World Animal Protection urges TUI Group to end the sale and promotion of captive dolphin entertainment, as celebrities and animal welfare organizations join forces to put an end to this cruel practice. In an open letter signed by Alesha Dixon, Bella Ramsey, Deborah Meaden, Evanna Lynch, Gail Porter, Joanna Lumley, Jane Fallon, Mark Watson, Sarah Jane Morris, Richa Moorjani, and Rou Reynolds, on behalf of World Animal Protection, TUI Group is being called out for profiting from the suffering of dolphins in captivity.
Dolphins are highly intelligent and powerful marine predators, known for their natural behaviors of swimming and hunting across vast oceans. However, in captivity, these animals are confined to tiny, barren, concrete tanks, exposed to infections and chemicals, and often drugged to cope with their captivity. This leads to severe stress and anxiety, causing them to self-mutilate and become aggressive.
Despite knowing the cruelty of this practice, TUI Group continues to profit from the suffering of at least 400 dolphins at around 25 entertainment venues. Alesha Dixon, singer, author, and TV personality, urges TUI to join other tour operators and stop selling tickets to dolphin entertainment. Deborah Meaden, businessperson and TV personality, also calls on TUI to do the right thing and stop promoting this cruel and exploitative attraction.
World Animal Protection Global Ambassadors, Evanna Lynch and Richa Moorjani, express their disappointment in TUI’s decision to continue promoting dolphin performances. They stress the importance of letting these intelligent creatures live in their natural habitats instead of confining them for human amusement.
TUI Group is urged to join other travel companies, governments, and tourists who have said no to cruel captive dolphin entertainment. In March 2024, easyJet holidays announced that they would not sell tickets to any captive wildlife attractions, including captive cetacean venues. Jet2holidays soon followed, announcing they would stop selling tickets to captive dolphin venues. Other major companies, such as Virgin Holidays, Expedia Group, Booking.com, and Airbnb, have also committed to never selling tickets for these cruel attractions.
In addition, countries like Canada, France, Brussels, and New South Wales have banned the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity. The Dutch travel association ANVR and South Africa’s SATSA also state that captive cetacean entertainment is unacceptable in their guidelines. In the UK, strict regulations have ensured that there have been no cetaceans in captivity for over 30 years.
Tricia Croasdell, CEO of World Animal Protection, emphasizes the urgency of the situation, stating that the longer companies like TUI Group continue promoting and selling tickets to captive dolphin entertainment, the worse the problem becomes. She adds that TUI has acknowledged the controversy surrounding this issue, and their own customers would rather see wild animals in their natural habitats. Yet, the company continues to stall on making any changes, putting profit before compassion.
World Animal Protection, along with 14 other animal welfare organizations, recently held a protest outside TUI Group’s Berlin headquarters, presenting a petition of 350,000 signatures from the general public who want to see an end to this cruel and outdated form of entertainment. The organization urges people to join the movement and call on TUI Group to end the sale and promotion of venues that use dolphins for entertainment, to ensure that this is the last generation of dolphins in captivity.
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Notes to Editor
To read the full letter please click here.
Earlier this month, World Animal Protection was joined by 14 other animal welfare organizations in a protest outside TUI Group’s Berlin headquarters, presenting a combined petition of 350,000 signatures from the general public who see the huge role TUI Group plays in perpetuating this cruel and outdated form of entertainment – which means a lifetime of these intelligent wild animals confined to tiny barren tanks performing circus tricks for food.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.