Chris Packham calls on UK travellers to report animal cruelty in tourist attractions abroad

Animals Asia found that one in three holidaymkers have seen animal cruelty on their trips

Chris Packham is asking for tourists to become ‘welfare whistleblowers (Animals Asia)

Animal rights campaigner Chris Packham has joined forces with Animals Asia to call for Brits to report tourist attractions where animals are treated cruelly.

In September last year, a new UK law was passed to prevent travel companies from promoting and selling tickets in England and Northern Ireland to tourist attractions abroad where animals suffer and where welfare standards are considered unacceptable.

But the previous government did not define the standards of “unacceptable” after passing the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act, making it hard to enforce. This is why Animals Asia along with Chris Packham are asking British holidaymakers for help.

The charity is calling on British travellers to become “welfare whistleblowers” and report all instances of animal cruelty that they’ve encountered abroad since September 2023 when the law was passed.

This will help Animals Asia create a dossier of evidence to put pressure on the new government to implement the law and come up with a clearer definition of parameters.

Animals Asia’s work includes rescuing and caring for elephants previously used in riding tourism (Animals Asia)

So far 553 people have filled in their details online, reporting that they’d experienced animal cruelty since the law was passed.

Animals Asia would like to see the government’s list of banned activities at tourist attractions include: animals being made to perform, such as riding bicycles, jumping through hoops or unnatural tricks such as hand stands; animals confined in uncomfortable spaces that don’t allow them to act naturally or hurt them, such as small cages and pools or being chained to the ground under the sun to make money; tourists being allowed to feed wild animals or interact with them; elephant rides; and trophy hunting.

EasyJet holidays announced in March that it was stopping selling tickets to animal attractions off its own back due to company changes on animal welfare policy. TripAdvisor has held this stance since 2017.

Chris Packham is calling on British tourists to travel with kidness and boycott attractions that treat animals unfairly while we wait for the law to be fully implemented.

“British holidaymakers can still make a difference this summer with the power of the pound in their pockets,” he said. “Refusing to spend their money on tourist attractions where animals are suffering or exploited sends a clear message. No five-minute thrill we get from an encounter with an animal is worth a lifetime of misery for them.”

Comedian Ricky Gervais is another Animals Asia supporter who is calling on British tourists to do their bit to stop animal cruelty abroad. He says: “This is the first summer holiday season since the law was passed last year and yet it will achieve nothing to prevent animals suffering at tourist attractions this year.

“What a waste and what a terrible cruelty to animals all over the world. We must all be extra vigilant this summer and help Animals Asia crack down on cruelty to animals at tourist attractions by reporting anything we see to them.”

According to research by Animals Asia to coincide with their #travelwithkindness campaign, one in three British holidaymakers have witnessed cruelty to animals while abroad, with nine per cent of these people saying it ruined their holiday.

To report instances of animal cruelty abroad, visit the Animals Asia website.