Animal Welfare

DERTOUR Group adopts an Animal Welfare Guideline and consistently implements it in the Tour Operator Business

In many cases, it is the fascinating wildlife that attracts travellers to faraway lands. Safari in Africa, dolphins and whales in the oceans or flamingo colonies on the Portuguese Atlantic coast: experiencing wild animals in their natural habitat is a unique experience for travellers. Furthermore, experiencing local wildlife in this way is the least invasive for their habitat and behaviour; we are truly convinced of that.

As part of the travel industry, DERTOUR Group feels responsible for protecting the welfare of animals from the impact of tourism in the habitats visited by travellers. We want to ensure that they are preserved for future generations, too. That is why we have decided: animal welfare is of utmost priority – in their natural habitat, but also where animals are more closely linked to humans!

Orang Utan Familie

Therefore, DERTOUR Group and its tour operator brands are driving forward travel products allowing travellers to discover wildlife in a safe and responsible way.

Already in 2017, we developed a binding Animal Welfare Guideline based on our Animal Welfare Policy Statement and are jointly implementing this with our partners in an ongoing process. To this end, we are in constant contact with our partners, animal welfare experts and industry bodies across the globe.

Here, the focus is on animal species that are particularly affected by tourist activities, such as elephants or whales and dolphins. The goal is to verify whether our products comply with the requirements set in our guideline and to evaluate animal husbandry standards by independent organisations. Partners are obligated to fulfil the requirements of the Animal Welfare Guideline.

Orang Utan Familie

Therefore, DERTOUR Group and its tour operator brands are driving forward travel products allowing travellers to discover wildlife in a safe and responsible way.

Already in 2017, we developed a binding Animal Welfare Guideline based on our Animal Welfare Policy Statement and are jointly implementing this with our partners in an ongoing process. To this end, we are in constant contact with our partners, animal welfare experts and industry bodies across the globe.

Here, the focus is on animal species that are particularly affected by tourist activities, such as elephants or whales and dolphins. The goal is to verify whether our products comply with the requirements set in our guideline and to evaluate animal husbandry standards by independent organisations. Partners are obligated to fulfil the requirements of the Animal Welfare Guideline.

Specific requirements allow measuring animal welfare

In terms of animal welfare requirements, DERTOUR Group is guided by the criteria of the British travel association ABTA, among others. Based on this, we have developed and expanded the DERTOUR Group Animal Welfare Guideline. Here we commit to the internationally recognised so-called Five Freedoms for supporting animal welfare in terms of adequate nutrition, species-appropriate living conditions, health maintenance, sufficient living space and species-appropriate behaviour.

The Five Freedoms for assessing Animal Welfare according to John Webster

Freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition

Freedom from discomfort

Freedom from pain, injury and disease

Freedom from fear and suffering

Freedom to live out normal behaviour

Our animal welfare requirements include, among others

  • fixed criteria under which animal observations take place or animals are kept
  • avoiding direct contact between humans and certain animal species, e.g., elephants or dolphins
  • no exhibiting of animals that display unnatural behaviours
  • no animal fighting or hunting in our programmes

The set of requirements of our Animal Welfare Guideline includes a variety of animal species and scenarios, each of which are assessed in detail. We have set ourselves the goal of auditing suppliers’ compliance with our standards by 2025.

Here we focus on attraction providers with increased risks in connection with animal welfare, such as facilities that keep animals in captivity, as well as species often exposed to risks in tourism, such as elephants. In this way, we ensure that our products either already observe the minimum animal welfare requirements or are consistently improved as part of the project cooperation. In doing so, we actively support providers by conducting joint training and offering advice.

Better safe than sorry: Verification through external audits

Both, certain types of attractions as well as animal species associated with increased animal welfare risks are audited by animal welfare experts. To this end, we cooperate with independent partners which audit providers based on the detailed set of criteria of the DERTOUR Group Animal Welfare Guideline. Depending on their risk rating, either a document audit or an on-site audit is conducted, whereby the implementation of all measures can be reviewed on site.

At the same time, we are promoting the species-appropriate handling of animals in tourism and within the industry. We do not only want to make existing products more animal-friendly, but rather contribute towards a sustainable change in industry. In dialogue with our partners, we are driving the continuous improvement of standards. In dialogue with the industry and animal welfare organisations, we draw up innovative solutions for animal-friendly experiences and alternatives to improve existing products. One way of doing this is in close collaboration with projects that we support through the non-profit DER Touristik Foundation.

One example: Enhanced living conditions for elephants in Thailand

Elefantenrüssel

Traditionally, elephants in Thailand were used as working animals in forestry. With the ban on deforestation, many mahouts – the elephant keepers and trainers – became unemployed.

In order to continue feeding their families and animals, many of them have increasingly focussed on tourism. Elephant camps have therefore emerged in many places and new challenges in terms of animal welfare have arisen:

  • often the husbandry conditions of the elephants are inadequate
  • elephants are displayed engaging in unnatural behaviours such as painting and performing other tricks
  • riding elephants and direct contact with the wild animals poses risks for both humans and animals

One example: Enhanced living conditions for elephants in Thailand

Elefantenrüssel

Traditionally, elephants in Thailand were used as working animals in forestry. With the ban on deforestation, many mahouts – the elephant keepers and trainers – became unemployed.

In order to continue feeding their families and animals, many of them have increasingly focussed on tourism. Elephant camps have therefore emerged in many places and new challenges in terms of animal welfare have arisen:

  • often the husbandry conditions of the elephants are inadequate
  • elephants are displayed engaging in unnatural behaviours such as painting and performing other tricks
  • riding elephants and direct contact with the wild animals poses risks for both humans and animals

What DERTOUR Group does

Already in 2017, we developed a binding Animal Welfare Guideline based on our Animal Welfare Policy Statement and are jointly implementing this with our partners in an ongoing process.

In close cooperation with our group-owned destination management company Go Vacation, we are working on solutions for products with elephants. Products that do not comply with the minimum requirements of our Animal Welfare Guideline have been completely removed from the programmes of our tour operator brands, such as elephant riding or entertainment shows. Instead, we have integrated products into the travel programme that ensure high standards.

Changing our travel products is sometimes a lengthy and fragmented process, but it is worth it for people and animals!  Joint work on improvements to existing products with our partners is one dimension. While we would also like to create and foster alternatives to change awareness and offer customers travel programmes they can book with a clear conscience. That is why we are promoting innovative, animal-friendly, exemplary projects and products by incorporating them in our product portfolio, advertising them or supporting them in other ways.

When improving standards, we focus on a few local providers whose awareness we raise on the issue and with whom we enhance husbandry standards and other aspects of animal welfare.

In joint forces with the animal protection organisation “World Animal Protection” and other industry members, we have launched the pilot project “Building an Elephant Friendly Future”. Local providers should experience that their commitment is worth it for them and is rewarded and accepted by tourists and customers

Elefanten Thailand

One example is the ChangChill Elephant Camp in Thailand. There, species-appropriate husbandry was successfully combined with the interest of visitors in elephants.

Direct contact such as elephant riding, feeding or bathing was banned for the welfare of animals.

Instead, visitors can now observe elephants at their leisure from a platform or fill snack bars where the pachyderms can serve themselves. This is how animal welfare in tourism can succeed and sustainability pays off for all sides in the end.

Foundation Spürhunde Projekt Südafrika

The Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa is a refuge for hundreds of different species of wild animals, including the famous Big Five. However, the animals are severely threatened by poaching. The populations of elephants, rhinos, lions etc. were in sharp decline until 2019, but then stabilised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since travel restrictions were eased, poaching has also increased again, putting wildlife at risk once more.

Poachers are particularly targeting the rhino horn. It is said to have magical powers. Horn powder should help against diseases, provide vitality and much more. This is why it is smuggled for horrendous sums of money, especially to Asian countries.

Wale

A best practice example for responsible whale watching is the “Whales the Gentle Way” excursion offered by DERTOUR Group in the waters surrounding Tenerife and La Gomera.

Since January 2021, the coastal waters have been a certified Whale Heritage Site, where pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and 21 other species of marine mammals can be observed. Led by knowledgeable guides, guests discover astonishing facts about the animals and their habitat.