TreadRight Foundation updates Animal Welfare Policy for Travellers


Photo: Tiger in the water

The TreadRight Foundation recently announced updates to its Animal Welfare Policy which quite a few travel companies including The Travel Corporation (TTC) have agreed to abide by when looking at the wildlife experiences they offer on their itineraries. 

Great news for people looking for more sustainable travel options especially vegan travellers.

The policy is part of one of the three pillars that TreadRight works with to identify sustainable tourism initiatives. The three pillars are Wildlife, Planet & People. 

The Wildlife pillar particularly is focused on protecting & rehabilitating wildlife, as well as educating travellers on ethical wildlife experiences. 

The goal is to ensure the health and wellbeing of the animals that are in care and to act as a resource to empower guests and travellers to make ethical decisions when travelling. 

WILDLIFE: RESPECT. PROTECT. SAVE

Photo: Majestic buck in the woods

There is even a way to contact someone if you see animal mistreatment while you are on vacation and an investigation will begin immediately in all cases.

Brett Tollman, global chief executive of The Travel Corporation told Pax News, “Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat is a thrilling and life-changing experience that travellers seek out. Our goal is to continue to provide these unforgettable experiences for our guests, while ensuring we advocate for wild animals and their homes, so we can protect them for generations to come."

This is wonderful news for vegan travellers as we already feel a connection to our fellow animals and always would prefer the most animal-friendly travel options as possible.

TreadRight has partnered with World Animal Protection on both the initial and this updated policy and began with a focus on The Five Freedoms model of Nutrition, Environment, Health, Behaviour and Mental or Affective State. These policies were born out of the 2015 Elephant-Friendly Tourism Pledge and are meant to ensure that animals are not mistreated for our enjoyment, but rather that we get to experience animals in their natural environments while affecting their lives as little as possible.

Other points of interest included in the updated Animal Welfare Policy are:

  • assist teams in vetting and assessing sanctuaries, reserves and other experiences
  • distinguishing between domestic and wild animals, 
  • unacceptable practices including riding wild animals, 
  • ethically viewing animals in the wild and in enclosures including zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres.

Have you heard of the TreadRight Foundation before? 

Here’s some more information about them if you haven’t.

Photo: Black and White image of an elephant on the African plains.

12 YEARS IN THE MAKING

TreadRight believes that travel is an incredible gift. That it has the ability to open our eyes to the unique cultures and spellbinding beauty of the natural world. But this gift comes with a BIG responsibility – to protect the world as we know it. 

At TreadRight their mission is to have a positive impact on the people and communities they visit, to protect wildlife and marine life, and to care for the planet we all call home.

They are a not-for-profit organization created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands in 2008. To date, they have supported some 55-plus sustainable tourism projects worldwide and align perfectly with what vegans are looking for in a vacation experience.

More information about TreadRight’s other two Pillars:

PEOPLE: CULTURES. TRADITIONS. ARTS.

Photo: Mother and daughter laughing in the rain under a palm leaf

TreadRight is committed to encouraging the cultures, traditions and arts of the communities they visit to thrive. They wish to enable these communities to see the true benefit from tourism through economic empowerment. They support micro-enterprises and community-based tourism initiatives that build positive futures for community members and their families.

PLANET: REDUCE. REUSE. SUSTAIN.

Photo: Fun image of a tree

Reducing the environmental impact of business isn’t just a “nice-to-have” for TreadRight, it’s at the core of all that they do. Together with The Travel Corporation (TTC), we’ve committed to eliminating all avoidable single-use plastics in both our offices and out on the road by 2022.


In 2017, they introduced an e-documents initiative. This program allows guests to receive travel documents digitally, replacing the need for paper, while also having a tree planted in their name. To date, more than 100,000 trees have been planted across 700-plus acres throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa as part of TTC/TreadRight’s partnership with One Tree Planted.

Their fleet of coaches are some of the most efficient in Europe, thanks to the technology of the Euro 6 engine. All of this, while supporting projects striving to keep oceans and coastlines clean, are just some of the ways they’ve committed to safeguarding the future of our planet.

I know when I am choosing a vacation moving forward, I am always going to be looking at how my experience will affect the PEOPLE, PLANET, & WILDLIFE around me and it’s good to know there are sustainable ways to remain true to our promise of making the world a better place.

If you would like more information about trips & itineraries that abide by the TreadRight Foundation pledge, send us an email to Contact Us

Updated June 24, 2020

Sources:

https://www.treadright.org/ 
https://www.treadright.org/animalwelfare/ 
https://newswest.paxeditions.com/news/pnw-tour-operator/treadright-foundation-has-updated-its-animal-welfare-policy