Animal welfare group World Animal Protection (WAP) has criticised travel giant TUI for promoting and selling tickets to dolphinariums where dolphins reportedly endure poor living conditions. In a recent report, WAP alleges that the animals are kept in small enclosures and forced to perform routines repeatedly, even when pregnant or elderly.
WAP accuses TUI of violating its own animal welfare policies. According to the report, dolphins and other cetaceans – a term referring to whales, dolphins, and porpoises – are kept in small tanks, often filled with chemically treated water. This contrasts with the natural habitat of bottlenose dolphins, which can have a range exceeding 100 km². The report calculates that a typical tank is approximately 200,000 times smaller than the animal’s natural range.
TUI is still profiting from cruelty.
— World Animal Protection (@MoveTheWorld) August 6, 2025
Our new Stories of Suffering report reveals that TUI continues to promote dolphin entertainment, supporting over 400 venues that confine, breed and exploit dolphins and other cetaceans.@TUIGroup is breaching its own animal welfare policy.… pic.twitter.com/b1RaA38qXt
The report also highlights that dolphins are exposed to harmful chemicals, which can lead to health problems like eye and skin irritation. The research also documents worn-down teeth from grinding on tank walls and aggressive “raking” marks on their bodies, which are scars left by other dolphins.
To compile the report, WAP conducted desk research combined with in-person visits by the researchers. The team identified 37 venues worldwide, with most located in Mexico, the USA, and Spain. While photographs were used for documentation, this wasn’t always possible due to venue restrictions on cameras.
WAP believes that TUI is fully aware of the issues discussed in the report. “The top brass at TUI are fully aware of the terrible conditions the animals are subjected to,” said Katheryn Wise, WAP’s Wildlife Campaign Manager. “The evidence has been presented to them time and again, but they consistently turn a blind eye. Their profit margins clearly outweigh welfare considerations for the dolphins they use.”
Besides WAP, others have also noticed TUI’s unfair practices. A recent survey of TUI customers across five countries found that 84% of the respondents believe that TUI should stop selling tickets to venues that breed dolphins. Additionally, travel companies such as Booking.com, Tripadvisor, easyJet, and Airbnb, among others, refuse to profit from captive dolphin entertainment. Countries like Belgium, France, and Canada have also banned captive breeding.
Michel Vandenbosch, president of the Belgian animal rights organisation GAIA, also condemned TUI for continuing to partner with these venues. He described them as outdated, calling them “a relic from sixty years ago,” and stressed that dolphins cannot thrive in captivity due to their complex cognitive, emotional, and social needs. According to Vandenbosch, dolphinariums are supported for pure financial reasons and highlighted that there are more ethical options. “There are all sorts of initiatives to spot them in the open ocean, where you can see them in all their splendour, just as they do in nature. Let’s abandon these outdated practices.”
TUI Belgium chose not to respond to the findings of the report.
