Ethical Animal Tourism

The SPANA Holiday Hooves Guide is packed full of advice on how you can choose healthy looking donkeys, horses, mules and camels for activities abroad.

Activities like a camel safari, donkey ride or a horse-drawn carriage tour can be a unique way to see a different country on holiday and thousands enjoy these excursions every year.

Thousands of donkeys, horses, mules and camels are used in the tourism industry worldwide to transport holidaymakers on rides, treks and tours. These animals generate a livelihood for their owners, ensuring that they are able to earn an income to support their families.

But despite the relentless hard work of animals pulling carriages or carrying tourists and luggage, they can be poorly treated, neglected and beaten. Also many do not receive any veterinary care in the event of illness or injury, which can lead to serious health and welfare issues.

Ethical tourism: you can make a difference

As a tourist, you are in the unique position to positively influence the way owners treat their animals. By following our Holiday Hooves guide, you can choose to support the owners who treat and care for their animals with kindness and respect. In turn, this will encourage others to do the same.

These guidelines are designed to help you choose the most responsible animal tour providers and give you advice on what you can do if you see animals mistreated abroad. It shows six ways for holidaymakers to improve the lives of working donkeys, horses, mules and camels used in the tourism industry abroad.

Our Holiday Hooves guidance is being updated for 2023 and will be available in the next few weeks. If you have an urgent enquiry, please email hello@spana.org.