Evaluation of moral responsibility of tourism regarding animals in the context of meta-criticism

This Study is to make critical analysis by introducing areas that animals are commodified in the tourism industry. The aim of the study is to make Critique by opposing that animals ara commodified in the tourism industry and ethical responsibility of the tourism come up for discussion and bring forward proposals. This kind of study is not present in tourism literature in Turkey. Therefore, it is the first study about that in Turkey. It includes four philosophical theories which are on the point of being contracting ethic, deontological ethic, teleological ethic and virtue ethic. In addition to this, the main frame of the study is Marx's critical analysis of commodity production. Theroies of Peter Singer, Tom Regan and Gary Francione which occupy an important place in current discussion of animal ethics, are comparatively examined and evaluated. From this point of view, the study focuses on both the supply and demand dimensions of tourism industry and tries to reveal how the tourism should have ethical responsibility towards animals. In the research part of the study are given the results of questionnaires which are applied the visitors came in animal-based tourism attractions and interviews with managers of the businesses having these attractions in Turkey. Data acquired from 17 managers through semi-structured interview form and collected 388 valid questionnaires from visitors. As a result, the study shows that the visitor profiles are generally married, have one or more child under 18 years, have high educational and income levels. On the other hand, even thought visitors mostly express as an ecocentric, they said that their participated aims in animal-based tourism attractions are "an alternative to nature tourism", "educational tool", "family-oriented experience" and revealed antropocentric position. As to animal-based tourism businesses, it has been reached that the businesses are away from ethic responsibility towards animals.