuaries which is heartwarming to say the least. However, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary does really set the bar high.

Interaction between the elephants and tourists is purely limited to feeding time. Outside of that, you’re just there for the tour and education and not for the sideshow. It’s another elephant sanctuary that actually is a sanctuary.

These guys provide a final home for retired elephants that have long been victims of cruelty in the animal tourism industry. They definitely deserve your support and it’s worth checking out their programs if you’re ever lazing about the Thai Isles.

Are Safaris Ethical?

Safaris exist worldwide and exist in a lot of formats, however, we’re specifically talking about the drive-look-and-photograph variety. They’re an extremely common and lucrative form of wildlife tourism in Africa. Africa is a place built for adventure ; rawer than an uncooked wildebeest steak and more uncut than the most bloodstained of Angolan diamonds, truly, that shit be cray-cray!

Safaris are a moral grey area. Theoretically, there’s nothing wrong with them: you drive around staring at animals, and they probably stare back at you. In a funny way, you’re both animal tourist attractions! In this particular format, the worst criticism that you can level at safaris is that they’re intrusive on wild habitats.

However, not all safaris are created equal. The onus of responsibly to make a safari ethically sound falls on both the company and the driver. More often than not, this isn’t the case in practice. Safaris drive massive profits; that inspires bad practices.

Reckless driving, a flagrant disregard for the rules—eg. keeping distance from the animals—and even just a complete excess of safaris (and thus an excess of traffic, endangerment of animals/habitats, and just all-round bad behaviour.). The unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of unethical safaris in the world. While they’re common in Africa, they aren’t often much better in Asia, the Americas, or anywhere else.

Safaris that aren’t deeply exacerbating the negative impacts of tourism on wildlife do exist, and they do create positivity. Safaris are ascribed with connecting economic value to wildlife and thus promoting their conservational worth to countries. However, that’s the commercial lesser-of-two-evils mindset.

An ‘ethical’ safari still isn’t a net positive; the native habitat doesn’t intrinsically profit from the act. In practice, they are purely a self-serving means of tourism.

Is Trophy Hunting Ethical?

Yeesh… Personally, I just don’t get hunting. I simply feel there must be better ways to get your jollies off. You could try getting laid instead!

There are cases for the ethics of trophy hunting; people promote ideals of a symbiotic relationship through:

• Financial gain to communities and local conservation efforts.
• Habitat preservation.
• Or acting as a deterrent to poachers.

And there’s a grain of truth in that all. But, also, numbers are truth.

Me + gun + African elephant + pew-pew = one less African elephant on the planet.

It’s hard to make the case for trophy hunting in Africa or anywhere else for that matter. It’s  literally the act of killing another living being for sport. If we can’t preserve habitats and support local communities in Africa without a roaring hunting tourism trade, then why are we even trying?

If you enjoy trophy hunting, you do you, but I hope that one day the lions and rhinos learn how to arm landmines. At the end of the day, it’s just not my jam. Some people like strawberry jam, and some people like jam bathed in the blood of their enemies.

I dream of a future where we protect our wildlife because we love them and not just because we love showing off their carcasses in our homes.

Are Zoos Ethical?

Zoos are kinda yukky too, right? Like, in concept, think about it—imagine if we put  humans in a zoo. Oh wait… we did do that . Yikers.

Zoos (and aquariums), in their purest form, are yikers. Animals are put in a small enclosure—an imitation at most of their natural habitat—for the voyeuristic pleasure of humans (at a financial cost). That’s a Yikers with a capital ‘Y’.

But that’s not all zoos are anymore. There are zoos in a traditional yukky format, zoos which promote conservation through breeding efforts, wildlife parks where animals have more freedom to roam, and what’s the common thread among them all?

Animals are kept in captivity to be viewed by humans (for capitalistic gain).  (Yikers…)

BUT (and this one is a moral doozy), there are once-critically endangered species of animals that have been saved from extinction by zoos. There are zoos that have done amazing work for both conservation and scientific efforts. In an imperfect world, they do present a solution for animals which are teetering on the brink of extinction.

There are zoos that do good work, but that doesn’t mean zoos are ethical. Right across the board internationally we see examples of upstanding zoos and of animals being abused in zoos .  Zoos do provide conservation efforts, and they  do educate people, and they do place animals in unnatural environments of captivity as a business. 

The question is whether more if visiting zoos as a tourist is really an ethical choice of responsible tourism? You can research zoos and find ones that have a history of conservation efforts—you’ll find zoos with good records everywhere (they’re a business; they gotta look the part). But you’ll also always be supporting the greater issue at large—the normalisation of captive animals serving as a touristic pleasure.

Personally, I prefer not to go to zoos. I don’t much see the pleasure of looking at animals in enclosures. I prefer meeting them in the wildest of shenanigans .

Performing Animals: Animals as Tourist Attractions and Abuse as Entertainment

Performing animals is a pretty straightforward no-no. There’s no version of reality where monkeys and dolphins are doing parlour tricks for treats in the wild.

This is another primary point— animals should not serve as tourist attractions : end of story. Performing, no. Interacting with tourists, particularly through petting or touching, no. Posing for photos and selfies—no (often, at least with wilder animals, they’re drugged for the purpose).

Anything that even exists on the ethical end of the animal tourism spectrum is not going to have any of this stuff. There aren’t sometimes acts of animal abuse through entertainment in the animal tourism industry; being the entertainment is an act of animal abuse.

Let’s keep it simple—any types of animal tourism under the performing, interacting, or for-your-entertainment model, employ the tried-and-true 50-Foot-Pole Policy.

Thinking About Ethical Consumption on the Road

Hurr-hurr, vegan. Listen, I can shit on vegans all I want, but they’re right: our consumption habits worldwide are toxic .  We are killing the planet.

There’s no reason when you’re travelling to not ever think about your ecological footprint: embracing sustainable travel is a brave goal to be shared by all backpackers worldwide. But it’s not just about what we’re leaving behind; what about what we’re taking with us? 

Both the products we buy and the products we consume while travelling are not necessarily going to be the ethically sourced. Now, the same can be said of a boring trip to the banal supermarket during mundane home life, but things get more exotic on the road.

Ever heard of kopi luwak—the civet coffee . You could also call it the poop coffee! The coffee is brewed from the half-digested coffee cherries that have been eaten by the Asian palm civet. Sounds scrumptious, no?

Yeah, but now imagine that on an industrialised level. Imagine—much the same as a cow milking farm—a civet farm dedicated to overfeeding scores of cat-like cuties with coffee beans and harvesting their poop. Sounds more like z-grade pseudo-sequel to Soylent Green.

Remember that Tiger Temple I mentioned before? They were also harvesting tiger parts, including fangs and teeth, for some of those gorgeous pieces of jewellery we see across Asia and beyond.

It’s kind of a wig out when you suddenly consider that maybe that stunning necklace you picked up in Chiang Mai came from an abused and caged animal in a back storage room somewhere. The same can be said of your eating habits. I’ve met travellers who hotswapped to a more meat-free lifestyle mid-trip just because they started to pay closer attention.

Now that we’ve examined the largest and most lucrative types of wildlife tourism, the question at hand has just loomed greater:

“Does ethical animal tourism actually exist?”

We’ve seen examples of wildlife tourism doing good—there are elephant sanctuaries (and other forms of animal sanctuaries) that prioritise the care of their cuties over the entertainment of the tourists that fund them. The same can be said of some zoos, though to a much, much lesser degree.

Being more responsible with your choices as a tourist while engaging with animals is certainly a step in the right direction, however, that doesn’t make you an ethical animal tourist. It just makes you a smarter-than-most animal tourist.

Bar the exceptional circumstances—institutions where the welfare of abused and endangered animals is made the primary goal—most proposed positive impacts of wildlife tourism hinge on an ‘ends justifying the means’ moral supposition. That by sacrificing the quality-of-life of some animals, we can promote the conservation and positive treatment of wildlife at large…

…Now, Let’s Breakdown the Positive Impacts of Wildlife Tourism

The crux of the Spock-esque “Needs of the many…”  premise is just that. The industries of wildlife tourism in Australia, Africa, Asia, and around the world bring in money. Money makes the world go round.

The theory is that if this money all goes to the right places , all wildlife benefits. If local communities in Africa receive a financial benefit from safaris and trophy hunting, then that promotes the conservation of the habitats these industries require. Animals now have a monetary value and that deters poaching, deforestation, and other more destructive industries.

If zoos are feeding the majority of their hard-earned cash— mostly everything past the admittedly expensive upkeep of a zoo—back into conservation and repopulation efforts, then that’s a net positive for the environment. Two wrongs make a right…

Of course, that discounts the intermediary factor—the human condition. While there are and always will be ethically-minded organisations, there will always be more organisations exploiting animals through cruelty in tourism. Corruption has a natural way of seeping into all capitalistic industries. When these industries seek to profit off of other living creatures, then that only paves the way for abuse.

The flimsy arguments for the importance of wildlife tourism only become flimsier when you dive deeper. Research on trophy hunting in Africa has not only found that a very small percentage of profits end up in the hands of local communities, but that big game (lions, elephants, etc.) isn’t even the biggest contributor to these industries. A similar hole can be picked in the environmental contributions of safaris—sometimes misleadingly dubbed “ecotourism”—although it is also important to remember that no two destinations are the same: the wildlife tourism in Botswana, for example, has a much better reputation than, say, Tanzania.

Looking at the wildlife tourism in Australia (because, yes, developed nations are equally guilty of the same crimes), there are zoos that have done good work. However, it can often be a smokescreen, deflection, or form of marketing through virtue signalling. Sea World Australia—home of performing dolphins and polar bear enclosures —cites its research and conservation efforts in their moral defence. However, evidence suggests that only a minuscule percentage of their annual takings are put into these efforts.

Thus, as the holes in the arguments for wildlife tourism start to more-and-more represent Swiss cheese, we instead turn to an attempt to define the parameters of what could be considered ethical animal tourism to find the answer to our lingering question.

The Individual Experience of Animals in Tourism

When you leave behind claims of wide-sweeping financial gains and instead start to examine the basic welfare of animals in tourism industries, it becomes more cut-and-dry. First, we always need to make sure that basic animal wellbeing checklist is being met:

• Freedom from hunger and thirst.
• Freedom from discomfort.
• Freedom from pain, injury, and disease.
• Freedom from fear and distress.
• Freedom to express normal behaviour.

While safaris then stand as the potentially least intrusive  example of wildlife tourim, the question then becomes:

Can consistent interaction and contact with humans ever constitute normal behaviour?

The answer is uneqivocally no. That is intrinsically unnatural behavour. Animals used for touristic purposes are not living their natural life: that is unethical.

Perhaps this next point is airy-fairy, but it’s an extremely valid concern raised by a colleague while we discussed this topic. What if animals have consciousness? What if animals have feelings?

Personally, I believe animals do experience consciousness AND emotions ; a suggestion otherwise is not only moronic but intellectually dishonest. Anyone who has ever acted as a caregiver for an animal—domestic or otherwise—knows the same.

Animals have individual personalities, behaviours, and traits. We’ve seen gorillas mourn the deaths of kittens or orcas carrying their dead offspring as a method of grieving .

Once you contemplate the alternative hypothesis that animals don’t just endure physical suffering but also mental anguish, it becomes a hell of a lot harder to justify their use as tourist entertainment. If we were able to ask for their consent, would they give it?

Would you want your dog to be put through the crush in training for tourist rides? Hell, would you want a jeep of tourists driving around your neighbourhood and taking photos of the local kids playing footy in the streets?

When we start to imagine animals as individual beings experiencing consciousness of reality, the justification for animal tourism becomes a lot shakier.

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So, one last-and-final time:  does ethical animal tourism exist?  I don’t feel it does.

There are good institutions out there worthy of financial support—that much is undeniable But it feels the same as asking if ethical murder exists. We can make cases for euthanasia and assisted suicide, but that’s not murder.

There is no ‘ethical murder’ because it is murder. While a few exceptional tangential concepts could blur the lines, it doesn’t if we keep the terminology clear.

While there are ethical animal welfare institutions with touristic capabilities, there is no ethical animal tourism because animal tourism  cannot be ethical. It is the usage of animals in either captivity or as-close-to-wild-as-possible scenarios for the entertainment of tourists (and subsequent capital gain). There is not and can never be anything ethical about that.

Seeking an ethical type of wildlife tourism is seeking an escape clause to the reality of the situation. 

So the next question becomes  “What is our role as tourists?”

How to Help Stop Cruelty and Abuse in Animal Tourism

The first and foremost way to stop animal abuse in tourism industries is to simply never engage with it:

We’re not conservationists nor are we environmental scientists: we’re tourists and we’re consumers. The most powerful choice an ethical consumer can always make is to vote with their wallet. Once the money stops flowing in, the industries dry up.

Even if you’re still hankering for that elephant experience, savannah safari, or day at the zoo with the kids,  putting in the research to find a respectable organisation is still a powerful choice. Choosing only to support ethically-minded organisations is still a vote with your wallet. Any decision to partake in wildlife tourism needs to be respected as the highly impactful choice that it is.

Bad decisions will inevitably support cruelty in animal tourism industries.

However, past what you do with your own money, the next-best way to help stop animal abuse through tourism is to  speak out and educate others. My experience witnessing wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka was actually the inspiration of this article. Despite this high-brow quasi-philosophical conversation about our ethical responsibilities as tourists, sometimes it still feels like  we’re the stupidest creatures in the animal kingdom.

I thought not paying to ride a chained elephant wearing a howdah (saddle-thing) around while a mahout (handler) led it through the streets of a Sri Lankan village with a bullhook was just common-fucking-sense, but lo and behold, I was wrong. Here I was seeing it firsthand. A poor chained elephant being frogmarched down the street carrying two foreigners.

So imagine my almost ecstatic delight when another tourist—a middle-aged woman—came cannonballing out of a nearby shop and careering down the street TOWARDS AN ELEPHANT screaming bloody murder at the mahout and, particularly, two dumbass tourists on the elephant’s back.

Now, while this may not be so much the honey as it is the vinegar route, truly, she is the hero we deserve. 

I want to stress that solo experiences will differ depending on which LGBTQ letter you most strongly identify with. Your gender, and your presentation of that gender, will also shape your experiences.

Because if they’re doing something as morally bankrupt as riding on an elephant, then they’re either:

And in all three scenarios, it’s good to call them out.

Animal-Friendly Tourism: First, Do No Harm

I’m sticking with my 50-Foot-Pole Policy. I don’t touch animal tourism, I’d prefer if my team of sextacular adventure experts didn’t touch it, and we certainly do not condone or promote animal tourism on The Broke Backpacker . That’s a hard line. It’s even included as a core value in The Broke Backpacker Manifesto .

But I appreciate autonomy, freedom-of-choice, and realistic expectations. Once again—tourists are gonna tourist. That’s why this post needs writing.

Because people need to be made aware of their impact on wildlife through tourism. We need to, as a community of travellers, really start to educate and share the  right  message about wildlife tourism.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of just going with the crowd and not thinking about the ethics of animal tourism. It’s easy to become a pawn-in-the-middle of the two sides of the political war that is this heated debate. However, in doing so, we forget about our own power.

Our power as the market, as people, and as a shared tribe of responsible travellers who do give a shit.

I don’t expect anyone to change overnight: change comes slow. But you can start by educating yourself and others on the matter. By researching and carefully considering your impact if and when you choose to partake in wildlife tourism activities. And by setting an example to other travellers around you.

And then, I hope in time you’ll join us. The 50-Foot-Pole Policy is an open-door policy—no conditions, catches, or requirements. There are no lock-in contracts, and you’re free to join or leave at anytime.

Because animal tourism isn’t ethical.

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Elina Mattila

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Has anyone here written an article about visiting national parks? I thought stuff like “don’t feed bears PopTarts” was basic human knowledge, but apparently not? I went to Yellowstone and was very confused to see a little girl, 6 or 7, approaching a wild bison calf. The little girl was about 10 feet in front of the calf when it began to run at her. Watched a park ranger grab the little girl while the parents, who were standing at the road, did nothing. Even though the park ranger had either saved the parents a s— ton in hospital bills or another s— ton in funeral fees, the parents were threatening to sue the NPS (National Park Service), the bison(?), and the ranger. Wether it’s paying to ride an elephant or suing a park ranger, tourists really don’t know where to put their money.

What a way to live: to belong in the wild, but be caged your entire life.

This is what I think of every time I step into a zoo or a tourist attraction where you can pet creatures for a fee. Don’t get me wrong. Of course, as children, most of us thought of zoos as wonderlands. I myself saw them as small pockets of the wild conveniently located in our neighbourhoods and nearby cities. I realized later on how some of them were more like slivers of the wilderness; the animals mere husks of what they used to be, or what they could have been. I’m not going to deny it. I loved heading to zoos and farms as a kid. In fact, I was up for any trip that involved creatures, big and small.

But it is important to note that there is such a thing called responsible wildlife tourism. Done well, wildlife tourism can provide a strong economic incentive for wildlife conservation by being a major long-term source of jobs and income for local people. In developing countries, such as those in East and Southern Africa, wildlife tourism is the primary reason that significant wildlife populations still exist.

So the question is: When is wildlife tourism okay? Although asking this might actually lead to more questions than answers, I all say this:

As a tourist and traveller, where you go and what you patronise matter. Support zoos and wildlife encounters that help fund rescue operations and breeding programs. Go to pockets of the wilderness that will teach you more about conservation. And if you’re visiting animals in the wild, remember to respect their “wildness”. Keeping these creatures the way they were meant to be gives them more chances of thriving in their natural habitat. Lastly, spread the word. Speak for those who can’t.

Thanks for the great article!

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