Exemplary Voyages implements animal welfare policy | Daily News

Exemplary Voyages implements animal welfare policy

Exemplary Voyages (Pvt) Ltd, a tour operator in the country, will implement an animal welfare policy (AWP) before the end of this year.

Speaking to Daily News Business, Exemplary Voyages General Manager Dhanushka Wijeyekoon said the objective of this initiative is to protect animal rights by creating the awareness among all sectors, especially tour operators and local and foreign tourists on the importance of animal welfare.

He said being a responsible inbound tour operator, Exemplary Voyages has taken this animal welfare initiative to promote sustainable tourism in the country and limit such activities in operational process where animals are harassed for commercial purposes.

Wijeyekoon further said animal welfare has become a concern in all aspects of business, especially in the tourism and hospitality industry in many countries.

He said that innocent animals are used by tour operators in the country to please tourists, especially foreign tourists even without considering their plight.

“We are also aware that various animal loving local and international pressure groups always voice their opinion on the importance of animal welfare and the impression they made so far is impressive,” Wijeyekoon said.

Wijeyekoon said they will not encourage foreign tourists to visit or experience this sort of tourist attractions as this is completely against the animal rights policy of Exemplary Voyages.

He said his organization has also planned to educated travelers and tour groups who are visiting Sri Lanka in the future with Exemplary Voyages, on the importance of animal welfare.

“We believe that animals are a part of nature and should co-exist with human beings and therefore we firmly stand for animal welfare and are committed to ensuring that they are not harmed in any way."

Exemplary Voyages supports five pillars of basic animal welfare such as the freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behavior and freedom from fear and distress.

Wijeyekoonr also said, "In our industry most of us overuse the available resources to please tourists with a very myopic view of future sustainability."

For example, he said, Sigiriya and Habarana areas have not more than 10 elephants to conduct rides and during high season those animals are badly exploited. He said even at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, elephants are harassed by most of the tourists and that there many other local activities to attract tourists, that the industry can focus on. 


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