GSTC releases R4AWT Roundtable Report on Animal Welfare in Tourism

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published its first R4AWT Roundtable Report on Animal Welfare in Tourism, marking a significant step toward embedding animal welfare into sustainable tourism practices. Here are the key takeaways from the report:

Animal-Centered Approach:
Welfare must be assessed from the animal’s perspective, using science-based frameworks like the Five Domains of Animal Welfare.

Beyond Legal Compliance:
Regulations alone are insufficient; ethical and welfare outcomes must be prioritized.

High-Risk Practices Identified:
Close contact with wild animals, forced performances, feeding, and abusive training methods pose the greatest risks.

Consistency & Clarity:
Strong call for clearer definitions and wording to reduce ambiguity and enable fair auditing across regions.

Species-Specific Standards:
While minimum welfare expectations should be global, approaches must adapt to species and context.

Role of Tourism Businesses:
Hotels, tour operators, and suppliers influence welfare outcomes through design, supplier choices, and guest guidance.

Auditor Competence:
Training and guidance for auditors are essential for credible certification.

Education Over Punishment:
Transparency, training, and continuous improvement are seen as more effective than punitive measures.

New Resource
- GSTC has introduced the Animal Welfare Glossary to standardize terminology and support consistent application of welfare principles across the tourism sector.

Voices from Stakeholders
- Global Humane Society praised GSTC for making animal welfare a central pillar of responsible tourism.
- ANIMONDIAL highlighted the importance of a practical, science-based framework for global guidance.
- WAZA emphasized collective responsibility for ethical interactions with wildlife.
- Animal Wise noted the rare opportunity to integrate robust welfare standards into sustainability frameworks.
- Mandai Wildlife Group valued the collaborative and collegial approach of the roundtable.

This report is positioned as the first step in an ongoing dialogue, with future roundtables planned to refine guidance and strengthen animal welfare outcomes in tourism.