TripAdvisor has pledged to ban ticket sales to attractions breeding whales for captivity. Photo / Supplied
TripAdvisor has pledged to ban ticket sales to attractions breeding whales for captivity. Photo / Supplied
TripAdvisor will stop selling tickets to attractions importing and breeding whales and dolphins for public display.
On Wednesday the travel ratings giant said it would "no longer sell bookable experiences to attractions that continue to contribute to the captivity of future generations of cetaceans."
The move sees the leading travel website join a growing list of companies boycotting exploitative animal attractions around the world. Earlier this year both British Airways and Virgin Holidays announced they would also be stopping ticket sales to attractions featuring captive wild animals.
In spite of having further to go on animal welfare pledges, the latest step by TripAdvisor has been praised by animal welfare organisations around the world, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Ticketing bans are already in place on other 'animal attractions'. Photo / Suppied
The US branch of the PETA animal welfare charity was at the table with the bookings website when TripAdvisor developed this next step in policy towards sea life attractions.
"TripAdvisor has officially rejected tourism to marine mammal prisons like SeaWorld, where sensitive, complex, far-ranging aquatic animals are kept in tiny tanks," said Emily Rice of PETA Australia.
The group which has advocated for ending of captivity for marine mammals hope this move will "help ensure that the current generation of cetaceans in captivity is the last."
By their estimates there are currently over 2000 whales, dolphins and porpoises held in tourism facilities around the world.
The phasing out of these breeding attractions from the site is expected to occur over the next couple of months and should be complete by the end of the year.
SeaWorld said it was disappointed by TripAdvisor's decision but would continue to offer public encounters with marine mammals.
SeaWorld whose marine mammal attractions are at the centre of the boycott has 47 attractions around the world.
"SeaWorld maintains the highest standards of care for all animals, including cetaceans," insisted Dr Chris Dold, chief zoological officer for the aquariums, who cited the company's accreditations by US animal welfare bodies American Humane and WAZA as proof of the company's care for the creatures.
In the face of TripAdvisor's boycott, SeaWorld says it will continue to be a centre for public education and conservation issues facing cetaceans worldwide.
A recent survey of TripAdvisor's users showed 42 per cent of respondents believed that dolphins should not be held captive for any reason, while a full 80 per cent felt that it was wrong to keep them captive for entertainment purposes.
The decision to end support for these attractions will be welcome news judging by this public sentiment.
Shanghai's Ocean Aquariums at the centre of previous controversies are still selling tickets via TripAdvisor. Photo / Supplied
However, some of the website's previous pledges are yet to fully materialise.
In 2016 the website began their Animal Welfare Policy in response to exploitative activities such as elephant riding, which saw them boycott ticket sales to specific sites.
Last year they extended this pledge to attractions offering "shows and performances where captive wild or endangered animals are forced to perform demeaning tricks or unnatural behaviours."
However, one year on, tickets are still available via TripAvisor for animal shows with performing animals.
Orca shows and dolphin attractions still readily searchable on the website and readily found.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in China, which recently came under fire for its treatment of beluga whale still holds daily shows with their four Russian-born captive orca. Tickets are available via TripAdvisor for $40.
Sea World Kamogawa in Japan also sells entrance tickets for $41 via TripAdvisor, where captive orca perform tricks and other unnatural behaviours for tourists.
Kamogawa Sea World is another attraction offering shows featuring unnatural orca behaviour. Photo / Supplied
This latest boycott aims to stop the trade and breeding of dolphins and whales might finally stop the sale of tickets to these marine mammal shows.
However it stops short of banning the implicated attractions from their platform.
Attractions offering elephant rides which the website stopped supporting ticket sales for in 2016 are still easily found on the website.
While TripAdvisor no longer takes a commission from sales to these attractions, the contact details and locations of the attractions are still listed. This includes businesses that violate the website's own Animal Welfare Policy.
"The fact that an attraction is listed on TripAdvisor does not represent our endorsement of its animal welfare practices," said a spokesperson for TripAdvisor.
Trip advisor currently marks attractions as "featuring animals" where appropriate with a hyperlink to their animal welfare guidance.
"Rather than remove the listing pages for attractions with poor standards, we believe it is better to help provide education and information that travellers can use to make more informed, ethical choices."
