Jet2holidays halts ticket sales to attractions featuring orcas, whales, and dolphins.
- The decision is hailed as a victory by animal protection group Peta after a two-year campaign.
- This move follows similar actions by EasyJet holidays and other major travel companies.
- Jet2holidays commits to honouring existing bookings despite the new policy.
- The focus now shifts to Tui, urged to follow Jet2holidays’ leadership.
Jet2holidays has announced it will cease selling tickets to attractions that feature orcas, whales, and dolphins, marking a significant policy shift that has been lauded by animal protection group Peta. This change is a direct result of a two-year campaign led by Peta, which aims to end the promotion of attractions that exploit these cetaceans for entertainment purposes.
The move by Jet2holidays is not isolated. It follows the precedent set by EasyJet holidays earlier in the month, which announced it would no longer promote or sell tickets to attractions or activities exploiting animals. Other prominent travel companies, including Expedia, Thomas Cook, British Airways Holidays, Virgin Atlantic Holidays, and Club Med, have already ended support for such attractions.
Peta’s vice-president of programmes, Elisa Allen, praised Jet2holidays’ decision, stating it set a standard for other companies, particularly highlighting Tui. Allen remarked, “Jet2holidays made the right call to cut ties with parks that confine orcas and other dolphins to concrete tanks that are to them the size of bathtubs and force them to perform circus-like stunts for human entertainment.”
Jet2holidays emphasised its ongoing process of reviewing all operations to ensure alignment with stakeholder feedback. A statement from the company noted, “A key driver of our success is the fact that we continually review every element of our operation, and as part of that process, we encourage and welcome feedback from a range of stakeholders.”
This policy change will come into effect from the 27th of March 2024, and while new ticket sales will cease, Jet2holidays confirmed that all existing bookings will be honoured. This move underscores the company’s commitment to ethical tourism practices and its awareness of evolving consumer expectations.
As attention now turns to Tui, many stakeholders in the travel industry and beyond are closely observing whether the company will align itself with the growing trend of rejecting entertainment practices considered unethical.
Jet2holidays’ decisive action represents a pivotal step in promoting ethical tourism, and its impact resonates across the travel industry.
