At a time when travel companies are shying away from animal experiences in tourism, Airbnb is risking being the black sheep in the flock.
Airbnb the online accommodation and tour company has branched out into something it is calling "Animal Experiences" that allow "busy urbanites" a chance to reconnect with nature on a range of wildlife-focused getaways, tours and experiences.
Among the 1000 experiences involving 300 zoological species, the website is offering human travellers the chance to chill with alpacas in Denver, visit the bees with urban apiarists, or meet rescue puppies in Ukraine's Chernobyl exclusion zone.
Paddleboarding with cogis is just one of Airbnb's 1000 new Animal Experiences. Photo / Supplied
In Auckland Airbnb guests have an opportunity to go on safari for the city's secret glow worms, at $101 a person.
One of the "wilder" animal experiences includes a rock concert for great white sharks. Fans of the band KISS will also be able to attend the one-off concert in South Australia, with tickets being sold via the website.
Airbnb is tryin to generate buzz around animal tourism: Urban beekeeping. Photo / Supplied
It seems like an odd time for Airbnb to be advocating animal tourism, following backlash against operators and websites for selling experiences involving Elephant riding or swimming with dolphins. Last week, bookings platform TripAdvisor announced it would no longer sell tickets to attractions and experiences with captive dolphins or whales.
With travellers increasingly aware of welfare issues associated with animal tourism and wildlife exploitation, the website has published a list of "animal welfare guidelines" to accompany the programme.
Life for feral dogs in Chernobyl can be rough, but tourism can help rescue kennels. Photo / Supplied
To cut tourists off from animals is unnatural, argues Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, the best option is to let people get their dose of nature in a responsible way:
"With technology taking up so much of our lives, it's easy to feel disconnected from nature and animals. Maybe this is why social media is dominated by animal memes."
With the gains made for responsible tourism, it seems that the distance put between animals and tourists is a great loss. "Looking at them through a screen is the closest they can get," he says.
"With Airbnb Animal Experiences, locals and travellers are just a few clicks away from being alongside them in the real world, and unlike many interactions out there, in a responsible way."
But how do you do this with a platform as large as Airbnb?
The website has published a set of animal welfare guidelines around five points: Freedom from hunger and thirst, from discomfort, from pain, from fear and freedom to behave naturally.
None of these points seem objectionable in themselves, though there are some interesting specifics for rescue animals and working animals.
While elephant riding is expressly forbidden, other animals can be ridden at a "maximum one rider or 20% of the animal's weight".
Domesticated animals must not be subjected to something called "negative training", meaning that all training must be "reward-based" rather than animals being beaten or punished.
However, animal welfare charities have praised the program as a way of allowing for human and animal interaction while safeguarding both tourist and wildlife.
"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" said Simone Clarke, Executive Director World Animal Protection Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile headlining the Airbnb Animal Experiences launch will be a one-off concert be glam rock stars KISS. The band behind the 1984 album Animalize might be questioning Airbnb's goal to get closer nature, at the concert on November 18, 2019, in Port Lincoln, which is being dubbed "Shark Rock City."
Animal Experience: Sharks, it turns out, are big fans of 70s glam rockers KISS. Photo / AP
Next month the band will play for eight fans and a sea of great white sharks, separated from them by a small submarine.
"I was a little taken aback by it, but they explained that sharks are attracted to low frequencies and so they're attracted to rock 'n' roll," said front man Paul Stanley.
The band is a little underpowered since bass player Gene Simmons, 70, had to pull out of touring for surgery. However Stanley insists Simmons will be back on full bass for the sharks.
"We've played a lot of crazy shows over the years, but this one tops them all," he said. "Hearing that great whites are die hard rockers, we're planning a set we think they will love thrashing out to."
The "KISS at SEA with Great White Sharks" experience is being sold from Tuesday Oct 15, 11am NZST at airbnb.com/kiss. Tickets for the event on November 18 will be on sale for $82. Music and shark lovers who missed out on tickets will be able to view the concert on the airbnb website, where the event will be streamed live.
