Travel companies are facing scrutiny for their links to wildlife cruelty after a recent report by World Animal Protection identified Webjet as one of the worst offenders in this issue.
The report, titled “Caught in a web of cruelty: how animals suffer for Webjet’s profits,” highlights the discrepancies in wildlife policies among the largest online travel platforms in Australia, with Webjet ranking at the bottom.
In stark contrast, companies like Intrepid, Booking.com, and the Travel Corporation received top marks for their comprehensive animal welfare policies and their commitment to providing humane travel experiences.
Webjet's offerings include entry to venues where tourists can watch dolphin shows associated with the notorious Taiji dolphin hunts and take photos with endangered orangutans.
The findings revealed that Webjet currently promotes:
- 31 dolphin or orca entertainment venues, with 19 linked to the cruel capture of wild dolphins from Taiji
- 32 elephant attractions featuring riding, bathing, shows, or feeding opportunities
- 59 monkey facilities, with 7 offering circus-style performances
- 34 tiger venues, with 28 allowing visitors to take selfies, feed, or watch shows featuring these big cats.
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| Ranking table (see in-situ on page 7 of the report) shows how Australia’s largest travel companies score on wildlife cruelty. |
Polling data commissioned by World Animal Protection in late 2024 shows that 20% of Australians consider all direct animal encounters and wildlife shows to be unacceptable.
Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, expressed her outrage: “It’s shocking that in 2025, travel companies that Australians trust are still profiting from the suffering of dolphins, tigers, elephants, and more. While people enjoy seeing animals during their holidays, it’s crucial to remember that wild animals should never endure hardship in harsh environments for our amusement.”
She added, “Webjet is not true to their words. In one of their blog posts, they label elephant riding as 'cruel at worst and ethically dubious at best,' yet they continue to sell tickets to venues that exploit elephants for riding and circus-style interactions.”
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| Travel companies like Intrepid and World Expeditions have long banned operators who offer elephant rides. This file image from 2007. (Roderick Eime) |
Recent changes in Australia, like Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary ending koala cuddles and Dreamworld ceasing direct interactions with tigers, highlight the pressing need for Webjet to adapt to these evolving attitudes and refresh their offerings.
In 2023, Webjet partnered with Klook, which allows them to sell tickets to some of the most problematic venues worldwide. World Animal Protection has investigated multiple locations sold by Webjet, all showing clear signs of animal mistreatment and health issues.
This morning, the global animal welfare organization is staging a demonstration outside Webjet's Melbourne Headquarters to inform employees about the company's ties to wildlife cruelty. Worldwide, the charity is working to highlight the reputational risks that travel companies face when they align with exploitative wildlife experiences, with GetYourGuide in the US being one of their recent targets.
Despite repeated attempts to engage, Webjet has not responded meaningfully to World Animal Protection. There is hope that the publication of this report will inspire the company to terminate their partnership with Klook and adopt a comprehensive, publicly accessible animal welfare policy.
World Animal Protection is calling on travel organizations to take accountability for their role in promoting cruel wildlife activities. They encourage travel companies to connect with them to collaborate towards a future in which tourism does not contribute to the suffering of animals.
To help maintain the pressure on Webjet, World Animal Protection has also created a tool on their website that allows the public to express their concerns directly to the travel giant.
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