Carrier ‘reaffirms’ commitment to ethical wildlife experiences

Luxury tour operator Carrier has “reaffirmed” its commitment to spotlighting ethical wildlife experiences through staff workshops, agent training and a “dedicated” internal team of animal welfare champions.

The operator said it will continue “supporting trade partners with clarity and confidence to guide clients towards responsible choices”.

Since launching a group-wide policy around responsible wildlife interactions in 2019, the company has introduced a “dedicated” team of animal welfare champions that have mapped every animal-related activity in the Carrier programme, evaluating each one against recognised best practice criteria.

The operator has also delivered animal welfare workshops across all its teams, giving frontline staff “a clear understanding” of which experiences are permitted, why certain activities are no longer bookable and how best to communicate this to agents.

To further support its trade partners, Carrier has also created a suite of tools including a training sheet and series of videos, helping agents to “feel confident” when selling wildlife experiences.

The materials are available through the Carrier Agent Portal.

To mark World Wildlife Day (March 3), the operator has selected a range of “extraordinary” animal encounters that are ethical and make a “measurable contribution” to conservation.

These include tracking endangered rhino on foot in Kenya’s Borano Conservancy, enjoying Bengal tiger experiences in Kanha, India, and witnessing the world’s largest Asian elephant gathering in Sri Lanka.

These initiatives align with Carrier’s wider statement on responsible travel, which says: “We want to build a travel community that is deeply connected and deeply compassionate about contributing to the protection and progress of our planet and the people that call it home.”