Klook renews partnership with Wild Welfare

Asian travel services platform Klook recently renewed its partnership with prominent international animal welfare charity Wild Welfare. 

The renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines the partnership’s commitment to promote responsible and ethical tourism practices. 

This significant collaboration will aim to elevate animal welfare standards within the travel and tourism sector; improving the standard of care and welfare of animals used for tourism across the world. 

Klook senior manager for sustainability Rebecca Keiller remarked:: “At Klook, we believe that travel should be a force for good. By renewing our partnership with Wild Welfare, we are reaffirming our commitment to promote responsible and ethical tourism practices. We are excited to continue working together to create a more sustainable and compassionate future for wild animals.” 

Likewise, Wild Welfare director Simon Marsh opined: “This partnership offers a unique opportunity to continue raising awareness of animal welfare issues within the tourism industry and to drive meaningful change. By working together, we can work towards making a positive and tangible difference to animals negatively affected by tourism activities around the globe.” 

By combining Klook’s global reach with Wild Welfare’s expertise, the two organisations are positioned to make a positive lasting impact on the lives of countless animals around the world. 

What is covered under the new understanding?

Expanding on the successful partnership, Wild Welfare will continue to offer educational resources, including webinars, to enhance Klook employees’ understanding of animal welfare best practices. 

The online programme trained participants how to recognise practices in which good animal welfare principles may be compromised within a touristic setting. Klook and Wild Welfare aim to leverage their combined expertise and influence to not only elevate welfare standards of partner location on the Klook platform, but also to drive positive change for the care and welfare of animals within the wider tourism sector. 

Both Klook and Wild Welfare are committed to continuing the development of staff training resources as the partnership grows. 

An evaluation process of partner activities featured on the Klook platform will also be developed. These assessments aim to highlight potential welfare concerns at listed facilities, in accordance with Klook’s animal protection policy. 

The initiative hopes to reassure customers that partner locations and tours are offering ethical and compliant experiences to tourists. Guidelines for these evaluations have been developed by Wild Welfare. 

Welfare-centric tourism

The partnership will continue to actively promote welfare-friendly tourism initiatives, such as responsible wildlife encounters, across Klook’s global platform. 

By increasing public awareness about the importance of making responsible choices, the programme hopes to encourage travelers to make informed decisions about the activities they pursue and the direct impact this may have on an animal’s welfare. 

This promotion of ethical tourism reaches across the board, from promoting responsible whale watching tours to the move away from traditional elephant riding experiences. 

Another key feature of this partnership will see Klook and Wild Welfare advocate for the development and implementation of stronger animal welfare regulations within tourism-related industries. 

This includes working with governments and associations to promote ethical practices, encouraging other travel agencies to adopt similar practices, and driving a broader shift towards sustainable options for tourists, when booking their next trip.