The Tourism Center of Buon Don Bridge - Island Village (Buon Don District) has just launched a communication and tourism campaign "Smiling with elephants, stop riding elephants" since March 1, 2023.

Tourists joining the tourism and communication campaign "Smiling with elephants, stop riding elephants" in Buon Don district.

Accordingly, from February 10, 2023, local elephant owners in Buon Don district together with Cau Treo Buon Don Tourist Center stopped the elephant riding service at Cau Treo Buon Don Tourism Center. This makes Cau Treo Buon Don Tourist Center a pioneer and the only unit of Dak Lak province to stop this operation.

Ms. Tran Thi Kim Anh, Director of Buon Don Cau Treo - Village Island Tourist Center, said that stopping the elephant riding service is in line with the trend of nature-friendly tourism, helping Dak Lak elephants to be taken care better. This is extremely important for the policy of preserving domestic elephants of the People's Committee of Dak Lak province.

The message "Smiling with elephants, stop riding elephants" is widely promoted.

However, at present, Dak Lak elephants are mostly domesticated and raised by local people. So if we only stop at encouraging elephant owners to stop participating in providing elephant riding services, without helping elephant owners have other sources of income to take care of their elephants' health and livelihoods, then the negative impact shall be that the viability of stopping elephant riding is not sustainable.

Therefore, from February 10, 2023, Buon Don Bridge Tourism Center will also launch elephant-friendly tourism services such as taking pictures with elephants, feeding elephants, bathing with elephants, etc. With the desire to soon bring a good source of income for elephant owners and elephant jockeys to help them feel secure their living and support for this policy.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Kim Anh, at the suspension of elephant riding activities in Buon Don, the number of tourists coming to Buon Don has decreased sharply. This makes elephant-friendly tourism activities not yet accessible to many tourists, causing the risk of income insecurity, strongly affecting the lives of elephant owners' families, and thus the care and health of elephants.

We realize that it is urgent to communicate to local people and tourists coming to Dak Lak in general and Buon Don in particular about " elephant-friendly services" so that Buon Don elephant conservation is sustainably maintained.