Leading small-group adventure operator G Adventures announced today the enactment of its first official animal welfare policy, which builds upon the industry-leading animal welfare guidelines that the company first introduced back in 2015 by implementing even stronger protections for wildlife in tourism.
The new policy was developed in consultation with World Animal Protection, the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada and the World Cetacean Alliance, and joins G Adventures' many "G for Good" commitments.
"We are proud to have advised G Adventures on their animal welfare policy and to help them identify harmful tourist activities to ensure no animals are mistreated," said Melissa Matlow, Campaign Manager for World Animal Protection. "We see G Adventures as a leader in humane and sustainable tourism and are excited by the work we will continue to do together to end animal cruelty and keep wildlife in the wild, where they belong."
Previously, G Adventures' animal welfare guidelines essentially adhered to the "Global Welfare Guidance for Animals In Tourism", which was announced in 2015 by ABTA UK, based around the Five Freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort, pain; freedom from injury or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and being free of fear and distress.
But, the new policy goes beyond ensuring basic animal welfare-such as eliminating photo ops with animals that may have been sedated or riding elephants that have been tamed through abuse to carry humans. G Adventures is strengthening its stance on animal protection by holding both its own operations and those of its supplier partners accountable for ensuring, not only animals' well-being, but their right to live naturally and unimpeded in the wild.
The three key criteria by which the tour operator is enhancing animal protections in tourism are: having no physical contact with, or feeding, non-domesticated animals in captivity or the wild; not visiting performances or shows involving wild animals; and not consuming endangered animals.
Jamie Sweeting, G Adventures' vice president of social enterprise and responsible travel, explained, "No one in the travel industry is perfect, but we must learn as we grow. In working with and learning from other experts in animal welfare, we realized that our company could go even further than the Five Freedoms we previously endorsed, and so we did. Our world's animals are one of our greatest treasures and it's our job to respect and protect them for future generations, as well as our own."
G Adventures also recognized that much of the responsibility for animal interactions rests with travelers themselves, and has launched a friendly, educational video that coaches tourists about responsible ways to interact with wildlife and how to remaining respectful of the animals they've come to observe in their natural habitats. With the reminder that "Wildlife Has the Right to a Wild Life", the company encourages travelers to experience the world's amazing creatures in a way that safe for both animals and people.
"With the launch of this new animal welfare policy, we are actively educating our customers, very selectively choosing suppliers, and holding our international staff accountable for reporting issues they may see to a new internal task force," said Sweeting.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
