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STA Travel rolls back SeaWorld ban STA Travel reinstates SeaWorld ban
(about 3 hours later)
STA Travel has made an embarrassing apology after withdrawing a pledge to stop selling trips to SeaWorld marine parks in Florida and California on animal welfare grounds. STA Travel has completed an embarrassing double U-turn on its pledge to stop selling trips to SeaWorld marine parks, implementing a ban it first announced last week and then withdrew.
The youth travel company blamed "internal confusion" at the company for mistakenly announcing the move last week, part of company-wide moves to ensure its products were "of high quality and responsible". . The youth travel company on Wednesday blamed "internal confusion" at the company for mistakenly announcing the move last week, part of company-wide moves to ensure its products were "of high quality and responsible". On Thursday, it announced that the ban was back in place.
The announcement, reported by the Guardian last week and welcomed by animal welfare campaigners, sparked nearly 8,900 Facebook shares and hundreds of tweets by Thursday. However the position appeared to change in later media reports. The initial announcement, reported by the Guardian last week and welcomed by animal welfare campaigners, sparked more than 9,000 Facebook shares and hundreds of tweets by Thursday.
STA now says it is still reviewing whether it should continue to offer tours including SeaWorld. However that position was changed in a later statement to say that the SeaWorld trips were only under review, although an end to tours including elephant rides and visits to the Tiger Temple in Thailand remained.
The company, which provides flights, accommodation, tours and expeditions for 2.5 million students and young people each year, told the Guardian in a statement last week: "We have now removed the following experiences from our product range: elephant rides, tiger temples, SeaWorld San Diego & Orlando." In its latest statement STA, which organises trips involving 2.5 million students and young people a year, apologised "for any confusion caused regarding our relationship with SeaWorld. We can confirm STA Travel has no direct contract with SeaWorld, and following further review due to the low demand and desire from our customers to experience this product, it is not available for sale in our reservation systems as of 22 May."
The announcement was confirmed in further contact with the company, which said it was "constantly assessing our products to make sure they are of a high quality and responsible". The company said it remained committed to selling "safe and ethical" trips. SeaWorld said in response to last week's first, retracted, announcement: "Although STA Travel are not contracted directly by SeaWorld, it is disappointing that they have made the decision to stop selling tickets to our parks.
Approached by the Guardian again this week, the company issued another statement. "We apologise for any confusion. In March this year we began a full audit of all the experiences we sell globally that feature animals, of which SeaWorld is one. There was some internal confusion last week about our position with SeaWorld. To be clear, we will continue to sell SeaWorld until a full audit and review has been completed, and an informed decision made. All other products discussed (elephant rides and tiger temples) remain firmly off sale."
The words in both statements were attributed to Kathryn Kirkpatrick, the company's social responsibility manager.
The Guardian also spoke to Kirkpatrick last week and approached SeaWorld, which said in a statement: "Although STA Travel are not contracted directly by SeaWorld, it is disappointing that they have made the decision to stop selling tickets to our parks.
"It is unfortunate that STA Travel did not approach SeaWorld when conducting this evaluation so that we could share with them our high standards of care and the rigorous inspection and accreditation process that assures the health and well-being of our animals.""It is unfortunate that STA Travel did not approach SeaWorld when conducting this evaluation so that we could share with them our high standards of care and the rigorous inspection and accreditation process that assures the health and well-being of our animals."
The statement continued: "Unfortunately, like most zoological institutions, we are sometimes targeted by animal activist groups that are opposed to the display of animals and too often trade in charges that are completely baseless. There is no higher priority for SeaWorld than the safety of our employees and guests and the welfare of our animals."The statement continued: "Unfortunately, like most zoological institutions, we are sometimes targeted by animal activist groups that are opposed to the display of animals and too often trade in charges that are completely baseless. There is no higher priority for SeaWorld than the safety of our employees and guests and the welfare of our animals."