The unfair treatment of elephants at tourist venues was what first inspired adventure tour operator Intrepid Travel to eliminate elephant rides on all its tours back in 2014. Now, as new research from World Animal Protection reveals that nearly 4,000 elephants are still being used for tourism entertainment across 300 camps in Asia, the tour operator is taking further action to help the travel industry adopt ethical wildlife practices.
Through a partnership with World Animal Protection, Intrepid has launched an open-access Animal Welfare Policy Toolkit, which will be offered as a free guide to tour operators to educate others on exploitative animal tourism. It includes information on how to draft an animal welfare policy; an editable animal welfare policy mirroring Intrepid’s; and a contact at World Animal Protection for additional support on the topic.
“The COVID-19 crisis has provided our industry with an opportunity to redefine what tourism looks like once travel resumes, and to use this time to forge a new path for a more responsible, sustainable and ethical future,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. “We must put real action behind our words, and as operators who facilitate experiences all around the world, it is our responsibility to protect the environment and all of its living species. The very least we can do is ensure our practices are not causing harm to the wildlife that call the destinations we visit home.”
The Details
Intrepid Travel
www.intrepid.com
