This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Travelers who enjoy interactive experiences with wildlife will have a more difficult time booking those adventures in advance and might want to rethink the whole idea as groups worry about how they affect wildlife.
Huge online booking agent TripAdvisor recently announced that it will no longer sell tickets for specific tourism experiences where travelers come into physical contact with captive wild animals or endangered species, including bit not limited to elephant rides, petting tigers and swim with dolphin attractions.
Stephen Kaufer, president and CEO of TripAdvisor, offered reasons for the change.
"TripAdvisor's new booking policy and education effort is designed as a means to do our part in helping improve the health and safety standards of animals, especially in markets with limited regulatory protections," he said. "At the same time, we want to celebrate those destinations and attractions that are leaders in caring for animals and those in the tourism industry who help further the cause of animal welfare, conservation and the preservation of endangered species….TripAdvisor's leadership position in travel means we can help educate millions of travelers about the diverse opinions that exist on matters of animal welfare. We believe the end result of our efforts will be enabling travelers to make more thoughtful choices about whether to visit an animal attraction and to write more meaningful reviews about those attractions."
Exemptions to the policy will allow the site's users to interact with domestic animals. So horseback riding or children's petting zoos will not be included.
Neither will aquarium touch pools used for education or feeding programs where tourists are under the supervision of trained employees. Volunteer programs for endangered species preservation where it is possible that there might be some level of physical interaction with an animal will also be included in the policy.
By early 2017, the site will identify any attraction that involves animals with a PAW icon that will link to an education portal that will present all sides of the animal welfare issue from groups that include the U.S.-based Association of Zoos & Aquariums; animal welfare activist groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and World Animal Protection (WAP); and experts in tourism who have studied animal and wildlife issues like ABTA – The Travel Association, Sustainable Travel International and the Pacific Asian Travel Association (PATA). It will also provide opinions, research and insights on wildlife conservation, guided by Oxford University's WildCRU, Global Wildlife Conservation, Think Elephants and Asian Elephant Support.
The policy has drawn praise from all sides of the issue including zoo accreditation organizations and animal rights groups.