Presenting the donkey at the seaside: a move towards tackling speciesism in the tourism industry

Abstract

This paper explores the way donkeys are presented in the tourism industry and, thus, introduces the donkey into the tourism research agenda. Donkeys make a global contribution to tourism and, in particular, have a historical connection with seaside destinations. This article draws on a study of donkeys at the UK seaside in Blackpool. It shows that the donkeys’ physical and symbolic presentation is crucial for maintaining tourism traditions. However, the analysis also makes visible the ingrained speciest attitudes of human dominance over animals operating in the tourism industry. The article outlines the need to tackle speciesism in the industry and concludes with key research recommendations for tourism policy advancements.