TUI stops elephant-unfriendly excursions in Thailand

Editors: We have received and published the press release below.

WSPA Netherlands and travel organization TUI Netherlands, known for the brands Arke, Holland International and KRAS.NL, are starting a joint campaign against elephant suffering in the tourism industry.

The organizations want tourist excursions and attractions to come to an end elephants severely affected: elephant rides and elephant shows. Through the campaign, holidaymakers are made aware of elephant suffering and pointed out to elephant-friendly alternatives where elephants can display their natural behavior as much as possible. To limit the range of elephant-unfriendly excursions, TUI Netherlands will only offer elephant-friendly excursions from 1 November.

A clear example of the issues surrounding the use of elephants in the tourism industry is Thailand, a popular holiday destination among the Dutch. Some 2.500 to 3.000 elephants are kept in captivity there, the vast majority of which are used at tourist attractions in the so-called 'elephant camps'. The campaign focuses specifically on the camps where tourists can take elephant rides or visit elephant shows.

Elephant suffering

Elephant shows often use extreme training methods to create sensational numbers that attract tourists. To get elephants to perform the tricks, they often undergo cruel training with severe physical and mental abuse. During such training, for example, the elephant is placed in a cage in which it cannot move. The animal is then given little to eat and drink and is hurt in sensitive places, such as the trunk or ears. During the rides there are usually several people sitting in a basket on the back of the elephant. The saddle and the weight of the passengers cause injuries and place too much of a burden on the elephant, which can pull up to 1000 kilos but cannot carry it on its back. Between shows and rides, the elephants are often chained up and literally cannot go anywhere.

Website

To educate holidaymakers about elephant suffering and prepare for elephant excursions, WSPA has launched the website www.olifant.nu. Tourists will find background information and a checklist for elephant tours and attractions there. TUI light travelers for via excursion booklets that travelers receive at the destination, in ArkeFly's inflight magazine and on websites that are expanded with information about elephant excursions.

Elephants endangered

In Thailand, elephant parks were created after the ban on clearing jungle in 1989. The owners of the elephants that were used as draft animals in the forest clearing switched to the tourism industry. Unfortunately, the number of elephant parks has only expanded over the years. Many elephants used in the camps today come from the wild. A dramatic development, especially considering that the Asian elephant is threatened with extinction.