STA drops animal attractions
Youth tour operator STA Travel has dropped tours including elephant rides in Thailand.
The tour operator told The Guardian it had axed the product in response to customer demand.
It said it is now reviewing all its provision involving contact with animals to make sure it meets what it believes are the ethical standards demanded by its customers.
STA revealed it had received advice from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).
Kathryn Kirkpatrick, who became STA’s social responsibility programme manager in March, told the newspaper : "We are constantly assessing our products to make sure they are of a high quality and responsible.
"We take this seriously and listen carefully to feedback from animal welfare experts, customers and staff. If something isn’t up to our standards, we remove it.
"We are very much at the beginning of this journey. It is really important we do it over time, understand what the issues are and work with organisations that really understand those issues."
She added that much of the firm’s business involved volunteer and conservation work and educational trips. "We have a responsibility to them to make sure they have a fantastic experience as well. We need to make sure our products are right for them. We will continue to deliver products if they are done in the right way."
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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