Page 51 - WTM Industry Report

World Travel Market 2017 Industry Report
Managing director David Geer said: “We believe the way tourists interact with captive whales and dolphins needs to change and we want to play an active role in supporting this transition.”
While Virgin will not promote new animal shows, Thomas Cook is believed to have become the rst UK holiday company to cancel links with existing suppliers when, in April 2017, it dropped some dolphin and elephant attractions in Thailand, India, Cuba, Turkey and Dominican Republic after a report showed they did not meet of cial welfare standards.
At the time Thomas Cook Group chief executive Peter Frankhauser told The Sunday Times: “Our industry has not changed fast enough. By taking these attractions off sale, we are sending a message that we won’t accept anything less than full compliance with the welfare standards our customers would expect.”
Pressure group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), welcomed the companies’ change of policy, saying: “Travel shouldn’t include torture, and we urge kind people to skip any attraction that comes at a captive animal’s expense.”
The message is getting out worldwide. In August 2017, Beijing-based Caissa Touristic said it will stop marketing elephant rides and elephant entertainment shows across Asia, while Asian travel websites fxtrip.com and zanadu.com also promised to sell only ‘elephant-friendly’ tours.
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