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Egypt: Airbnb has agreed to stop promoting and selling tickets for animal ride experiences at Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza.
It comes after a hearing with PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] US, which has been lobbying for travel companies to move away from such practices.
The animal rights activists, who have criticised the activity for years, shared the result of an investigation exposing cruelty towards camels and horses used for tourist attractions.
The exposé reported that animals are systematically beaten, overworked and neglected, describing how injured and malnourished horses were eating from dumpsters, and the bodies of dead horses were found discarded every day at rubbish sites outside the Giza pyramids. Camels considered too old, sick or weak have been brutally killed, according to the PETA investigation.
Airbnb will no longer list animal ride activities in Giza on its Experiences site as a result.
The home-sharing platform joins a growing list of travel operators who are distancing themselves from the practice. These include Audley Travel, British Airways Holidays, easyJet holidays, Flash Pack, G Adventures, Flash Pack, Hays Travel, and Scott Dunn.
PETA senior campaigner adviser Mimi Bekhechi said: “Countless travel operators are rejecting the horror of camel rides and encouraging tourists to enjoy the Great Pyramids’ stunning views without supporting animal cruelty. PETA applauds Airbnb for shunning these shameful rides and urges travellers to leave animal rides off their itineraries in Egypt and worldwide.”
