Travelife for Accommodation (Travelife Ltd) is an accommodation sustainability certification company. We do not certify tour operators or elephant camps, nor do we recognize or support the concept of certifying elephant camps.

The Travelife for Accommodation standard contains around 163 requirements that hotels must demonstrate compliance to following an on-site audit every two years. These requirements cover the environment, labour issues, human rights, community engagement and animal welfare. Our auditors assess hotel compliance to the animal welfare requirements by following the ABTA Animal Welfare Guidelines. Specifically, Travelife Certified accommodation providers are not permitted to offer any activities or entertainment at their property that involve ABTA’s list of unacceptable and discouraged practices. These include any contact or feeding with elephants (including bathing and riding).

Hotels that have been with us for two years or more are also unable to promote any off-site activities to their guests that involve ABTA’s list of unacceptable and discouraged practices. This includes any contact or feeding with elephants, regardless of whether the company offering this activity has a certification from a third party.

For the past several months, ABTA have been undertaking an extensive review of their Animal Welfare Guidelines, including captive elephants. Travelife for Accommodation very much support this review and will be implementing any subsequent new recommendations. You can click here to read more about this in a blog from ABTA about the welfare of elephants in tourism and click here to visit the Travelife for Accommodation website.

ECEAT (referenced as Travelife for Tour Operators in recent media coverage) is a separate entity to Travelife for Accommodation. Please direct any enquiries about ECEAT and their programme to www.travelife.info or info@travelife.info.