Issues in tourism

Tourism can be the bearer of positive ways of funding communities and habitats, but its impact is not always beneficial. Think of the pollution, consider animals kept captive for our entertainment, or children kept in orphanages as a means of bringing income to unscrupulous people. The following articles offer views into some of these tourism issues and ways you could consider helping.

Canned lions

It might sound wonderful to be able to pet and walk with lions or other predators, but the story behind this is not a pretty one.

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Plastics & pollution

Only people who’ve had their head in the sand will not be aware of the problem of rubbish, especially plastic waste, damaging the planet. What are the issues and what can we do?

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Captive animals

Many of us have visited zoos and aquariums or circuses with animals which should be wild, however we believe and hope that the tide is turning against keeping captive animals.

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Responsible sea turtle viewing

Six of the seven species of sea turtles worldwide are threatened. Reasons include people eating their eggs and meat, making products from their shells, and unsustainable coastal development.

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Visiting orphanages

In recent years visiting orphanages has become something that tourists are encouraged to do. Perhaps surprisingly, this is now increasingly linked with exploitation of the children. Avoid.

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Riding elephants

With the few exceptions we discuss, we believe riding elephants should be avoided. For most elephants in Asia (where most riding takes place), domestication means fear during training and stress (and even abuse) during captivity.

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