Hiking with rescue dogs, chilling out with alpacas and cuddling cows are among the adventures offered by Airbnb Animal Experiences, which was launched this month to provide a groundbreaking solution for ethical animal experiences.
The new offering is a collaboration involving Airbnb, expert consultants and World Animal Protection. More than 300 species from around the world are included, and the animals’ well-being is prioritized.
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The following options are available to groups.
Enjoy and Give Back
Some 100 of the options are social impact experiences in which participants “give back,” providing a valuable meeting or team-bonding experience. Participants give back to the community and the organization receives help through their participation, with all proceeds going to the nonprofit that organizes the experience.
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One of these experiences is Hoppy Hour in Portland, Oregon. Hosted by the 501c3 nonprofit public charity, it provides guests with tea and desserts, and they then can pet and hold bunnies. These bunnies often visit care facilities and hospitals, with their medical and behavioral health frequently monitored by veterinarians.
In addition to social experiences, other options encourage participants to be tourists with animals. Rest assured—the animal experiences must follow the guidelines set by Airbnb and World Animal Protection.
Relieve Stress
A variety of experiences can be customized by communicating with the host while arranging the number of guests that will participate, and the date. Airbnb collaborates with World Animal organization to assure a stress-free environment. The hosts, who know the animal’s personality best, are careful to create meaningful experiences for guests. Hosts answer whatever questions guests have and help them to de-stress.
Booking is easy through the website, which facilitates the listing of priorities. “With Airbnb Animal Experiences, locals and travelers are just a few clicks away from being alongside them in the real world,” said Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO and co-founder.
Airbnb is one of the several companies responding to concerns about ethical animal tourism. TripAdvisor announced that by the end of 2019, its website will stop selling tickets to many animal attractions at SeaWorld.
