The Provincial People's Committee has just issued a document addressing the local departments, branches, localities, organizations, individuals and organizations with elephants, and Animals Asia about organizing activities using domestic elephants at the 8th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival in 2023.

Visitors experiencing Elephant-friendly tourism in Lak district

On December 15, 2021, the People's Committee of Dak Lak province agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for building an elephant-friendly tourism model between the Provincial People's Committee and the Animal Asia Foundation (AAF), which contains Clause 1, Article 2 as follows: “The People's Committee of Dak Lak province will take necessary measures within its functions and authorities to minimize it as much as possible, aiming towards canceling activities affecting the welfare of domestic elephants, including: Elephant riding tourism, competitions such as elephant swimming, ball playing, running, rope pulling; elephants marching for hours on asphalt or concrete roads; using elephants to recreate scenes of hunting and taming elephants, etc.”.

Dak Lak will have a plan to replace elephants to transport and parade at the 2023 Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival.

To fulfill the commitment of the Provincial People's Committee to Animals Asia, the Provincial People's Committee requests the People's Committees of Lak and Buon Don districts, relevant departments and agencies, and elephant owners to consider and propose on the organization of activities using elephants in the 8th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival, ensuring the contents according to the 5-year cooperation memorandum between the Provincial People's Committee and Animals Asia.

In the case of using elephants, it is necessary not to affect the welfare of elephants and develop more suitable options such as: transporting elephants by means of transport to the gathering place, using only images of elephants in the opening, closing or elephant-friendly interactive activities, having an alternative transportation for parade, interactive games must have the least impact on the elephant's mental, psycho-physiological health, no inhibition or pain for elephants.

The Provincial People's Committee requested the People's Committees of Lak and Buon Don districts, related departments and branches and elephant owners in the province to strictly implement the above content. The People's Committees of Lak and Buon Don districts promptly inform organizations and individuals with elephants in their management areas.