The ethics of elephant tourism in Luang Prabang

Next month will mark 20 years since the Town of Luang Prabang was inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The town, located in mountainous northern Laos, Luang Prabang became the capital of the Kingdom of "Million Elephants" (Lane Xang) between the 14th and 16th centuries, and more recently came to prominence during the period of the French Protectorate in the late 19th century.

Given the growing number of visitors to the area since the town's world heritage designation, it is not surprising that the anniversary has become the focal point for an "elephant caravan", in which 20 elephants and their mahouts (handlers) will parade through Luang Prabang on December 9 following a cross-country march.

As reported this weekend by The Guardian, the march is being organized by a conservation charity, ElefantAsia, and is meant to raise awareness of the plight of elephants in Laos.

However, the march is also serving to re-ignite an ongoing debate about the ethics of elephant-focussed tourism. While its proponents argue that domesticated elephants have long been a feature of the economies and culture of South-East Asian countries such as Laos, and tourism is "gentler" than logging, elephants' traditional profession in Laos. However, many conservationists and animal welfare advocate point to the cruel techniques used to break elephants for a career in tourism and the health hazards for elephants who are forced to carry tourists on their back.

 

Jungle hire with elephant at ENR

While I have no experience of elephant tourism in Laos, I've seen many elephants giving rides to tourists in Northern Thailand, and it is truly a sorry sight. My recommendation, for what it's worth, would be stay away from the more exploitative forms of elephant tourism, in favour of organizations like the Elephant Nature Park (ENR) in Thailand, which ensures that any interaction between tourists and elephants is undertaken in a respectful and minimally intrusive manner.