Finnish holiday companies such as Aurinkomatkat (Suntours), Apollomatkat (Apollo Travels) and TUI Finland are considering whether to follow Thomas Cook’s recent decision to stop selling tickets to facilities which display captive orcas. Thomas Cook Group decision will also apply to Tjäreborg, a Finnish holiday firm owned by the group.
Finnish travel company Aurinkomatkat currently sells tickets to several theme parks and aquariums with orca, however communications consultant Annina Metsola has commented that they will make their decision over the 2018 winter period.
TUI Finland said the company cannot comment until after the company releases its mid-term financial result, on August 6 – TUI’s website currently sells tickets to Loro Parque in Tenerife.
DFE welcomes this latest news and hopes that other tour operators will follow suit, to change their business model and phase out promoting/selling tickets to parks displaying orcas (and eventually all cetaceans).