A shocking new report from global nonprofit World Animal
Protection reveals GetYourGuide's ties to venues that abuse
animals
NEW
YORK, July 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, World
Animal Protection released a new report entitled "Making
Memories Misery: How GetYourGuide Profits from Animal
Cruelty," which exposes the popular travel company as a
key partner in the tourism industry's ruthless and abusive
treatment of animals used for entertainment.
At a dilapidated aquarium in Miami,
Florida, a dolphin with acute trauma was found dead at the
bottom of a tank. At a historical fort in Jaipur, India, an elephant was beaten repeatedly with
bullhooks before being forced to give rides to tourists. At a
self-proclaimed "conservation facility" in the Cayman Islands, a turtle was killed after a
visitor dropped her, cracking her shell. These tragedies each link
back to one company: GetYourGuide (GYG), which sells tickets to
each of these venues— and many like them— every
day.
The new report from World Animal Protection profiles some of the
worst animal tourism operators partnered with GetYourGuide, where
captive animals endure abusive training, are provided inadequate
food and water, and are forced into frightening interactions with
people. These include Dolphin Discovery (Mexico, Caribbean, the US), Miami Seaquarium (US),
Amer Fort (India), self-proclaimed elephant sanctuaries
in Thailand, Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Hangout
(Honduras), Gatorland (US), Cayman
Turtle Centre (Cayman Islands),
and Bali Safari Marine Park (Indonesia).
Liz Cabrera Holtz, Senior
Campaigns Manager of World Animal Protection, US, said:
"When it comes to animals, GetYourGuide prioritizes profit over
anything else. GetYourGuide's executives are indifferent to the
550,000 animals suffering in concrete tanks and decrepit cages for
tourist entertainment. That's why we're warning travelers to avoid
GetYourGuide until the company adopts a public animal welfare
policy. When you book with GetYourGuide, you run the risk of
supporting severe animal cruelty."
Wild animals used by the tourism industry are either forcibly
taken from their natural habitats or bred into captivity, often
separated from their families at an early age. The animals suffer
immensely from the moment they are born or captured, and then
throughout their entire lives. They all experience harm, stress,
and discomfort at venues that fail to meet even the animals' most
basic needs.
World Animal Protection has repeatedly attempted to engage with
GetYourGuide to inform the company about the suffering and abuse it
is profiting from. However, GetYourGuide has rejected all efforts,
despite World Animal Protection putting the issue front and center
with a recent demonstration outside the company's headquarters in
Berlin.
Major tourism companies such as Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking.com
have all stopped selling tickets to captive wildlife entertainment
venues, but GetYourGuide remains an outlier. Airbnb, Expedia and
Booking.com worked with World Animal Protection to jointly create
an animal welfare policy that is mandatory for all its hosts.
World Animal Protection has the expertise and tools to help
travel companies ensure all experiences they offer respect both
wild animals and the people whose livelihoods depend on them.
It is World Animal Protection's hope that the release of this
new report will finally move GetYourGuide to own up to the harm it
is causing and profiting from, and work with the global
organization to develop a public animal welfare policy of its own.
Until such a date, World Animal Protection will continue to warn
consumers to avoid using the company for any bookings.
About World Animal Protection
World Animal Protection is a global organization working to end
factory farming and wildlife exploitation. We expose cruel systems,
promote animal-friendly alternatives, and influence policy change.
For over 70 years, World Animal Protection has been rewriting the
story for animals.
Working across almost 50 countries with offices in 12, we are
the only animal welfare organization with UN Consultative Status,
enabling us to engage with and influence global decision-makers. We
prioritize animals in farming and wild animals exploited for use in
entertainment, as pets, and in fashion.
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SOURCE World Animal Protection