TripAdvisor will no longer book attractions that come into contact with captive wild animals or endangered species as a part of a "commitment to improve wildlife welfare standards in tourism," the company announced Wednesday.
"TripAdvisor and its Viator brand will discontinue selling tickets for specific tourism experiences where travelers come into physical contact with captive wild animals or endangered species, including but not limited to elephant rides, petting tigers and swim with dolphin attractions," the company wrote in an official statement.
According to the New York Times, the decision is the first of its kind by a leading travel booking site.
Instead of removing activities that feature captive and endangered animals from the site, TripAdvisor is enacting educational opportunities. Banned activities will still appear on the site, but instead of being able to book them, customers will be able to "learn from experts about responsible interactions with wild, captive, and endangered species and the relationships between tourism and conservation," Conde Nast Traveler reported. Among the groups that will provide expertise are World Animal Protection, Oxford University's WildCRU and PETA.
"We believe the end result of our efforts will be enabling travelers to make more thoughtful choices about whether to visit an animal attraction and to write more meaningful reviews about those attractions," Kaufer said.
Many activist groups praised the move.
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