First course on ‘Responsible Tourism with Animals’ for professionals in the sector

Today, tourist attractions involving wild animals account for between 20 and 40% of global tourism. According to a study carried out by the University of Oxford, some 550,000 animals around the world suffer negative consequences due to travel, and around 110 million people still participate in tourism activities that involve cruelty to animalsmost of the time through agencies and tour operators.

FAADA (Foundation for Advice and Action in Defense of Animals)through the campaign “Responsible Tourism with Animals” has been working since 2010 to promote an ethical way of traveling with all living beings and is currently the the only NGO in Spain specialized in these problemsas well as the close relationship that exists between them and the disappearance of threatened species.

After many years advising professionals and travel agenciesthe Foundation, in collaboration with IATI Insurancerecently launched the first course on-line in Spanish from “Responsible Tourism with Animals”aimed specifically at professionals and companies in the sector.

As explained Andrea Torres, biologist and coordinator of the Wild Animals area of ​​FAADA: “In the tourism industry the terms “sustainable travel” and “responsible travel” have been normalized, but it is essential to learn to consider in these concepts the impact that we also generate on the lives of animals and species used for tourist attractions. Until this is taken into account, no trip can be considered truly ethical, leading to potentially devastating consequences, not only for animals, but also for the planet and humans.”

The main objective of the course is to train professionals in the sector, from agencies and tour operators, even journalists or bloggers and influencers travelproviding them with the theoretical and practical tools to recognize the centers and activities whose offer may be harmful to other animals, their habitat and their conservation, as well as the essential knowledge to find ethical alternatives.

The training, of more than twenty hours, is taught by expert wildlife biologists and veterinarians from FAADA. It includes videos, reading material, interviews with experts and practical cases, as well as a final evaluation and a certificate awarded by this animal protection Foundation.

Alfonso Calzado, CEO of IATI Seguros has indicated: “Society’s sensitivity is evolving and more and more people are concerned about the impact that their choices when traveling can have on other species. At IATI we believe that all companies in the sector that seek to achieve excellence in responsible tourism, in order to fully autonomously satisfy the growing public demand for trips free of animal suffering, will find in this training an indispensable ally.”

IATI Seguros has been committed to sustainable and responsible tourism for years, through different actions with a lasting footprint, which is a fundamental part of the Catalan insurer’s identity. Along these lines, it has organized Travel Shakers, the first event in Spain to promote travel awareness about sustainable tourism. Through presentations and workshops, its first edition focused precisely on tourist attractions that involve wild animals.