The Era of 3.12 Million Pet-Owning Households... What is the Ideal Pet-Friendly Travel?

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] As travel with pets becomes more popular, demand for related accommodations and convenience facilities is also rapidly increasing.

The Korea Tourism Organization announced the results of a study titled "Analysis of Trends and Improvement Tasks for Traveling with Pets" in collaboration with the Korea Consumer Agency on the 20th. This analysis was conducted from July to September and utilized big data such as social network posts and articles related to traveling with pets, TMAP nationwide destination search counts, KT communication data on visitors to tourist sites nationwide, and consultation data from the Korea Consumer Agency. In-depth interviews with field practitioners were also incorporated to understand the current situation.

According to Statistics Korea, as of November 1 last year, there were 3,129,000 households with pets in South Korea. According to the KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, 48.7% of survey respondents expressed a desire to raise pets, indicating that the pet-owning population is expected to continue growing.

This trend of the Pet Economy (Pet+Economy) is significantly impacting the travel industry, with domestic and international online travel agencies (OTAs) increasingly focusing on services related to traveling with pets as key offerings.

Social analysis shows that mentions of dogs and pets have been steadily increasing. From 2,224 mentions in 2019, there were as many as 6,165 mentions in the first half of this year alone. These mentions are concentrated during the high travel frequency periods of "summer (June to August)" and "weekends." The most popular destinations for traveling with pets are "Jeju, Seoul, and Busan" in that order. Jeju and Gangwon attract interest for their nature and scenery, while Seoul and Busan are favored for culture and attractions. The Gyeonggi region shows high mentions related to activities and experiences such as camping.

Regarding types of accommodations for traveling with pets, mentions of "private pensions," "outdoor campgrounds," and "resorts" have increased. Mentions of guesthouses, where contact with unspecified others is a concern, have decreased. Pensions in Jeju, Gapyeong, and Gyeongju, including private pensions and traditional Korean-style pensions (Hanok pensions), have attracted high interest, with accommodations selected based on facilities such as swimming pools, barbecues, and lawns. Interest in campgrounds is high in Gangwon and Gapyeong, with particular attention to tents (glamping), restrooms, parking, and car camping facilities.

Key considerations include "photo opportunities with pets," "delicious meals," and convenience facilities such as "parking lots" and "restrooms." Services that allow pets to freely expend energy, such as "swimming" and "balance beams in exercise yards," are also popular.

Meanwhile, analysis of TMAP navigation destinations shows that from 2015 to August this year, searches including terms like "pet," "companion," and "dog" for destinations such as "accommodations," "nature tourist sites," and "cafes" increased by an average of 62.1% annually.

Analysis of Korea Consumer Agency consultation data related to traveling with pets from 2015 to the end of April this year revealed a total of 390 complaints regarding hotels, pensions, other accommodations (such as campgrounds), domestic and international travel, passenger transportation services, and dog cafes. Major complaints included excessive cancellation penalties charged by businesses, dissatisfaction with services and facilities, and refusal of pet admission and boarding.

A Korea Tourism Organization official stated, "As an improvement task for traveling with pets, efforts are needed to develop emotional travel content such as pet-friendly camping travel products," adding, "There should also be institutional foundations for developing insurance products for consumers and businesses related to traveling with pets and for the legal operation of facilities." The official continued, "Efforts to enhance convenience and provide information for traveling with pets should improve reasonable travel options for pet owners," and added, "Efforts to spread pet etiquette, including establishing pet etiquette guidelines, are also necessary to improve awareness so that both pet owners and non-pet owners can enjoy travel without discomfort."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.