Elephant camp pioneering elephant-friendly tourism in Thailand

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Happy Elephant Care Valley, in Chiang Mai, Thailand is about to embark on a landmark agreement to transition to become a truly elephant-friendly venue. This move will end all contact between tourists and the animals at the camp, to meet the growing demand for responsible experiences.

The transformation of the venue is pioneered by animal welfare charity World Animal Protection as part of a coalition of leaders in the travel industry, including TUI Group, The Travel Corporation, Intrepid Group, G Adventures, EXO Travel, Thomas Cook Group, and others.

Elephants in many venues across Thailand still offer rides that are the result of elephants suffering a cruel and intensive training process. A 2017 KANTAR global study showed the number of people who find elephant riding acceptable has dropped by 9% (from 53% to 44%) in just three years. The research also showed that eight out of ten (80%) of tourists would prefer to see elephants in their natural environment, proving elephant-friendly tourism is on the rise.

The animals at Happy Elephant Care Valley were previously from farms and riding camps, and until recently it was possible for close interaction between tourists and the elephants, with tourists being able to ride, bathe and feed them at the venue. This stopped when the travel industry coalition presented a business case demonstrating the rise of elephant-friendly tourism. The transition will see the animals free to behave as they would in the wild; free to roam the valley, bathing in mud, dust, water or grazing; as tourists experience the wonder, standing at a safe distance.

Steve McIvor, CEO at World Animal Protection, said:

“With the support of the world’s leading travel companies, this agreement is a significant milestone for World Animal Protection. It will show that high-welfare venues for elephants can be commercially viable for elephant camp owners – encouraging them to value and care for their animals.”

“Happy Elephant Care Valley is a groundbreaking development for both animals and tourists. It will be a very real example of an attraction where tourists can see the animals behaving naturally and freely as part of a herd. It will demonstrate that elephant-friendly experiences are possible, without forcing cruel interactions with people.”

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Chief Assignment editor is Oleg Siziakov

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