ABSTRACT
This conceptual chapter highlights the relation between current animal rights and welfare debates and tourist desires relating to animals and their interaction with them in the holiday environment. These debates are grounded in discussions surrounding whether animals are sentient beings – a highly contested and emotive issue with far reaching implications. The chapter is based on the notion that animals are sentient beings, while recognising that the level and nature of sentience differs across and within species. Within this context, the chapter debates the sustainability of current animal-human interactions within tourism and the associated implications for the tourism industry, society in general, and animal welfare.
