Traveling ​with⁣ Pets: A Growing Trend in the Tourism​ Industry

As the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays approach, people are‌ eager to travel. For pet owners, ⁣it is‍ a great⁤ pleasure to travel with their furry friends. At present, “traveling with pets”‌ is ‍quietly emerging and becoming more and more popular.

According to global pet market travel data released⁢ by Global ‌Market ⁣Insights, the pet travel service ⁢market size was US$1.8 billion in‍ 2023, with an estimated compound annual growth ‍rate of⁢ 9.5% from 2024 to 2032.

Multiple Ways⁢ to Unlock Pet-Friendly Travel

Xiao Min, a post-95s “poop shoveler”, has a 5-year-old Corgi at home. ​Xiao Min‍ will take it with her​ on travels during holidays. “In June⁢ this year, we took a plane​ for the first time to try a long-distance trip. When we ⁣got off​ the plane and saw our dog, he was in very good⁣ condition and had a lot of fun during the trip.”

Xiao Min said that⁤ there are now more options for traveling with‍ pets. For long-distance ⁤trips, airlines will be the first choice, while for short-distance trips, self-driving will be considered first.⁢ “Recently, I saw a ‌specially customized pet travel group, and⁣ I plan to try it during‍ this year’s ⁣National Day holiday.”

Pet-Friendly Zones

The forms of traveling with pets are becoming more diverse, and⁤ the market⁣ for pet-friendly hotels and homestays ‌is opening up rapidly. According to the “Little Red Book 2024 Pet ‌Industry Insight Report”, the search volume for pet homestays on Fliggy increased by 170% month-on-month in‍ 2023, and the⁤ number ⁣of orders ⁤for pet-friendly hotels during the Dragon Boat Festival ‌in the same city increased by 64% ⁤month-on-month in 2023.

Nan’an Xiaofeng B&B, located in the ‌West Lake District of Hangzhou, is⁤ one of⁤ them. The owner, Ms. Chen, rented the entire building to ‍run the B&B, and two rooms ⁤on the⁤ first floor allow pets to stay.

Ms. ‌Chen‍ told the​ reporter that she divided the homestay ⁣into‌ different‌ areas. The first floor is a pet-friendly area because there is a large open yard with a large space to prevent pet activities from affecting ⁣other⁤ guests. In addition, the first floor is paved with tiles, which is easier to clean than the floors upstairs, and pets are less likely to scratch the tiles with their claws.

Reduce Travel Safety Risks

Bian Shaoqing, vice president of the Pet Industry Branch ⁢of the China ‍Federation of Commercial Joint-Stock Enterprises Economics, head of the​ Pet Travel Industry⁤ Office, and deputy secretary-general of the Zhejiang ‍Pet ​Industry Association, believes that “traveling with pets” can establish a deeper emotional bond between​ pet owners and their pets.

“But during travel, pet owners should act as ‘safety officers’. For example, pets⁤ should be kept on leashes in public places, and pets should not be‌ blindly fed local specialties, and pets should not be washed ⁢or ​blown in ⁤hotel rooms. In addition, pets should be protected from heatstroke ‌in summer, shoes should be ‌worn on snowy days, ⁣and pets should be courteous when encountering ⁣disputes with tourists.”

When talking about how⁢ to ⁤avoid safety hazards ⁢when traveling with pets, Bian Shaoqing ‌suggested that industry pet-friendly standards‍ could be formulated in terms of environmental space, facilities, service content, ⁤management processes, emergency plans, etc.

Taking environmental​ space ⁢standards as an ​example, shopping malls, scenic spots and other public​ places ⁤can ⁢set up special areas to meet the physiological and activity‍ needs of pets. For example, although some shopping malls are pet-friendly, ⁤they do not have designated areas as pet activity areas ​that meet the corresponding standards.

In terms ​of management ‍process standards, hotels ‌can separate areas for guests‌ with pets from ⁢ordinary guests, and ‍provide ⁤pet-friendly facilities ‍for guests with pets, such as ⁤setting up pet convenience stations and providing environmentally​ friendly and biodegradable pet poop bags. Scenic spots can implement pet registration ⁤when entering scenic spots. When the ⁤flow of people is ‌large, tourists with pets can cross paths with ​ordinary tourists to avoid the movement of ordinary tourists.