It’s easier than you think to get scammed by animal-based tourism attractions, and if it’s happened to you, it’s not your fault. These businesses are smart—they know exactly how to manipulate language, SEO, and marketing to trick well-meaning tourists into thinking they are supporting ethical and sustainable wildlife experiences.
The truth is, 87% of travelers now say they prefer eco-friendly tourism options. Instead of actually adopting sustainable practices, many unethical businesses just lie—using misleading buzzwords like “ecotourism“ and “sanctuary“ to attract customers who want to do the right thing.
Here’s how they do it—and how you can avoid falling for the scam.
Fake Ecotourism: The Ultimate Greenwashing Scam
The word “ecotourism” should mean sustainable, environmentally friendly tourism that benefits wildlife and local communities. Unfortunately, there are no legal protections or standards for the term, which means any business can call itself an ecotourism destination—even if it’s harming the environment.
Take Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee– a tourist establishment found to be operating illegally by the USDA and subsequently given a notice to shut down by federal agents. They recently updated their website to claim they are an “eco-tourist bird park”—even though nothing about their practices has changed. This is not conservation. It’s SEO manipulation, designed to get their business in front of eco-conscious travelers.
When a place claims to be ecotourism-friendly, don’t just take their word for it—dig deeper. Are they part of legitimate conservation programs? Do they provide financial support to wildlife protection efforts? Or are they just profiting off animal exploitation under a fake green label?
Fake "Wildlife Conservation Breeding"
Breeding programs at zoos can do amazing things for wildlife conservation, many managing to bring species back from extinction in the wild!
However, the “conservation breeding programs” you find at sleezy, unaccredited roadside zoos don’t do any good at all.
This is especially common with tiger attractions.
When a place says they “breed tigers for conservation,” the general public assumes that means they are helping endangered species recover. But here’s what they don’t tell you:
- Many of these facilities breed white tigers and golden tigers, which are not natural subspecies—they are just inbred genetic mutations created for profit.
- These tigers aren’t part of any legitimate conservation program—they’re simply bred to be sold to other shady roadside zoos and private collectors.
- True conservation efforts for tigers involve protecting them in the wild, not breeding in captivity for tourism purposes.
So if a place advertises tiger cubs for photo ops or allows tourists to play with young tigers, that is not conservation—it’s exploitation.
Elephant Bathing Scam in Southeast Asia
Tourism trends have changed, and businesses know it. Travelers from Western countries have been educated about the cruelty behind elephant rides and circuses, so many now refuse to pay for those activities.
So, what do unethical businesses do? They rebrand.
Instead of advertising elephant rides, they promote elephant bathing experiences—claiming it’s an ethical way to interact with elephants. But what tourists don’t realize is that this is still incredibly stressful for the elephants. Constant exposure to humans interrupts their natural behavior and can lead to long-term psychological stress and trauma.
Even worse, many elephant attractions that offer bathing experiences still run traditional circuses and elephant rides for other tourist markets. So while Western tourists think they’re supporting a sanctuary, their money is still funding elephant exploitation.
The "Sanctuary" Scam
The word sanctuary has become one of the biggest scam terms in animal tourism.
A real wildlife sanctuary that also allows tourist visits does exist—but it won’t be breeding animals, selling animals, or letting tourists bottle-feed baby animals.
Here’s how to tell if a sanctuary is actually legitimate:
- Real sanctuaries do not breed animals (unless they are part of an accredited conservation breeding program).
- They do not let you interact with baby animals—wild animals raised in captivity for human contact can never be released into the wild.
- They never sell animals—wildlife rescues and sanctuaries exist to protect animals, not profit off their sale.
If a place claims to be a sanctuary but is actively breeding and selling animals, that’s a major red flag.
What You Can Do About It
If you’ve ever visited one of these places thinking it was ethical, you’re not alone. It’s so easy to be misled because these businesses strategically manipulate their marketing to appear sustainable.
Now that you know, the best thing you can do is spread awareness. Tell your friends, make social media posts about it, create YouTube videos—use your voice to educate others so they don’t fall for the same tricks.
And most importantly, support only ethical, conservation-based wildlife attractions that genuinely prioritize animal welfare and habitat protection.
By removing demand for unethical tourism, we can help shut down businesses that exploit animals—and ensure that real conservation efforts get the attention and support they deserve.
