Tripadvisor is known for its wide-ranging opinions on travel products. But the company itself has taken a definitive stand on one “product”: animal welfare and exploitation.
The influential platform has updated its animal welfare policy to ban ticket sales and bookings for exploitative animal “entertainment,” including animal racing (such as dog, horse and camel racing) and rodeos. This expands on previous bans that removed bookings for swimming with captive dolphins, dolphin and whale shows, elephant rides and direct-contact interactions with wild animals.
The restriction applies not just to Tripadvisor, but its subsidiary booking platform, Viator.
Tripadvisor mayo still list venues that are no longer bookable for informational or review purposes, often accompanied by educational icons or warnings abotut animal welfare.
And they will still list some operations like managed children’s petting zoos with domestic animals, supervised educational feeding programs and certain ethical sanctuaries.
Tripadvisor’s animal welfare sensitivity makes it easier for travelers to take cruelty free living on the road with them. Way to go!
