Animal Welfare in Ecotourism
Carys Louisa Williams
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom.
Silvia Michela Mazzola *
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy and Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The negative welfare experienced by some animals within the tourism trade has been well publicised across various mediums, from modern scientific literature and industry audits to public outcry on social media. However, options for sustainable, enjoyable and responsible animal based tourism do exist. The difficulty lies in providing sufficient and effective information to tourists to allow them to make decisions to visit attractions which match their ‘eco’ conservation and animal welfare expectations. Through the highlighting of successful fieldwork case studies, impactful discussions and future research can be pursued.
Keywords: Ecotourism, animal welfare, conservation, educational elements.