The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has released its first R4AWT Roundtable Report on Animal Welfare in Tourism, signalling a decisive move to formally integrate animal welfare into global sustainable tourism standards.
The report adopts a science-based, animal-centred framework built around the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, stressing that welfare must be assessed from the animal’s perspective rather than relying solely on regulatory compliance.
GSTC identified high-risk tourism practices including direct contact with wild animals, forced performances, visitor feeding, and abusive training methods as major areas of concern. It called for clearer definitions and globally consistent terminology to enable fair auditing and credible certification across destinations.
While advocating global minimum welfare benchmarks, the council acknowledged the need for species-specific and context-driven approaches. It underlined the role of hotels, tour operators and suppliers in shaping welfare outcomes through procurement policies, product design and guest education.
The report also emphasised the importance of auditor training to ensure credible implementation, favouring transparency and continuous improvement over punitive enforcement models.
As part of the initiative, GSTC introduced an Animal Welfare Glossary aimed at standardising terminology and strengthening consistency in sustainability assessments.
Industry stakeholders including the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums welcomed the move, describing it as a critical step toward ethical wildlife tourism practices.
The roundtable outcomes mark the beginning of a broader consultation process, with further guidance expected as GSTC refines its global sustainability framework.
