Humane Tourism
Better Visitor Experiences. More Humane Outcomes.
For free-roaming and stray cats and dogs in tourism destinations.
Tourism destinations are shared places where visitors, communities and animals coexist. Humane Tourism brings these perspectives together to support better visitor experiences and more humane outcomes for free-roaming and stray cats and dogs.
Explore the CANDi Approach
Definition
What Is Humane Tourism?
Humane Tourism is an approach to destination management that connects visitor experience, local communities and the humane care of free-roaming and stray cats and dogs.
In many destinations, these animals are part of everyday community life and the visitor experience.
It encourages practical, collaborative approaches that reflect the needs and realities of each destination.
A Missing Conversation
A Missing Conversation in Tourism
Animal welfare is increasingly recognized as part of responsible tourism. Yet the connection between free-roaming and stray cats and dogs, visitor experience and destination management is not always addressed as a connected issue.
In many destinations, these animals are not part of a planned tourism activity. They are simply part of the places visitors experience.
Humane Tourism brings this conversation into focus.
Photo: Tracey Buyce PhotographyWhy It Matters
Why Humane Tourism Matters
Free-roaming and stray cats and dogs can be highly visible in tourism destinations.
For many visitors, encountering them becomes part of their experience of a place.
Their condition and treatment can influence how visitors feel about a destination, what they remember and the questions they take home with them.
Creating better outcomes requires collaboration between tourism, communities, animal welfare organizations, veterinary professionals and local governments.
Humane Tourism in Practice
Every Destination Is Different
Humane Tourism is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Every destination has its own challenges, resources, culture and community needs.
Effective approaches must reflect local realities.
Advancing Humane Tourism
An Initiative of CANDi
CANDi – Cats and Dogs International is working to advance Humane Tourism through education, destination partnerships and collaboration.
Our goal is to help tourism destinations create better visitor experiences and more humane outcomes for free-roaming and stray cats and dogs.
Creating Humane Tourism Destinations
Better destinations begin with understanding, collaboration and practical action.