Any commercial facility that breeds or imports cetaceans for public display will disappear from its systems over the coming months.
The travel inspiration platform says it hopes to roll out its new animal welfare policy in full by the end of the year.
TripAdvisor’s new policy will not apply to seaside sanctuaries that provide care to cetaceans already in captivity, the company has confirmed.
The firm becomes the latest travel company to end sales of captive whale and dolphin attractions following the likes of Virgin Holidays.
Its stipulation is that it will only engage with facilities that have, or are in the process of developing, alternative environments for captive cetaceans.
These must be seaside, defined as a natural body of coastal water such as a bay or cove, and must have made an official, public commitment to three key policies: ceasing and preventing the breeding of cetaceans in its care; ceasing the importation of captive cetaceans from other facilities for public display; and ceasing the capture and importation of wild cetaceans for public display.
TripAdvisor says its decision follows “extensive consultation” with marine biologists, zoologists and conservationists, and evaluation of scientific evidence and arguments presented “from all sides”.
“The extensive evidence presented to us by the experts was compelling,” said Dermot Halpin, TripAdvisor president experiences and rentals. “Whales and dolphins do not thrive in limited captive environments, and we hope to see a future where they live as they should – free and in the wild.
“We believe the current generation of whales and dolphins in captivity should be the last, and we look forward to seeing this position adopted more widely throughout the travel industry.”
