The DOI matches its Crossref record; 40 of the 40 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Global regulations and local practices: the politics and governance of animal welfare in elephant tourism
Abstract
This paper examines challenges associated with global regulation of the tourism industry via an analysis of the use of elephants for trekking and safaris in Thailand and Botswana. It highlights inherent problems in applying universal principles in diverse locations; it unpicks the North–South power dynamics involved in drawing up global standards for elephant welfare in tourism. The development and expansion of elephant riding raise important ethical issues around questions of animal welfare, especially definitions of acceptable and appropriate standards for working animals. This paper uses a political economy approach to understandings of global governance to analyse who has the power to govern, at what scale and with what effects. It examines the role of animal welfare NGOs as key epistemic communities shaping the debate on elephant welfare. It discusses the highly variable practices of working with elephants in Botswana and in Thailand. It concludes that attempts at global regulation need to seriously engage with local level practices if global standards are to be workable and acceptable for tour operators, animal welfare NGOs, elephant camp owners and tourists alike. It raises leading global governance issues and discussions of the role of NGOs in governance, in general.
Overview
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Claims the paper makes
Citations
Cites
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Cited by
Animal ethics and tourism: deepening a stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework
Fakfare, P., Lee, J.-S., Kim, J. J., Ryu, H. B., & Han, H. (2024) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/00472875231175079 · Cited by 55
Management factors affecting physical health and welfare of tourist camp elephants in Thailand
Bansiddhi, P., Nganvongpanit, K., Brown, J. L., Punyapornwithaya, V., Pongsopawijit, P., & Thitaram, C. (2019) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.6756 · Cited by 32
Ghimire, R., Brown, J. L., Thitaram, C., & Bansiddhi, P. (2024) · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1370909 · Cited by 8
“Animal activists continually voice concerns regarding the welfare and management of tourist camp elephants (65, 66).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Duffy, R., & Moore, L.
- Affiliations
- University of Manchester (GB)
- ORCID
- Duffy, Rosaleen
- Venue
- Journal of Sustainable Tourism
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-05
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 4-5
- Pages
- 589-604
- ISSN
- 0966-9582 (ISSN-L)
- 1747-7646
- OpenAlex
- W2140725745
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 24.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Sustainable Tourism (publishedVersion)
- SOAS Research Online (SOAS University of London) (submittedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Geographies of human-animal interactions
- Social Sciences › Law › Animal Law and Welfare
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management › Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research
- Keywords
- elephant welfare, elephant tourism, global governance, global regulation, animal welfare standards, North-South power relations, epistemic communities, working animals, political economy of tourism, Thailand, Botswana, local practices
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