Responsible tourism involves making ethical choices about wildlife experiences, animal entertainment and animal products when travelling, with significant welfare implications for millions of wild and captive animals globally.
Tourist demand for close contact with wild and exotic animals drives welfare-compromising industries globally. Elephants used for riding require training methods that break their spirit through controlled starvation, sleep deprivation and pain. Tigers photographed with tourists in Southeast Asia are kept sedated or declawed to allow safe handling. Bear dancing involves painful nose rings and confinement. The availability of information about wildlife experience welfare — through organisations like World Animal Protection — enables travellers to make more informed choices, but peer social pressure and lack of awareness remain significant barriers. Responsible tourism advocacy works through both consumer education and direct engagement with the tourism industry.