Marriott Faces Scrutiny Over Wildlife Tourism and Egg Sourcing
- Wendy Kaplar
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
An investigation into wildlife tourism and food sourcing in Southeast Asia has placed renewed scrutiny on David Marriott, chairman of Marriott International and a trustee of the National Geographic Society.
The investigation, released June 9, 2026, by the International Council for Animal Welfare, examines wildlife tourism attractions and food suppliers in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia, that investigators say are connected to Marriott-linked travel offerings or the company’s food sourcing network.
Investigators conducted fieldwork in Southeast Asia in March 2026 at tiger and elephant tourism sites, civet coffee facilities, and egg suppliers. They documented welfare concerns at each, including battery cages at some egg suppliers despite Marriott’s public cage-free egg pledge.
The International Council for Animal Welfare argues that Marriott’s tourism and sourcing practices conflict with the National Geographic Society’s conservation mission.
The findings include footage from tiger attractions promoted through Marriott-linked tourism. In one video, a worker appears to strike a tiger cub. Investigators also described some animals as showing behavior consistent with sedation.
Dr. John A. Knight, a former veterinary officer with Regent’s Park Zoo and the Zoological Society of London, reviewed video evidence included in the investigation.
In his assessment of Tiger Park Pattaya in Thailand, Knight wrote that several tigers appeared “unnaturally quiet” and displayed severely muted responses to stimuli. He suggested medication may have caused their condition but emphasized that investigators would need further evidence to determine whether any substances were used.
Knight also wrote that several tiger enclosures lacked enrichment and gave the animals little opportunity to behave naturally. He also raised concerns about public interactions at the facility.
A separate veterinary review of Nongnooch Wonder World and other elephant attractions in Chonburi, Thailand, described the facility as clean, well-built, and well-organized, while also raising concerns about elephant rides, prolonged tethering, visitor safety, and stress-related behaviors in some elephants.
He also wrote that direct contact between tourists and elephants, including rides and close interactions, posed “significant public health risks and animal welfare issues.”
Several veterinary assessments focused on kopi luwak tourism facilities in Bali, where civets are kept in captivity for coffee production displays. Knight repeatedly described the enclosures as “depauperate environments” that failed to meet the animals’ behavioral and physiological needs. He also raised concerns about chronic stress, obesity, sleep disruption, lack of enrichment, and stereotypic pacing behavior.
The veterinary assessments note that palm civets are nocturnal, largely solitary animals that naturally spend their nights climbing and foraging. Knight wrote that repeated daytime interactions with tourists and confinement in small wire enclosures could disrupt these natural behaviors.
Knight warned that the civets shown to tourists may be only a small part of the wider kopi luwak trade and called for inspections of the facilities supplying them.
