South Africa Marks World Tourism Day 2025 with Call for Ethical Travel
FOUR PAWS spotlights “Dethroned” documentary and #TravelKind campaign to drive sustainable transformation in tourism
Cape Town, 17 September 2025 — On 27 September 2025, South Africa will join the rest of the world in celebrating World Tourism Day under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”. The day highlights how travel can be a driver for positive change, boosting local economies, protecting cultural heritage, and safeguarding the environment.
For FOUR PAWS South Africa, this year’s theme is an opportunity to shine a light on ethical tourism, especially when it comes to wildlife. Through the award-winning investigative documentary “Dethroned” and the organisation’s long running #TravelKind movement, FOUR PAWS is urging South Africans to reconsider how travel choices impact animals, ecosystems, and communities.
Exposing the True Cost of Wildlife Tourism
“Dethroned”, created in partnership with TERRA MATER Studios and FOUR CORNERS Film & Photography, exposes the realities of the world’s commercial big cat industry. In South Africa lions and other big cats are bred for tourism activities such as cub petting, walking with lions, and trophy hunting. The documentary, which won Gold at the 2025 International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA), lays bare the reality behind what is often marketed as conservation tourism. It challenges travellers to ask whether their holiday experiences are helping wildlife or exploiting it.
#TravelKind: Turning Awareness into Action
FOUR PAWS’ #TravelKind campaign is a call to make conscious choices that protect animals and the planet, like the destinations we visit - without contributing to animal cruelty. When applied to tourism, the campaign urges South Africans to:
- Avoid attractions that exploit animals for entertainment.
- Support genuine sanctuaries and conservation projects.
- Choose travel options that respect wildlife habitats and local communities.
A Call for Sustainable Transformation in South African Tourism
Wildlife tourism is a cornerstone of South Africa’s travel economy, yet unethical practices threaten its sustainability and global reputation. By choosing responsible, cruelty-free travel experiences, tourists can help ensure that South Africa remains a world-class destination that protects its natural heritage.
FOUR PAWS is calling on:
- Travellers to research destinations and avoid animal exploitation.
- Tour operators to adopt ethical wildlife tourism standards.
- Government and policymakers to strengthen animal welfare laws in the tourism sector.
- An end to the commercial big cat industry in South Africa
For more information, please visit our website at www.four-paws.org.za
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za