Animal welfare is close to TUI's heart. This applies to stray animals in our hotel complexes, to wild animals in nature conservation projects and to animals in tourism activities.

Changing the industry from within

Animal-based excursions are very popular with many of our customers and bring significant socio-economic benefits to the destinations, particularly in developing countries. We are committed to ensuring that animals in human care are in good condition. By selling tickets, we have an influence on the organisers of activities involving animals. We use this influence to improve the living conditions of the animals.

Zoos and wildlife parks make an important contribution to species conservation by raising awareness of nature conservation and supporting scientific research. Experiences and observations in zoos and wildlife parks are an important part of environmental education, especially for families who do not have the opportunity to experience animals in their natural environment. Many zoos and wildlife parks also support the protection of endangered animals by supporting rewilding programmes.

Our animal welfare audits

TUI was the first tourism company to carry out animal welfare audits. The audits are based on the ABTA animal welfare guidelines and are continuously adapted to the latest scientific findings in the field of animal welfare. They were developed in collaboration with industry experts, zoological organisations, scientists and non-governmental organisations and are an internationally recognised standard by which we continuously measure our activities with animals. We only sell tickets to venues that meet the audit criteria or take action to do so.

The practices we have banned include, for example, elephant riding, any interaction with elephants without a barrier, and contact between tourists and great apes, crocodiles, sloths, bears and wild cats. To date, external auditors have conducted over 800 animal welfare audits worldwide. These are repeated every five years to ensure the quality and continuity of the standards. If suppliers fail to meet our standards, we demand and support the necessary changes. If the problems persist, we stop ticket sales for the activity in question. In this way, we encourage venues to implement higher animal welfare standards.

Our approach to animal welfare goes beyond the audit process: we are currently expanding our range of wildlife viewing tours, training our colleagues in destinations on animal welfare, supporting the end of the capture of wild animals for shows and entertainment, and working with NGOs that provide veterinary care for animals in destinations.

Cetaceans in human care

As there are no current ABTA guidelines for whales and dolphins in human care, we have recently updated our audits for venues with whales and dolphins. With the help of independent experts, we have developed new and stricter criteria for animal welfare based on the latest standards of the Marine Mammal Association (EAAM), the accreditations of zoos worldwide (EAZA, ZAA, WAZA) and the latest scientific articles. These animal welfare criteria are based on the renowned Five-Domain Model used by animal welfare scientists: nutrition, health, environment, behaviour and mental state.

Our audits prohibit, among other things, breeding for commercial purposes, the use of drugs for behavioral modifications, the capture of whales and dolphins in the wild, and food deprivation techniques.

As part of the audit, each facility receives an animal welfare score that reflects the conditions in which the animals are kept and cared for. If a facility fails to meet the required criteria and make the necessary improvements, we will stop selling tickets to that facility. Each facility will be regularly reviewed and our aim is to improve the animal welfare score with each subsequent review, to promote the welfare of the whales and dolphins. The audits started in summer 2024 to improve the industry from the inside out.

Statement against illegal wildlife trade

Illegal wildlife trade, including poaching and wildlife crime, poses a major threat to biodiversity and to the safety and health of people in the affected regions. TUI Group signed the Travel and Tourism Declaration on Illegal Trade in Wildlife of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in 2018, recognising the positive role our industry can play in tackling this issue on the ground.

In addition, TUI has published an online souvenir guide in collaboration with the Global Nature Fund, an international foundation for nature and the environment. The guide gives holidaymakers tips on how to buy souvenirs responsibly, to ensure that biodiversity in destinations is not damaged and that endangered species are not threatened.