‘Travel with Pets Too’ Tourism Organization Launches Jeju Island Charter Flight Package

The Nation's First 'Jeju Island Pet-Friendly Charter Flight' Service Operation

A flight travel program for pet owners is being launched.

Jeju Charter Flight Package Promotion Poster Featuring a Dog
Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

On the 2nd, the Korea Tourism Organization announced that it will launch a special charter flight product for pets traveling with their owners to Jeju Island (Dangdangi Jeju Charter) in collaboration with the pet travel platform ‘Banryeosaenghwal’ and the small airline ‘Hi Air’ to promote pet-friendly air travel.

The product offers a 3-day, 2-night round trip between Gimpo and Jeju and will be operated starting from the 16th. A total of 10 flights (one per month) are planned to run until the end of the year.

The number of participants is around 30, with each guardian allowed to bring one dog (the combined weight of the cage and pet must be under 10kg). Onboard, dogs can sit in the seat next to their owner instead of under the seat, and for safety, a dedicated pet seat and safety leash will be provided. After landing, participants will travel freely according to their dog’s temperament.

The pilot program for March was sold out on the 28th of last month, and the reservation page for the April product is scheduled to open early next week. Various events are also planned to coincide with the full-scale operation. The first 300 customers will receive welcome gifts such as a Pet Passport, and certification events for major tourist attractions and accommodations will be held. Reservations and detailed event information can be found on the ‘Banryeosaenghwal’ app.

Since 2022, the organization has been conducting various pet-friendly travel projects, including cruises on the Gyeongin Ara Waterway, train trips to Yeongwol and Jeongseon in Gangwon Province, and camping at Osiano in Haenam. Recently, they have also produced and promoted a ‘Travel Petiquette’ promotional video featuring trainer Kang Hyung-wook, among other initiatives.

According to the ‘2022 Pet-Friendly Travel Survey’ released by the organization last year, 65.7% of respondents had experienced a day trip with their dog within the past year, with an average of 2.1 trips per year. Private cars (79.3%) were overwhelmingly the preferred mode of transportation, while public transportation such as trains, buses, and airplanes accounted for only about 5%, indicating that traveling with dogs via public transport still faces many challenges.

Joo Sang-geon, head of the Leisure Tourism Team at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, “As the number of pet owners increases, demand for pet-friendly travel using public transportation is also rising,” adding, “We will strive to promote pet-friendly travel through the development of more diverse products and awareness improvement in line with this trend.”