An Exploratory Study on Main Cultural Issues Embedded in Animal Tourism

This study identifies and analyzes the main cultural issues related to animal identity and animal rights by examining various ethical and philosophical discussions within the context of animal tourism. The discourses on specific cultural issues embedded in animal tourism include the desires associated with animal agency, perspectives on animal labor, individual and societal acceptance of animals as tourism resources, the social functions and dysfunctions of destinations that define animals as tourist attractions, and the relationship between animal rights, animal welfare, and tourism. Ultimately, the social establishment of relational networks in animal tourism that take into account the ethical dimensions of human-animal interactions depends on their potential to realize the value of coexistence. In order to analyze animal tourism within the field of tourism studies, it is necessary to thoroughly examine the diverse perspectives on the main cultural issues and to engage in in-depth discussions of human-animal relationships.