Leeds-based Jet2holidays is among a group of holiday and experience providers named in a World Animal Protection report highlighting companies that continue to ‘exploit wildlife for profit’.
The Real Responsible Traveler report, carried out by Savanta and rated by the University of Surrey during the peak holiday season of 2022, surveyed nearly 24,000 holidaymakers from 15 countries and included nine major UK travel companies or companies with operations significant in the UK, as well as businesses in North and South America, India and Europe.
Of the UK/UK operating companies investigated, Luton-based TUI Musement, Berlin-based GetYourGuide, Singaporean Trip.com, London-based AttractionTickets.com and Jet2holidays were all highlighted as failing to comply with the WAP standards, despite the report showing that 84 per cent of UK citizens believe tour operators should not sell activities that cause harm to wild animals.
The companies were scored by the University of Surrey in four key areas: commitment, purpose and performance, changing industry supply and changing consumer demand.
World Animal Protection then checked to see if they offered any of the following five “animal attractions”:
- Elephant rides, feeding and washing
- Feeding or petting primates
- Selfies, shows, caresses or walks with felines
- Swim with captive dolphins and dolphin shows
- The sale of any interactive “experience” involving captive wild animals (including, for example, sea lions, crocodiles and alligators)
Katheryn Wise, Wildlife Campaigner at World Animal Protection, said: “Holidaymakers have been clear: they don’t want tour operators selling animal suffering. But the reality is that suffering is always sold under the guise of entertainment. Who you book your holiday with matters. TUI Musement, Jet2holidays, GetYourGuide Trip.com and Attraction Tickets.com still exploit wild animals in captivity.
“World Animal Protection urges responsible travelers to join us in challenging these companies to do better for animals. Truly responsible travelers have the power to take action and create lasting change for wild animals by refusing to support companies that still treat wild animals as commodities they can exploit for profit.
A spokesperson for Jet2Holidays told Prolific North: “‘We are aware of the debate surrounding these venues, and while customer demand continues to be high, we recognize how essential it is that standards of well-being being an animal are respected. It is important to note that we are committed to only working with sites that agree to uphold the highest standards. We are of course willing to engage with organizations on this issue in a respectful and constructive manner. »
The full list of UK companies surveyed were: TUI Musement, GetYourGuide, Trip.com, AttractionTickets.com, Jet2holidays, Expedia, Airbnb, Booking.com and Tripadvisor.
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