SEOUL, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s top travel agency, Hana Tour Inc. said Wednesday it will no longer offer programs included in overseas travel packages that may involve animal abuse.
Since November of last year, the company has excluded from all travel packages controversial programs like elephant trekking, carriage rides led by a whipped horse, animal shows held under poor conditions and touching animals trapped in a cage.
Other programs, however, like one in Thailand’s Chiang Mai that offers participants a chance to feed and play with elephants at an elephant sanctuary will still be offered.
Hana Tour explained that the recent exclusion of a number of programs comes as a part of the company’s embrace environmental, social and governance (ESG) management, reflecting concerns raised by its customers.
Image Credit: Hana Tour Inc. / Chiang Mai Elephant Friends / photonews@koreabizwire.com