Veganism is, according to the Vegan Society – founded in 1944 in the UK:
‘a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose’[1].
Given this definition, we can say that veganism not only concerns one’s diet, but also other products that one may buy such as clothes, shoes, make-up or even cars - no leather seats for us. When applied to tourism, it goes without saying that veganism not only affects the travellers’ diet, but also all the experiences surrounding their trips.
As far as the term ‘Vegan Tourism’ goes, there is no official definition to be found, yet it has been used by several publications over the last few years.
In order to create a definition of this type of tourism, I think it is important to explain the definition of Tourism by UNWTO[2] first:
‘Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.’
The following definition of ‘Vegan Tourism’ has been created by mixing the definition of the terms Tourism and Veganism:
‘The activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment, while excluding all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food or any other purpose.’
Webography: