VietNamNet Bridge –  Madelon Willemsen, head of the Vietnam office of the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, said that the wildlife-related tourism activities that have been popular in the country for decades, such as elephant riding, souvenirs made of wild animal parts, the consumption of  bear bile and dishes cooked with wild animal meats, need a radical rethinking.

Tourists ride elephants in Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak. Elephant riding will be banned as of 2018. – VNA/VNS Photo

When the 2015 version of the Vietnam’s Penal Code takes effect on the first day of 2018, tourism businesses operating programmes that exploit wildlife could be charged with new offenses, she said at a conference for sustainable tourism development held in Hue City on Wednesday.

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