Travel giant Klook commits to ending the sale of some cruel wildlife attractions

The animal welfare policy to end the sale of circus-style performances will come into effect by the end of October 2023.  

This significant decision comes after years of pressure, and our recent petition, signed by over 900 animal lovers, calling on Klook and other leading travel companies to stop promoting and selling cruel wildlife experiences on their platforms. 

World Animal Protection Head of Campaigns ANZ, Suzanne Milthorpe said:  
 

We welcome Klook’s progress, and what is a good first step in implementing an animal welfare policy. We hope to see the company keep moving towards eliminating all cruel wildlife attractions from its platform, and work towards a fully responsible tourism future to give their customers peace of mind when booking with them.

We urge all tourism industry players to take responsibility for the activities and venues they promote, and work with us towards a future where tourism is responsible, sustainable, and does not contribute to wildlife cruelty.

Unlike Klook, who have started working to end the demand for cruel wildlife experiences, GetYourGuide, Traveloka, Trip.com, and TUI Musement are continuing to support and sustain these experiences. These companies are choosing to profit from wildlife suffering and are not keeping pace with other global travel companies like Virgin Holidays, Airbnb, Booking.com and now Klook, who are taking steps to protect wild animals caught up in tourism.

While we commend Klook’s commitment towards ending cruel captive performances, we will continue to encourage the company to truly become wildlife-friendly by removing other close interactions with elephants, such as bathing and feeding. 

Wild animals are sentient beings, and it is time to end holidays that harm them for commercial profits. Every year, thousands of them are brutally ripped from their mothers or bred in captivity to perform unnatural and demeaning activities for tourist entertainment. 

As intermediaries between tourists and venues, travel companies have the power to put an end to this horrific exploitation of our planet’s wildlife by refusing to sell and promote such activities. 

With you by our side, we will ensure Klook upholds their commitment and ultimately move them to eliminate all cruel wildlife attractions from their platform. And continue working to lobby GetYourGuide, Traveloka, Trip.com, and TUI Musement to adopt animal welfare policies to protect wildlife. 

Together, we can protect wild animals from the clutches of the wildlife entertainment industry.