Thomas Cook stops ticket sales for captive dolphin attractions
Thomas Cook stops ticketing attractions featuring captive dolphins, holiday company shifts to promoting ‘wild-watching experiences’
Thomas Cook has stopped selling any attraction featuring captive cetaceans, including dolphins, killer whales or whales.
In 2018, the former Thomas Cook company removed all captive killer whale attractions from sale and the new digital company, founded in 2020, has gone further and added facilities where dolphins and whales (cetaceans) are kept in captivity.
The online vacation company said customer feedback shows consumers want to enjoy animals on vacation but are concerned about dolphins in captivity in particular.
It added: ‘Thomas Cook will instead offer and promote whale and dolphin watching experiences, allowing people to experience these animals in their own habitat.’
In 2018, the former Thomas Cook company came under fire, as we reported, from animal rights activists for offering rooms in a Chinese hotel where captive dolphins and beluga whales are on display at on-site attractions.
Thomas Cook has stopped selling any attraction featuring captive cetaceans, including dolphins, killer whales or whales
The dolphins come from a drive fishing hunt in Japan described by leading marine mammal scientist Dr. Naomi Rose, based in Washington DC, as “heinous” and “wildly cruel.”
The same scientist described the captivity of dolphins and belugas as “fundamentally inhumane.”
UK-based activist group Dolphin Freedom had called on Thomas Cook to sever ties with the Atlantis Sanya hotel in Hainan province.
Alan French, CEO of Thomas Cook, said: ‘We know that for our customers a visit to a zoo or water park is an important part of their holiday and we only want to provide those experiences if we are sure they are complying with the requirements. keeping rules. highest welfare standards and are not built on animal suffering.
Thomas Cook said customer feedback shows consumers want to enjoy animals on holiday but are concerned about captive dolphins in particular.
“We made the decision to only offer whale and dolphin watching experiences to help our customers experience these intelligent and social animals in their natural habitat.
“We are seeing a strong return to bookings after the pandemic, but also a decrease in demand for activities that are harmful to the environment or animals.
“Our customers care about these issues and we are proud to match those feelings. It’s been an easy decision.’
Thomas Cook said the move is “part of the online business’s integration of thousands of activities and attractions onto its platform that allows customers to book days out and tours around the world.”
Thomas Cook is part of Fosun Tourism Group, whose other hospitality businesses include Club Med.