New York City’s iconic horse-drawn carriage tours could soon become a thing of the past. A proposed ban would end the 160-year-old tradition by June 2028.
The proposal comes amid renewed concerns about public safety. Earlier this year, a teenager died after falling from a carriage in Central Park, intensifying the long-running argument over whether the popular tourist experience should continue.
Julie Menin, the New York City Council speaker, has confirmed that lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill next week.
New York’s carriage rides are part of a broader shift in the global tourism industry. Attractions once marketed as unforgettable experiences – from elephant rides and captive orca performances to close encounters with big cats – are increasingly being restricted or withdrawn as attitudes evolve around animal welfare, visitor safety and cultural sensitivity.
Here are some of the tourist attractions that are disappearing, or have already disappeared, as travel habits and ethical standards change.
Elephant rides
Indonesia has also introduced a nationwide ban on elephant rides
Photographs of visitors riding elephants decorated in brightly coloured fabrics have long filled social media feeds. However, that familiar image is gradually becoming less common.
Indonesia has prohibited elephant rides nationwide, pointing to animal welfare concerns and the need for more responsible forms of wildlife tourism.
Mason Elephant Park in Bali was among the final sites to offer the experience. It ended elephant rides in January this year after receiving official warnings, according to World Animal Protection.
Wildlife organisations are instead being urged to prioritise activities centred on watching animals, learning about them and supporting conservation.
Although no worldwide prohibition is in place, many leading travel companies have removed elephant rides from their list of tourist experiences.
Orca shows
Orca performances remain available in some countries, while others have moved to prohibit them
In Mexico and California, the theatrical orca shows that once drew huge crowds are no longer available in their traditional form.
California’s Orca Welfare and Safety Act outlawed captive orca breeding and banned circus-style performances involving the marine mammals.
Performances may still take place, but they must be designed around education rather than stunts or trained tricks.
Mexico introduced similar rules last year. Dr Claudia Edwards, programmes director at Humane World for Animals Mexico and a supporter of the legislation, said: ‘This vote represents a decisive move toward ending the exploitation of whales, dolphins and other marine mammals for entertainment and marks a major stride forward in animal welfare and conservation efforts in Mexico.’
Tiger petting
The US has prohibited tiger-petting experiences amid concerns about animal welfare
The hit series Tiger King brought renewed international attention to the ownership of big cats and the welfare issues surrounding close-contact encounters with them.
Despite the controversy surrounding the programme, it helped reignite discussion in the US and contributed to renewed momentum behind the Big Cat Public Safety Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2022.
Under the law, members of the public can no longer touch big cats, pose with them for photographs or handle lion and tiger cubs in the United States.
Segway tours
Segway tours were once all the rage – now, they’re uncommon
It seems just a few years ago Segway tours were everywhere you looked.
But across the globe, they have been subject to severe restrictions and, in some cases, outright bans.
Barcelona outlawed Segways from the old city and seafront areas due to overcrowding.
In Prague, they are not allowed in pedestrian zones and historical tourist spots due to safety complaints.
Meanwhile in the UK, they are not allowed on public roads or pavements – affecting city centre tours.
Slum tourism
San Francisco no longer allows slum tours of Chinatown
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Slum tourism is far from banned overall – but many major destinations have faced crackdowns on the practice.
In New York City, ‘Real Bronx Tours’ were discontinued in 2013, after authorities heavily criticised the so-called ‘ghetto’ experience as inaccurate and disrespectful.
As for San Francisco, the city banned tours of Chinatown in 1909 – here, actors were once hired to perform staged scenes of poverty, opium dens and gambling for wealthy tourists.
Climbing Uluru
You can no longer partake in the sacred Uluṟu climb in Australia
The Uluṟu climb – a sacred site in Australia for the Aṉangu, the Indigenous traditional owners – closed permanently from October 2019.
Climbing Uluṟu was not permitted under Tjukurpa (Aṉangu law and culture), yet from the 1930s it was a popular activity.
Nowadays, however, visitors are advised that climbing Uluṟu is a breach of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and penalties will be issued to those attempting to do so.
Former chairman of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa board of management, Sammy Wilson, said: ‘The land has law and culture. We welcome tourists here. Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about but a cause for celebration. Let’s come together; let’s close it together.’
Colonial hunting safaris
The shape and form of safari tourism has changed drastically over the last century
If you went on a safari in the late 19th or early 20th century, chances are you would have crossed paths with European colonists and aristocrats partaking in a spot of ‘trophy hunting’.
Big-game hunting on safari has faced serious restrictions and bans over time, though naturally it does still exist in places.
Kenya prohibited recreational trophy hunting nationwide in 1977, while Costa Rica banned the practice in 2012.
Human zoos and ‘native villages’
A village set up inside of a human zoo at the World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium in 1958 – one of the last of its kind
Human zoos, also called ethnological expositions, were highly problematic displays of inhabitants from foreign countries at exhibits in Europe.
The barbaric colonial practice took place across the continent – for instance at the UK’s 1924 British Empire Exhibition and the World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium in 1958.
Fabricated native villages reinforced problematic stereotypes and reduced foreign peoples to spectacles.
Fake villages with traditional homes, livestock and performances from people were greatly dehumanising – and fortunately faded after the Second World War.
Snake charmers
Snake charmers have now been banned in India
Snake charming was banned in India under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
It caused havoc in regions such as Bedia, where locals relied on snake charming to source income.
Nowadays in India, you can still find snake charmers – you just might have to look harder.
What’s next?
Are camel rides next to be banned?
Camel rides, while still in existence, are perhaps the next to be banned, with criticisms rising over the last few years regarding the treatment of animals and how ethical the practice is.
The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt have tried to replace them with shuttle buses, and have also tightened monitoring of the practice.
Slum tourism and poverty voyeurism could also face greater restrictions in the near future.
Critics and local communities have voiced concerns regarding such tourism practices in destinations such as South Africa, Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro.