On holiday with our pets

The relationship between humans and pets is getting closer and closer.

Pets in general and dogs in particular change the lives of the families they live in. They improve the well-being of people, especially children and the elderly, and become an important part of the family themselves.

Growing population

Spain has a growing number of families with dogs. It is estimated that 25% of households have a dog (about 5 million households), and about 7.5 million dogs live in Spanish homes.

This presence implies that they influence the planning of family vacations. Especially in the case of travel and as long as you do not go to a second residence, as they require special attention, which not all tourist destinations usually offer.

The needs of these travelers influence the destination and accommodation of tourists. An example of this is the numerous web pages dedicated to traveling with pets. Also use social media to rate destinations in terms of pet-friendliness.

For all these reasons, the number of pet-friendly hotels is on the rise, and tourist destinations are increasingly defined as suitable for dogs and they are trying to attract tourists who travel with their pets. These are destinations that try to satisfy the needs of this type of tourists.

Traveling with pets affects the consumption of experiences in travel destinations. Increasingly, malls offer entry with them, dog parks are being created, and some museums are allowing dogs to enter their facilities.

guests and pets

The first decision when planning a trip is finding accommodation. Thus, the family has to choose where and how they will live with their dog.

For their part, tourist properties must decide whether to allow dogs into the establishment and thus serve a new market niche focused on tourists with pets. Strategy suitable for dogs It has positive sides because it attracts families with pets, but there are also negative sides: some tourists will not want to stay in places where there are dogs.

Hoteliers will have to analyze how the relationship between these two groups of guests will develop: travelers with pets and without dogs. Creating spaces for pets outside of rooms will be essential to the development of this market.

bathing dogs

There are still not enough establishments where you can stay with dogs. This is one of the restrictions for traveling with pets. However, it is also an opportunity for hotel accommodations to open up new lines of business and for destinations to accommodate these travelers. One of the incentives is that establishments will increase their revenue per room, as customers will have to pay an additional pet fee that will serve to pay for increased room cleaning costs.

A pet-friendly strategy by tourist destinations or accommodation establishments may signal an increase in their reputation on social media. Of course, it is important that these destinations have complete and high-quality veterinary services.

Finally, the question of whether pets can enter the beaches during the summer periods should be discussed. While pet owners defend this position, other users oppose it. However, there could be a solution acceptable to most: the delimitation of places on the beaches for those who travel with their dogs. Thus, society as a whole will benefit.

Tomas Lopez-Guzman, Tourism, University of Cordoba

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original.