Sea World boss slams TripAdvisor ticket ban in name of animal welfare as ‘activism gone mad’ and claims it jeopardises Gold Coast tourism
- TripAdvisor website will no longer sell tickets to Sea World on the Gold Coast
- Sea World boss condemned the ban saying it dismissed all the good the park did
- Also said the ban was irresponsible due to its potential in jeopardising tourism
- ButTripAdvisor said the decision came after consultations with experts
Sea World boss Bikash Randhawa has slammed TripAdvisor’s ticket ban for the theme park as ‘activism gone mad’.
TripAdvisor has announced it will ban the sale of tickets to theme parks who house dolphins and whales following pressure from animal rights activists.
Animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) praised TripAdvisor’s decision to ‘officially reject tourism to marine mammal prisons like Sea World’.
However, Mr Randhawa described the ban as a blow for the park, and claimed it dismissed all the great work the parks and their staff have done in rescuing marine animals.
The marine park has come under fire from protesters in the past, despite rescuing over 600 animals and not housing any whales
The ban was also strongly reprimanded by State Tourism Minister Kate Jones who claimed ‘no one does more for the protection of marine animals on the Gold Coast than Sea World’
‘This is activism gone mad. It’s over the top. I think they are lost in the world of minorities who amplify their opinions on social media while the rest of the world is fully behind us,’ Mr Randhawa said.
He went on to describe the ban as ‘irresponsible’ due to its strong potential in jeopardising tourism in the area.
‘I believe what has happened here is that they have put themselves in an embarrassing and difficult spot by painting us with the same brush as Third World country operators who mistreat animals,’ he said.
Mr Randhawa wrote to TripAdvisor in an attempt to persuade the popular booking site of the park’s positive work with animals.
Following pressure from animal rights activists, TripAdvisor banned the sale of tickets to theme parks who house dolphins and whales
Sea World chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa went on to describe the ban as ‘irresponsible’ due to its strong potential in jeopardising tourism in the area
‘It’s disappointing that we were not engaged by you to understand our position, nor were we informed of this announcement by any representative from TripAdvisor, despite our long and successful working relationship,’ he wrote in the letter.
The ban was also strongly reprimanded by State Tourism Minister Kate Jones who claimed ‘no one does more for the protection of marine animals on the Gold Coast than Sea World’.
It was previously revealed in a statement that Sea World contributes millions of dollars to animal research and rescue yearly.
‘Throughout our history, we have conducted rescue operations on animals in need all over Australia, and while the goal with every rescue is to rehabilitate and release, this is not always the case and Sea World is a sanctuary for rescued animals,’ the statement read.
Animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) praised TripAdvisor’s decision to ‘officially reject tourism to marine mammal prisons like Sea World
The marine park has come under fire from protesters in the past, despite rescuing over 600 animals and not housing any whales.
But the global online website said the decision to ban the sale of tickets came after consultation with a number of experts.
Although TripAdvisor suggested some marine parks may be excluded from the ban, it seems Sea World is not part of the exception.