Charity calls on youth operator STA to stop ‘supporting abuse of animals’
The League Against Cruel Sports has appealed to youth travel specialist STA Travel to stop selling packages to the San Fermin Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain.
The annual event, which begins on July 6, includes daily bullfights.
The animal welfare charity is calling on STA "to stop supporting the abuse of animals in the name entertainment and tradition" after this year’s trips.
The charity claims that ABTA’s Animal Welfare Guidelines, which STA has signed up to, bullfighting and bull running are deemed unacceptable practice in cultural events and activities.
"Yet, despite this, the student travel company continues to sell packages through its provider TopDeck Travel that support tourist attendance at the Pamplona Bull Run helping to keep this cruel and outdated activity alive," said the charity.
"The League has written, called and emailed the travel operator, but STA has remained silent in answering why they continue to support bull running and bullfighting.
"The charity is now asking the public to do the same by contacting the travel company and making their opposition known. "
STA told TravelMole it would make a decision ‘in due course’.
It added in a statement: "STA Travel has recently commenced a full audit of all animal practices associated with our products and in line with its Animal Welfare policy has started to remove from sale those products that do not comply, including Elephant riding and visits to the Tiger Temple in Thailand.
"The Pamplona festival will be reviewed in line with this policy and a decision made in due course.
"More broadly, STA Travel is committed to working with ABTA’s Animal Welfare Guidelines to help deliver good practice in animal protection and welfare in our products."
League chief executive Joe Duckworth said: "Bull running and bullfighting are sickeningly cruel and barbaric practices, and they have no place in a modern society.
"Tourism plays a major part in the continuation of bullfighting and the exploitation of the animals, who are simply being abused and killed for entertainment is truly shocking.
"As rightly pointed out by ABTA, travel companies have a responsibility to the welfare of animals in tourism, a responsibility that can no longer be shirked – which is why we want to see 2014 as the last year STA support this abhorrent activity."
The charity is also promoting its campaign film, Pamplona Running of the Bulls, featuring actress Gemma Atkinson to help discourage potential tourists from participating in the bull running and fighting events
The charity said it had been successful in persuading large global organisations to drop their sponsorship or promotions of bullfighting, including Ryanair, British Airways and Ben & Jerrys.
EasyJet, Thomas Cook and Brittany Ferries are among other operators that have ceased promoting the Pamplona festival.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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