Animal Welfare Policy

Harmony Bridge Travel is committed to responsible tourism that respects and protects the animals, ecosystems, and communities impacted by travel. As interest in wildlife experiences grows, we recognize the critical need to ensure that animal encounters are ethical, non-exploitative, and conservation-driven.

Certain tourism practices—such as elephant rides, animal performances, and direct-contact interactions—cause harm and do not align with true conservation efforts. Our goal is to offer experiences that inspire travelers while ensuring wildlife is treated with dignity and respect.

We believe that wild animals belong in the wild. When under human care, animals must be provided with conditions that support their physical and mental well-being, allow for natural behaviors, and ensure they live free from unnecessary stress and suffering.

Our policy is informed by World Animal Protection guidelines and the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, ensuring that we follow globally recognized best practices while considering the ecological and cultural context of Southwest China and other regional destinations.

At Harmony Bridge Travel, we ensure that our wildlife-related tourism experiences adhere to the following ethical standards:

1. Respect for the Five Domains of Animal Welfare: We assess all wildlife-related experiences based on:

• Nutrition: Access to a sufficient, clean, and species-appropriate diet.

• Environment: Living conditions that provide comfort, safety, and space for natural movement.

• Health: Freedom from disease, injury, and unnecessary suffering.

• Behavior: The ability to engage in natural activities, such as foraging, socializing, and resting.

• Mental State: Animals should experience positive emotional states while minimizing distress.

2. No Exploitation of Wild Animals for Tourism: We do not sell or promote activities that involve:

• Direct-contact experiences, such as riding, petting, or handling wild animals (e.g., elephant rides, tiger selfies, swimming with dolphins).

• Animal performances or forced unnatural behaviors, including circuses, staged fights, or tricks (e.g., dolphin shows, orangutan boxing, elephant painting).

• Facilities that breed animals for tourism, trade, or human interaction rather than conservation.

• Wildlife used for sport, fighting, or gambling, such as bear bile farms, dog fights, and staged animal combat.

3. Promoting Ethical Alternatives: Instead of exploitative experiences, we encourage:

• Observing wildlife in natural habitats from a respectful distance, such as responsibly managed birdwatching, panda and snow leopard tracking, and guided ecotourism hikes.

• Genuine sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers that provide lifetime care for animals without commercial breeding or public interaction.

• Accredited zoos and aquariums that focus on conservation and do not allow direct contact activities or animal performances.

Southwest China is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, home to endangered species like the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, Asian elephants, red pandas, and wild tigers. Many traditional tourism models have relied on captive animal experiences, but we believe in shifting toward responsible, conservation-driven wildlife tourism.

Our approach ensures that wildlife encounters in China, Southeast Asia, and regional destinations support species protection, habitat conservation, and community-led stewardship. We work to:

• Encourage educational wildlife experiences that focus on observation, conservation, and ethical engagement.

• Educate travelers on how to recognize and avoid unethical wildlife attractions.

• Support eco-friendly transit and low-impact wildlife tourism models, ensuring that encounters do not disrupt fragile ecosystems.

We recognize that we are not yet where we want to be—we are still working to align every aspect of our supply chain with higher animal welfare and conservation standards. While we do not yet hold third-party certifications, we are committed to:

• Raising awareness among our partners, encouraging tourism operators, accommodations, and guides to transition toward ethical wildlife practices.

• Continuously reviewing and refining our animal welfare policy as industry best practices evolve.

• Advocating for conservation-based tourism at the local, provincial, and national levels.

Tourism has the power to protect rather than exploit. As we grow, our goal is to lead by example, ensuring that the demand for sustainable tourism increases and that travel agencies, tour operators, and travelers recognize ethical wildlife encounters as the standard, not the exception.

We invite travelers, suppliers, and partners to join us in building a responsible, ethical approach to wildlife tourism—one that respects animals, preserves biodiversity, and enriches both travelers and host communities.

Some souvenirs come from endangered animals. Please don't buy:

• Tortoiseshell jewelry, combs, glasses frames or boxes, made from hawksbill sea turtles. As a sponsor of SEE Turtles, we back their Too Rare To Wear campaign, which shows how to spot it.
• Ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, tiger parts and coral. They are illegal to trade and to bring home to the U.S. or Canada.
• Anything sold as a "wild" animal product, including some traditional medicines. Ask your guide if you're not sure.

Yunnan's crafts are a wonderful alternative: tie-dye from Dali, silverwork, Pu'er tea, Jianshui pottery and embroidery made by the artisans themselves.