Animal tourism grows as researchers warn of weak welfare oversight

Animal tourism is expanding in Finland, with more petting farms and sled dog kennels operating across the country. Researchers are concerned that profit-driven businesses may put animal welfare second, Yle reports.

More than 200 petting farms are listed in the Finnish Food Authority’s register. There are also dozens of farm animal facilities and other destinations that are not included in the statistics.

The number of petting farms has increased since the Animal Welfare Act was amended in 2024. Establishing a petting farm no longer requires a permit.

At the Parsi animal farm in Haukivuori, Mikkeli, Uljas the bull has finished his first summer job. The farm closed before the start of the school year after Uljas had worked six hours a day, from Wednesday to Friday, for seven weeks.

Uljas is one of thousands of animals working at farms and tourism destinations around Finland.

Panu and Katja Immonen moved to their current family farm two years ago. Since then, the number of animals has grown to 50. The barn is home to cattle, alpacas, ponies, sheep and goats, while chickens, turkeys, ducks and swan geese roam the yard.

The family set up the animal farm to cover at least part of the cost of keeping the animals. Visitor numbers exceeded their expectations. During its first summer, the farm received an average of 70 visitors a day, or about 1,500 people in total.

Linda Tallberg, a university lecturer at the University of Lapland, said people seek contact with nature and animals. She said encounters with animals should increase understanding of their needs rather than provide only entertainment.

Guidance is important because animal behaviour can often be difficult to interpret correctly, Tallberg said.

Concerns over sled dogs

Animals are increasingly being used in experience-based tourism. The number of sled dog kennels, for example, has risen rapidly in recent years.

Tallberg said the effects of the growth of animal tourism on animals should be taken seriously. Because animals cannot influence their conditions, tourism operators are responsible for ensuring their welfare, she said.

Researchers are particularly concerned about the conditions of sled dogs. Mikko Äijälä, a postdoctoral researcher, said the tourism boom in Lapland was also bringing unethical operators into the industry.

Lapland’s animal welfare veterinarians say they often find problems in the operations of dog-sled companies. Police have also investigated cases involving the mistreatment of dogs and safaris organised on unauthorised routes.

Animal welfare veterinarians inspect sled dog kennels in Lapland every one or two years. Äijälä said this was too infrequent and that veterinary resources were completely inadequate compared with the growth in the number of animal attractions.

Few welfare certifications

It is difficult for travellers to know in advance how animal welfare is organised at petting farms and other experience-based tourism businesses.

Visitors can look for information on companies’ websites and social media, including photographs and instructions for guests.

At present, only sled dog and reindeer tourism businesses can obtain a certification for responsible treatment of animals. Tallberg and Äijälä hope that other animal tourism companies will also be able to receive similar certification.

Äijälä said the requirements should be stricter than those in the Animal Welfare Act and animals should be treated as valuable workers. He works as an external auditor for the Green Activities certification.