An estimated 110 MILLION people visit cruel wildlife attractions every year. Don’t be one of them.
Wild animals have a right to a wild life.
More than half a million wild animals are suffering for tourist entertainment worldwide. Some travel companies exploit animals for profit by selling tickets to captive wildlife attractions, such as dolphin shows or elephant rides. Animals deserve better.
Choose your travel wisely.
As travelers, we have the power to decide how we book our vacations. Booking only through companies that have animal welfare policies and do not sell any harmful wildlife experiences will help end the wildlife entertainment industry. Forever.
- Do choose to book with: Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TTC, EF, G Adventures, or Intrepid.
- Do not choose to book with: Groupon, GetYourGuide, TUI, or Trip.com.
What to look for
Whether traveling near home or venturing abroad, if seeing wild animals is on your itinerary, make sure the venue does not allow visitors to interact directly with the animals (such as bathing, riding, feeding, touching, or posing with them). Look for one of these types of experiences:
- Genuine wildlife sanctuaries: rehabilitation facilities and rescue centers that have the highest possible standards of animal care and where there is no breeding for commercial purposes.
- Responsible wildlife watching: where tourists observe animals in their natural environment from a safe and respectful distance without luring or chasing them or in other ways interrupting their natural behaviors.
You can also look for certifications or endorsements such as: World Animal Protection's Elephant Friendly Guidelines, Whale Sense, Wildlife Heritage Areas, World Cetacean Alliance, and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
World Animal Protection’s travel recommendations
Dana Point, California
Home to the first US Whale Heritage Site, Dana Point, California is known as the whale and dolphin watching capital of the world. Here you can experience “superpods,” hundreds of dolphins swimming together at once!
ChangChill
At ChangChill, an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, elephants roam free and get to choose what they want to do at their own pace. There’s nothing better than seeing elephants just be elephants.
Airbnb Animal Experiences
With Airbnb’s Animal Experiences, travelers can book exciting and memorable animal-friendly activities. Go on a penguin walk in South Africa, visit a farm sanctuary in upstate New York, or study foxes in Ireland. The list is endless!
Wildlife Heritage Areas
A Wildlife Heritage Area is an outstanding wildlife watching destination where local people recognize their natural heritage with a deep sense of pride and play a central role in protecting wild animals and their habitats. In California, the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area is renowned for its rich biodiversity and thriving marine ecosystem. It’s long been a haven for over 25 different species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Wildlife-Friendly Quicklinks:
