Everything to Know About Pet-Friendly Travel
Planning a vacation for the entire family is a fun, but daunting task. There are countless details to figure out, from where to stay to which attractions to see. It can be even more stressful when you add a fur baby to the getaway. Traveling with pets has become more common these days and some families can’t imagine going away without their precious pets in tow. But before you start packing the kennel and food dishes, there are a few precautions to take.
Here is everything you need to know about pet-friendly travel:
1. Issues Involved
When you are planning a road trip or a holiday with your family, traveling with your pets can be a headache if you don’t plan well. There are many issues involved in taking your pet along with you while traveling. You need to understand these issues before you decide to take your pet along.
The first thing is to understand if your pet is ready to travel. If it is a road trip, your pet needs to sit in the car for hours together. Will it co-operate? You need to understand this by taking it out for long rides and testing its reaction.
The next problem when it comes to pet-friendly travel is if you are not going by road. You need to make special arrangements if you are taking your pet by plane. Traveling by rail or bus can be a problem if you want to take your pet along. You may not be allowed to take your pet with you and have to put it in a crate.
The third issue is whether the place you’re traveling to is a pet-friendly destination. It could be possible that the place you are visiting does not have proper facilities for pets or there are restrictions on taking pets along with you as you move.
The last issue involved is staying. You need to look for hotels that will allow you to take your pet along. You need to consider the economics involved and look at the hotel policy regarding pets.
2. Trends
Pet-friendly travel is possible and happening. A survey showed that around 53% of respondents traveled with their pets when went on a holiday. Of them, 52% were clear that they would only travel to a hotel that has pet-friendly policies.
One more trend is of pet owners taking short vacations instead of long ones for weeks together. Your pet may find it difficult to adjust to a new place. Longer vacations, more is the travel and stay required. To accommodate their pets, 35% of owners said they preferred a short holiday.
The growing trend of customers keeping pets and the growth of the pet industry, which is now valued more than $70 billion has resulted in a focus on making special travel arrangements for pets.
3. Pet portals
Thanks to the growing trend in traveling with pets, there are many entrepreneurs who have come out with solutions for pet travel. Pettravel, Gopetfriendly, bringfido, and pets welcome are some of the websites that cater exclusively for pet-friendly travel.
These websites offer many facilities for pet owners to make their travel easy, including hotel booking, trip planning, pet care resources, and travel booking.