Protests force travel convention organisers to drop dolphin entertainment plans

A decision to include captive dolphins as part of the entertainment at a major world convention for travel writers has been dropped following outrage amongst some of the journalist due to attend.

Event organisers describe the TBEX convention, being held in Cancun in September, as the world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers, writers, new media content creators, and social media travel industry professionals.

However, many of those journalists had threatened to boycott the convention after it was revealed in July that organisers arranging activities for attendees were going to include swimming with, training, or being pulled along by dolphins.

One travel journalist said: ‘We have a responsibility to hold ourselves and our profession up to a higher standard when it comes to wildlife tourism, by not supporting any activity, excursion or organisation that exploits or harms animals for tourist pleasure.’

TBEX organisers had initially refused to drop the tours stating that they not be bullied into cancelling it. But, following a sustained campaign by some travel writers, the dolphin ‘experiences’ will now not be offered as part of TBEX conference entertainment activities.