The influences of awareness at unethical wildlife tourist attractions

Garzia, Arianna
Arianna Garzia, Bachelor of Arts in International Tourism Management with minor in International Destination Management. Studied at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands.

Wildlife- tourist attractions are becoming increasingly popular among Western millennials, a segment that is continuosly looking for new and memorable experiences. Their development has, however, sparked fierce debates regarding the poor welfare wildlife suffers at many attractions. Organizations argue that spreading knowledge about the topic is fundamental to prevent tourists from visiting harmful venues. Yet, different elements including pleasure of the animal encounter or influences given by other travellers through review sites like TripAdvisor create attitude- behaviour gaps within visitors. Since these aspects may encourage unethical behaviour at wildlife based attractions, understanding the effects of awareness concerning poor animal welfare and its measurement through "The Five Freedoms Approach" is crucial. Thus, this book particularly sheds light on the theories behind the "attitude- behaviour gaps" and on the way knowledge influences the visitors' behaviour at certain animal attractions and online. Based on its content and recommendations, this book should be useful for travellers and organizations protecting animals' rights to work towards more sustainable tourism.