Airbnb launches new animal-friendly experiences

Airbnb launches new animal-friendly experiences

Airbnb just made it much easier to make sure your next holiday is not only animal friendly, but animal focused.

Thanks to the launch of a new animal-focused and -friendly selection of experiences, Airbnb guests can now paddleboard with corgis, skateboard with a world record-winning bulldog or take afternoon tea with naughty sheep, just to name a few.

With 1,000 Experiences co-hosted by “over 300 species and their human advocates”, ‘Animal Experiences’ is a brand new animal tourism category from Airbnb that allows guests to better understand animals through “caring” and “expert hosts”.

To celebrate the launch, Airbnb announced on Thursday legendary rock band KISS will be performing their first-ever at-sea concert for Great white sharks off the southern coast of Australia, because sharks – apparently – like heavy metal, according to the rental platform.

“We’ve played a lot of crazy shows over the years, but this one tops them all. Playing to our fans is everything to us, so hearing that great whites are die hard rockers, we’re planning a set we think they will love thrashing out to,” KISS front man Paul Stanley said in a statement.

Keeping animal welfare in mind, all of Airbnb’s Animal Experiences are underpinned by a new animal welfare policy backed by World Animal Protection. Experiences are hosted by caring experts as “an antidote to typical tourist attractions” that the rental platform says are “notorious for ethical concerns”.

“We know people love animals and want to see and experience them when they travel, but we also know they most want to see animals in their natural setting in a way that considers their well-being,” Simone Clarke, executive director of World Animal Protection Australia and New Zealand, said.

“This new animal welfare policy created in consultation with our animal welfare experts and the creativity and dedication of Airbnb will ensure that adventurers have many options to experience the beauty of animals in a way that considers their welfare first.”

Airbnb is offering eight people the opportunity to join them for the rock and roll gig of a lifetime. For just $74 per person, guests will be able to head out to sea and join KISS as they perform for Great whites off Port Lincoln in South Australia.

The announcement comes just a day after TripAdvisor revealed it will no longer profit from ticket sales to attractions that breed and buy dolphins, whales or porpoises.

Featured image: Tea with Naughty Sheep/Airbnb.com

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