The Oppression of Donkeys in Seaside Tourism

Abstract

All domestic animals have, to date, been under-researched in tourism studies, and donkeys, the focus of this article, are no exception. Many studies have shown that wild, endangered, and iconic animal species are participants in an unequal relationship with tourism in which their sentient nature is ignored. This paper illustrates why this is also the case for domestic animals, with a specific emphasis on donkeys. Following a case study in the UK resort of Blackpool, the paper uses sociological analysis to uncover how the tourism sector instigates and supports the exploitation of donkeys. As such, the discussion considers how the content of three interacting forces-economic exploitation , unequal power, and ideological control-are in operation to oppress donkeys' at the British seaside. The article, thus, demonstrates how the tourism sector facilitates donkeys' oppressive treatment. This creates challenging questions for a sector that enacts and maintains speciesism in society.