Tourists' and Activists' Opinions on Tourist Attractions with Marine Mammals

Wass, Ditte Maria

4. term

Tourism, Master

2017

2017-05-31

165

This thesis examines ethical views on tourist attractions featuring marine mammals, a topic that has intensified in public debate since the documentary Blackfish and subsequent criticism of venues such as SeaWorld. The aim is to explore what tourists think about these attractions and how their perspectives differ from those of animal activists, including tourists’ motivations for visiting, activists’ reasons for opposing captivity, and whether tourists perceive an ethical distinction between keeping orcas and dolphins. The study is an explanatory, qualitative inquiry conducted within a constructivist paradigm. Data were gathered in three stages: netnography of TripAdvisor, blogs, and websites; recruitment of tourists via social media, TripAdvisor, and blogs and of activists via organization sites and blogs; and semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face, by phone, via Skype/Facetime, or by email, supplemented by blog posts and reviews. The analysis draws on animal and tourism ethics, attitudes toward animals, and push–pull motivation. Findings indicate that some tourists view these attractions positively while others are negative; across the board, tourists emphasize proper treatment and high standards of care. Some tourists share activists’ ethical concerns, believing marine mammals suffer in captivity, whereas others justify captivity on educational and conservation grounds if welfare is ensured. Activists generally express stronger opposition and more complex, research-based arguments. The thesis thus clarifies both overlaps and differences in the ethical perspectives of tourists and activists.

Dette speciale undersøger de etiske holdninger til turistattraktioner med havpattedyr, der har været genstand for øget offentlig debat siden dokumentaren Blackfish og efterfølgende kritik af bl.a. SeaWorld. Formålet er at afdække, hvad turister mener om sådanne attraktioner, og hvordan deres synspunkter adskiller sig fra dyrs aktivisters, herunder turisters motivationer for at besøge attraktionerne, aktivisters begrundelser for at være imod fangenskab, samt om turister vurderer orkaer og delfiner forskelligt etisk. Projektet er et forklarende, kvalitativt studie under en konstruktivistisk tilgang. Data blev indsamlet i tre faser: netnografi af TripAdvisor, blogs og hjemmesider; rekruttering af turister via sociale medier, TripAdvisor og blogs samt aktivister via organisationssider og blogs; og semistrukturerede interviews gennemført ansigt-til-ansigt, telefon, Skype/Facetime eller e-mail, suppleret med blogindlæg og anmeldelser. Analysen er forankret i dyre- og turismeetik, holdninger til dyr og push-pull motivationsbegreber. Resultaterne peger på, at nogle turister ser attraktionerne som positive, mens andre er negative; fælles er dog en bekymring for, at dyrene behandles ordentligt og modtager den bedst mulige pleje. En del turister deler aktivisters etiske bekymringer og mener, at havpattedyr lider i fangenskab, mens andre mener, at fangenskab kan retfærdiggøres gennem uddannelse og naturbevarelse, forudsat høj dyrevelfærd. Aktivister udtrykker generelt stærkere modstand mod fangenskab og fremfører mere komplekse, forskningsunderbyggede argumenter. Specialet belyser dermed både ligheder og forskelle i etiske perspektiver mellem turister og aktivister.

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