Tui has further clarified its stance following a petition from "well over" 200 independent travel agents, including most TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors.
The petition said Tui Group sold tickets to around 25 venues “holding approximately 400 dolphins”. An open letter to Tui told the operator 100,000 signatures had been collected from UK holidaymakers calling for an end to sales.
Following the letter’s publication, Tui Group said it was “currently reviewing” its policy for venues with captive cetaceans and was “doing an in-depth analysis of scientific research”.
Speaking to TTG earlier this week, Tui UK and Ireland managing director Andrew Flintham, said: "We are not stopping selling attractions that have the highest level of animal welfare. Our approach has always been that we will let the customer choose. It’s the consumer’s choice whether they want to partake.”
In response, Travel Counsellor Marie Rowe, one of the leaders of the campaign, accused Tui of "greenwashing".
"We’re not going to shut up about it. Their new Christmas TV ad focusses on yoga and wellness - they don’t feature dolphins playing with hula hoops.”
Tui follows Abta’s Animal Welfare Guidelines, but these do not have specific guidance on captive dolphins, which Abta removed in 2019. “We withdrew the dolphin manual because opinion was split on what the evidence says about being able to manage the welfare needs of dolphins in captivity,” the association said.
Rowe, a TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassador, argued this should not affect any operator’s decision on selling captive dolphin attractions. “There are no guidelines, so the choice is whether you sell it or not."
She predicted other major operators would eventually realise they were against the tide of opinion among the trade and consumers.
Brands including Gold Medal, Ocean Florida, Tui Group and Attraction World continue to sell SeaWorld in Florida for example, while Tui Group and Jet2holidays sell Loro Parque in Tenerife. TTG’s ‘Big Question’ in August explored the issues in more detail.
The row comes as parliament prepares to ratify an act to outlaw the sale of ‘low welfare’ animal attractions aboard, although these are unlikely to include those sold in the UK by big operators.
