Progress for Hens! Cage-Free Accountability from Norwegian Cruise Line, Langham Hotels, and Four Seasons
Jennie Hunter
Three travel industry leaders—Four Seasons, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Langham Hotels—have all shown progress toward freeing hens from cruel battery cages. This is a major breakthrough for chickens around the globe!
From global hotel chains to international cruise lines, travel companies pride themselves on providing a luxurious experience for consumers. But a new report by the Open Wing Alliance exposed less-than-luxurious conditions for countless animals in these companies’ supply chains. You spoke up for millions of hens suffering in cramped, inhumane battery cages—and travel industry leaders listened. Four Seasons, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Langham Hotels have all shown they're making progress toward their global cage-free commitments, taking us closer to a cage-free future.
In the United States alone, 215 million egg-laying hens are confined to “battery cages” the size of a filing cabinet drawer. That means no stretching their wings. That means no escape from overcrowding, painful injuries, and intense stress. That means no dust-bathing, nest-building, or any of the other instinctive behaviors that chickens crave. With these updated cage-free commitments from Four Seasons, Norwegian, and Langham Hotels, millions of hens stand to be protected from the worst forms of physical and psychological suffering caused by this archaic form of confinement.
With a powerful show of support around the globe, supporters like you made this breakthrough possible. Across 63 different countries, you flooded decision-makers with emails, launched petitions, and took thousands of digital actions. This was a true global effort, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you.
The Global Travel Report
The Open Wing Alliance (OWA) is a global coalition of 95 animal protection organizations across 67 countries, all united in a common goal: to end the abuse of chickens worldwide. Notably, this campaign represented OWA’s first-ever global push for accountability from multiple companies in a sector. And OWA kicked off the campaign by launching a hard-hitting investigation: The Global Travel Report.
An investigative “deep dive” into the hospitality sector, the Global Travel Report revealed which companies were keeping their promises and eliminating cruel battery cages—and which weren’t. This push for accountability will continue to be critical as animal welfare commitments become more widespread across the globe.
As customers demand better for animals, more and more global travel companies are making cage-free commitments. While these promises look great on paper, they’re only great for animals if the companies actually follow through. As the Global Travel Report puts it: “With more and more of the global population seeking out sustainable and ethical ways of traveling, high-performing companies within the sector have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to be transparent with clients and customers about their social and environmental impacts, as well as about the welfare of the animals in their supply chains."
Which companies agreed to spare chickens from the worst abuses?
1. Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is the world’s leading luxury hospitality company, with more than 100 hotels and resorts around the globe. Following the release of the OWA’s Global Travel Report, Four Seasons started reporting globally on its commitment to becoming 100% cage-free by 2025!
Although Four Seasons had made a global cage-free commitment back in 2018, it was only reporting in certain regions like the US, Canada, and Europe. Reporting on progress is essential, as it holds companies accountable to the public as they make headway toward their commitments. Critically, Four Seasons updated its website to report on its impressive progress toward cage-free sourcing in all regions across the globe:
- United States: 100%
- Canada: 100%
- Europe: 100%
- Other Americas (Mexico, Central and South America): 88%
- Middle East and Africa: 36%
- Asia Pacific: 29%
2. Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is a leading global cruise company, with three different sub-brands and 35,000 employees around the globe. Shortly after the update from Four Seasons, Norwegian Cruise Line also reinstated its global cage-free commitment on its website!
Norwegian had made a global commitment in 2016, but it was only reporting on its progress in the US—and had even removed the global commitment from its website. As part of its updated commitment, the company published an updated, ambitious roadmap outlining its path toward global cage-free sourcing:
- 50% cage-free by 2023
- 75% cage-free by 2024
- 100% cage-free by 2025
This type of roadmap represents an important step toward real progress for animals, as it identifies clear, incremental goals to which a company can remain accountable.
3. Langham Hospitality Group
Langham Hospitality Group is a global hotel company with locations in major cities across four different continents. Less than a month after advocates and consumers demanded change for hens, Langham Hospitality Group reiterated its commitment to a cage-free future!
Langham Hospitality made a global commitment in 2020, but until today, it had failed to report on any cage-free progress. Following OWA’s campaign, Langham updated its website to reflect regional reporting percentages outlining its meaningful progress around the world:
- Europe & North America: 74%
- Asia Pacific: 13%
How can I help?
If this breakthrough shows us anything, it’s that the cage-free movement is truly global—and it shows no signs of slowing down. Momentum for animals is building, and each new commitment from a company places more pressure on the entire industry to do better for animals.
"Moving from intensive cage systems to cage-free farms is one of the easiest and most effective welfare improvements a company can make." - OWA Global Travel Report
While much of the hospitality sector is making meaningful progress for animals, some companies are still lagging behind. Despite numerous requests from the public and NGOs, Millennium Hotels has yet to publicly disclose its global cage-free percentage, keeping its progress (or lack thereof) hidden from the public.
For egg-laying hens, battery cages mean a lifetime of unending misery. These cramped wire enclosures give each hen a space smaller than a sheet of paper in which to live her entire life. Confined in this tiny space, she has no freedom to express any of her natural behaviors, and she spends most of her days in excruciating pain due to the constant friction from rubbing against the wire cage bars. Many hens die from the sheer stress, unable to handle the torture of confinement.
Millennium Hospitality’s customers and stakeholders deserve transparency. And, above all, hens deserve a life better than this. Will you pressure Millennium Hospitality Group to start reporting on its cage-free progress?