New Zealanders may unknowingly be supporting wild animal suffering by booking with travel companies like Webjet, after a new report found they are profiting from wildlife cruelty by selling tickets to some of the worst captive wildlife venues in the world.

World Animal Protection’s report “Caught in a web of cruelty: how animals suffer for Webjet’s profits” compares the wildlife policies and offerings of the biggest online travel companies in Aotearoa New Zealand and found Webjet ranks as ‘the worst’.

Venues sold by Webjet allow tourists to take part in experiences such as watching dolphin shows at venues linked to the bloody “Cove” hunts, and taking selfies with endangered orangutans.

The research found that Webjet currently sells tickets to:

• 31 captive dolphin or orca entertainment venues, with 19 of these linked to sourcing wild dolphins from the brutal Taiji dolphin hunts
• 32 captive elephant entertainment venues that offer either riding, bathing, shows or feeding experiences
• 59 captive monkey with 7 of these offering circus-style performances
• 34 captive tiger entertainment venues, with 28 of these allowing selfies, feeding or shows.

Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Aotearoa New Zealand said: “It’s appalling that in 2025, travel companies that New Zealanders trust continue to profit from the suffering of dolphins, tigers, elephants and more. People love to see animals on their holiday, but wild animals don’t need to suffer in cruel venues for our entertainment.”

“Webjet don’t practice what they preach. In one of their web blogs, they state elephant riding is ’cruel at worst and ethically dubious at best’, but the irony is they sell tickets to venues that abuse elephants for riding experiences and circus-style shows.”

“Decades ago we saw a ban on swimming with wild dolphins in the Bay of Islands, so it’s clear close encounters have long been off the table for New Zealanders, even when in the wild. Webjet needs to bring it’s offering into the 21st century.”

In 2023, Webjet partnered with Klook which means the platform now sells tickets to some of the worst venues in the world. World Animal Protection has directly assessed multiple venues sold by Webjet where animals showed obvious signs of mistreatment and disease.

The global animal welfare organisation is actioning a ‘stunt’ outside Webjet’s Headquarters in Melbourne, Australia this morning, educating employees as they arrive to work about the company’s connection to wildlife cruelty. Around the world, the charity is demonstrating the reputational damage travel companies face by aligning with exploitative wildlife experiences, and most recently targeted GetYourGuide in the US.

Webjet has refused to meaningfully engage with World Animal Protection, so it is hoped the release of this report will finally move the company to end their partnership with Klook and adopt a comprehensive, publicly available animal welfare policy.

The animal welfare organisation is urging consumers to not book with Webjet until they have taken action to stop selling animal cruelty. Instead it’s recommended to book directly with airlines or book with a responsible travel company that has an animal welfare policy, such as Booking.com, Intrepid, and Adventure World – all of which scored perfect marks in the report.

World Animal Protection has created a tool on their website that allows members of the public to write to Webjet with their concerns, to help keep the pressure on the travel giant.

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