by

Carol Kline

and

Bob Fischer

Despite the progression of animal welfare within the tourism literature and the industry itself, a significant change in public behavior remains to be seen. Anthropocentric views of animals as objects is still widespread. This paper proposes a new approach to engaging the public in ethical behaviors by meeting visitors where they are in terms of their values and priorities. Drawing on Susan Wolf’s work, we propose a realistic approach to ethics that offers an opportunity for researchers and advocates to think more critically about the many ways that people might relate to morality, particularly regarding animals encountered in travel. We suggest that this approach may serve to better the lives of the animals by appealing to tourists’ nuanced ethical stances regarding animals.