HBX Group introduces the Animal Welfare Experience Project 

At HBX Group, we believe that travel should be synonymous with respect, sustainability, and wellbeing. That’s why we have launched the Animal Welfare Experience Project – an initiative focused on improving how tourism experiences are offered, ensuring they prioritise animal wellbeing and responsible practices. 

This project aims to ensure that all animal-related activities offered through HBX Group’s platforms by third-party suppliers meet the highest ethical and sustainability standards. To achieve this, we have developed a comprehensive framework that sets clear expectations for providers and travellers. It includes a corporate policy, a classification system to segment the entire portfolio by interaction level, and digital tools that allow our clients to filter and select experiences aligned with their values. 

We have completed a full segmentation of our experience portfolio, reviewing 13,717 tourism experiences to assess the level of interaction with animals. This analysis allows us to offer transparency and adapt our products to ethical and commercial preferences. 

To classify experiences, we created a structured framework based on international standards and best practices. It includes four levels: 

Activities with no animals involved, directly or indirectly. Focused on culture, nature, sports, or wellness. Zero impact on wildlife or domesticated animals.

No direct contact with wild or domesticated animals. Promotes observation in natural habitats without interference, supporting conservation and education.

Contact with animals under strict regulations. Animals are usually domesticated or rehabilitated. Requires professional supervision and ethical practices.

Activities involving animals for entertainment or commercial purposes that may lack sufficient consideration for their welfare. These often include forced training, inadequate living conditions, or stressful direct contact with humans.

• Market demand is growing: Travellers and industry partners increasingly expect responsible experiences. Leading brands such as British Airways, Travel Counsellors, and Flight Centre Travel Group have already requested products that meet these standards. 

• International regulations: Countries like the UK have introduced laws banning the promotion of animal-related activities that fail to meet ethical standards, even if they take place abroad. Similar regulations are expected to expand globally. 

• Reputation and trust: By taking the lead on animal welfare, HBX Group strengthens its position as a responsible, forward-thinking company, building trust with partners, clients, and travellers. 

The HBX Group Animal Welfare Policy sets out clear principles aligned with international standards such as WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) and ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): 

• Respect and dignity towards animals.
• No practices causing harm, stress, or suffering.
• Promotion of natural behaviours.
• Education and awareness for partners and customers.
• Continuous improvement of practices. 

The policy applies to all partners and suppliers offering animal-related tourism activities and covers all species, both domestic and wild, across all destinations.

• Contracting manual to ensure ethical standards from the start.
• Digital tools enabling clients to filter experiences by animal welfare criteria.
• Enhanced ESG validation for experience-based services to guarantee transparency and control. 

This project is more than a response to market trends – it’s an opportunity to lead the transformation towards ethical, transparent, and sustainable tourism.