Protecting Animals & Nature in Adventure Travel
Animals and nature are vital to adventure travel and the places we love to visit. But poor animal interactions have drawn negative media attention and public concern. Some tour operators have dropped animal-based activities. Others are unsure what they can and cannot sell.
This course, delivered by ANIMONDIAL, leading experts in responsible animal tourism, helps you navigate this complex topic. You will learn how to tell appropriate animal-based products from harmful ones, reduce risk, protect clients and local livelihoods, and create your own animal protection commitment. With the right policies in place, your company can protect animals and nature, meet its CSR and SDG goals, and work toward Net Zero.
Course Instructors
What makes this course different?
- Expertise delivered from skilled trainers and consultants in the field of animal and biodiversity protection in tourism
- Capture the big picture and then nail down how to get to work in your own operations through Individual assessment worksheets and globally relevant resources
- Case studies in adventure tourism and knowledge-building through the lens of non-governmental organizations
- Guidance to help you address the drivers of both biodiversity loss and climate change, which are driven by the same human activities
Course Overview
- Hours of on-demand video
- 5+
- Expert interviews
- 6
- Quizzes
- 14
- Hands-on exercises
- 4
What you will learn:
- The costs and benefits of animal-based tourism, and how to tell high-risk activities from responsible alternatives.
- The business case for animal protection, and its role in planetary health, climate action, and reaching Net Zero.
- How to assess and maintain animal welfare, and how to spot and manage unsustainable use of nature.
- How to create, apply, and communicate your animal protection commitment with colleagues, suppliers, and customers.
- How your work supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially #13, #14, #15, and #17.
- Why community-led animal protection matters and how to support it.
"As the owner of a wildlife rescue center, I can say this training is very useful for travel companies. The information is complete and clear, very focused on the subject, and the volume is enough. It has given me a lot of 'a-ha moments' such as the product development process laid out step-by-step with details and action plans, which help me to organize the process. This guideline is useful not only to an individual person but the whole team."
Course Pricing
ATTA Business Member
Non-ATTA Business Member
$299
Not an ATTA Business Member, but want to join?
Learn More About the Course
Section 1
Introduction to Protecting Animals and Nature in Adventure Travel
Protecting animals and nature in tourism – promoted as an opportunity to lead, where others follow. Providing an insight into the topic, the related business risk if protective measures are not adopted, and business benefits when actions are taken to better protect animals and nature.
Section 2
Connecting with Nature
Description: The 2021 Glasgow Declaration: Climate Action in Tourism states that “Restoring nature - and our relationship with it - will be key to our sector’s recovery from the pandemic, as well as its future prosperity and resilience.” Minimising business impact on biodiversity and restoring nature is an ESSENTIAL component in reaching Net Zero. As a part of nature ourselves, we must provide opportunities for travellers to reconnect, understand, appreciate and respect nature as our lifeline for wellbeing, prosperity and survival.
Section 3
Safeguarding Animal Welfare
Ensuring all animals involved in holiday or vacation offerings / excursions have a life worth living. Where a respect for life on Earth starts with recognising and safeguarding animals’ individual and species-specific welfare needs. This section defines animal welfare, considers methods of animal welfare assessment, and introduces the tools available to help your business protect animals in your supply chain.
Section 4
Aligning Your Animal Product
Review your activities with animals, ensure high risk is identified and align your product and activities portfolio to your brand and mission. Consider alternatives to ‘stop sale’, positively engage with your partners and suppliers, and, working with local communities, adopt animal-friendly, Nature Positive experiences that protect biodiversity and restore nature.
Section 5
Protecting Threatened Species
Underpinning biological diversity, efforts must seek to prevent the killing, wild-capture, trade and sale of animal and plant species threatened with extinction, and to better protect endemic fauna and flora. Considers the relevance of unsustainable consumption, such as illegal wildlife trade, to tourism, biodiversity loss, and the required safeguards.
Section 6
Making your Business a Force for Good
Discover how you can make your travel business a force for good, and align with the global goals to put animal and nature protection at the forefront of the sustainability agenda. During this session you will learn how to set your business sustainability agenda, and ensure it adds value to your business, your customers and investors, as well as the communities and environments you work alongside. You will also find out the value of NGO partnerships and how best to work together for maximum long-term change.
Section 7
Integrating your Animal Protection Commitment
The final chapter! On learning the principles of the better protection of animals and nature in tourism, this section considers how you can best implement and integrate your learnings throughout the business. Providing you the means to promote your brand as a leader in animal protection.
This is not a course just for those that have a focus on wildlife, but for any business that operates in any environment where animals can interact with visitors. The course is complete and gave us great insights and tips that we will certainly discuss with the team to include in our operation. We encourage all adventure travel business to take this course as a way to improve our collective responsibility in operations, in the field, and also as a commitment to the planet.