Vacay Victory! Airbnb Leads New Industry Move Away from Animal Rides at the Great Pyramids After PETA Push

For Immediate Release:
February 24, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Vacation rental giant Airbnb and five other travel companies across North America—Black Tomato, Shore Excursions Group, ToursByLocals, Under30Experiences, and World Travel Holdings—haveall agreed to stop promoting and selling tickets for exploitative animal rides at the Great Pyramids of Giza after hearing from PETA. In thanks, PETA is sending the companies delicious vegan chocolates.

PETA Asia’s latest investigation into the historic site documented handlers violently beating exhausted horses and camels, who are used to haul tourists in the blistering sun. Injured and malnourished horses were seen eating from garbage dumps, and the bodies of dead horses were found discarded every day at trash sites outside the Giza pyramids. Camels considered too old, sick, or injured to be useful were often hauled to a slaughterhouse, where their throats were slit while they were still conscious. One camel continued to kick for four agonizing minutes after a worker slit the animal’s throat.

“More and more travel operators are rejecting the horror of it all and encouraging tourists to enjoy the Great Pyramids’ stunning views without supporting cruelty to horses and camels,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA applauds Airbnb and other travel companies for shunning these shameful rides and urges Egyptian authorities to show it cares one iota and act to defend the animals.”

Horses are herd animals who can feel stressed if forced to live alone and they mourn each other’s deaths, while camels are known to greet one another by blowing air on each other’s faces. Airbnb and the other travel companies join dozens of businesses that won’t promote or sell animal rides at the pyramids, including Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, British Airways Holidays, easyJet holidays, Exodus Adventure Travels, Grand Circle Corporation, Scott Dunn, and TCS World Travel.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.