New services

With improved living standards, more families are raising pets, who now number more than 100 million in China. As love for their animals deepens, a rising number of owners are looking to travel with them.

Wang Jinwei, an associate professor at Beijing International Studies University's School of Tourism Sciences, said more Chinese now regard pets as part of the family, so it's only natural to take them on travels.

As more companies sense the business opportunities in this market, related tourism products and services are fast becoming available, such as pet-friendly hotels and scenic spots, Wang added.

"Pets also bring happiness and comfort to humans, while travel relieves people from work stress. Combining the two meets people's psychological demands for a leisurely life," he said.

However, there are still only a limited number of facilities especially for pets, such as cabins, seats and hotels. There is also a lack of related laws and regulations about pets' health, sanitation, accidents and possible infectious diseases, Wang added.

In view of this, more innovative products for pets, such as special beds, travel insurance and medical care can be expected in the future to ensure that owners and their animals are properly cared for during trips, he said.

Kathy Jiang, principal at consultancy Roland Berger, said most people traveling with pets are from the medium- and high-end income groups, who have greater demands for their travel experience.

She suggested that hotels and attractions gradually increase their services, such as providing rooms for pets and making special tableware available. There should also be improved promotion to raise public awareness of such services, and increased investment in pet travel companies, Jiang said.

"Pet travel is developing into a new market with great potential. It is also driving development of emerging sectors such as pet hotels and tourism service providers," she added.

Cui Yutong contributed to this story.

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