Travel journalist Julie Miller was honored this week at the National Tourism Industry Awards gala with the prestigious award for Best Travel Journalist. Her award-winning article deals with the important issue of how Thailand's beloved elephants are treated.

"Looking into an elephant's eyes, you know you're facing a sentient being. These wise, intelligent giants—a species known for being self-aware, problem-solving, and mourning their dead—are especially revered in their spiritual homeland of Thailand and are a central part of the country's history, culture, and religion." Read the full story here.

We asked Julie why this topic is so important to her and why she believes this message won her an award.

"People love elephants and are eager to see them and have an experience with them when they visit Thailand."

After the timber industry collapsed in the 1980s, tourism was seen as the elephants' salvation. However, in the last decade, awareness of animal welfare and the inappropriateness of using wild animals for entertainment has increased, and our understanding of ethical and species-appropriate treatment of elephants has evolved. It remains a highly controversial topic – after all, elephants and their owners need to eat, which is why the ideal of happy, free-roaming animals is not practical.

“However, there are some fantastic people who are dedicated to the welfare of elephants (for example, Lek from the Elephant Nature Park) – and more and more elephants are being placed in sanctuaries where they don't have to work, carry people, or be exploited for entertainment. It is important that tourists know where they can experience elephants up close and have a meaningful encounter with them, while also knowing that they are contributing to the animals' welfare and their happy future.”

Julie has also written a blog post about ethical encounters in Thailand, which has been one of the most popular posts on the Hug Thailand blog since its initial publication two years ago.

There is also an updated article here about ethical elephant encounters in Thailand.