Today’s travellers increasingly come into contact with wild animals – on safari, at the zoo or as ‘props’ for tourist photos. We all love to travel, but what we do has an impact.
What does responsible tourism mean for wildlife? Can tourism actually bring benefits to animal welfare and conservation? Whether you’re planning a trip abroad, booking your summer holiday or you work in tourism, international wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation invites you to explore, discuss and debate the impact of the travel industry on our natural world.
Look at Animals with a Different View Exhibition
How do our holidays affect the lives of wild animals? Can tourism actually help protect natural environments? Discover how animal exploitation or poor conditions can ruin a holiday.
See 25 years of Born Free in action. Find out how our Traveller’s Animal Alert project responds to public concerns, investigates neglect and stops suffering.
Will's Message
Born Free CEO Will Travers could not attend the exhibition but he was able to send this message from the CITES conference in Doha.
Guests included:
Dermot Blastland - Managing Director of TUI Travel Plc UK and Ireland, the leading
international travel leisure group. “In five years’ time I’d like to think that we won’t be discussing sustainable tourism at all: it will just be part of the way we do business.”
Simon Calder – Travel Editor of The Independent and presenter of Simon Calder’s Travel Clinic, the UK’s only travel phone-in radio show, broadcast Sunday afternoons on LBC 97.3 FM, online, on digital and on Sky 1024. Simon is also a regular guest on BBC TV and radio, on GMTV and This Morning. He also has a weekly travel video blog on Sky Travel.
Donal MacIntyre - a renowned investigative reporter, Donal has worked for ITV and the BBC and won awards for his outstanding, often dangerous work. He travels the world, reports on war zones and animal welfare, and starred in Dancing on Ice!
Virginia McKenna OBE – Born Free’s Co-Founder, Trustee and renowned actress,
best-known with her husband Bill Travers for their roles in Born Free. The inspirational true story of Elsa the lioness sparked her lifelong commitment to wildlife.
Ian Redmond OBE – our senior consultant, an eminent field biologist renowned for
work with gorillas and elephants. Ian travels the world working with local people to protect endangered wildlife and leading specialist wildlife holidays.
Chris Thompson - Travelife Sustainability Manager at ABTA¹, Chris has worked in
the travel industry since 1992 and was Highly Commended in the ‘Best Personal
Contribution’ section of the prestigious Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards Travel Awards 2009.
Will Travers (via video see above) – Born Free CEO, Will has dedicated his life to wildlife. He is CEO of Born Free USA, President of the Species Survival Network and an RGS Fellow. Reporting from CITES², Will brings hot news on how the tourist trade is affecting rare wildlife.
Daniel Turner – Senior Operations Officer Europe for Born Free’s Zoo Check team.
Daniel campaigns to improve standards for captive wild animals, lobbies EU policymakers and advises the travel industry on animal welfare.
Patrick Woodhead – a professional explorer and travel writer, Patrick was part of
the fastest team to reach the South Pole, has traversed Antarctica, ascended unclimbed mountains and kayaked uncharted rivers. He leads tours for White Desert.
¹Association of British Tourist Agents ²The UN’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Report Animal Suffering | Contact Us | eNews | Kids Club | Campaign Action | CEO's Blog | Sitemap | About Site | Copyright