[Report] Overseas Travel with Pets? The '20 Trillion Won Market' Captivates Korea's Largest Pet Fair

Inside Korea's Largest Pet Expo, 'Mega Zoo Ilsan'
Modetour Introduces Industry's First Companion Travel Package
Exhibition Booths Filled With Functional Clothing and Daily Necessities
Eighty-Five Thousand Visitors Attended Last Year's Biannual Event

'2025 Mega Zoo Ilsan,' held for three days from May 16 at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2 in Ilsan, is the largest domestic pet industry expo hosted by the Korea Pet Food Association. On the weekend, visitors accompanied by their dogs continued to arrive from early in the morning. Booths lined up throughout the venue, featuring a wide range of specialized products from food, treats, and health supplements to functional clothing, accessories, and daily necessities.

This year, booths set up by the travel and leisure industry under the theme of a pet travel show especially caught the attention of visitors. In particular, Modetour, a leading outbound travel agency, drew interest by setting up a large booth for its pet travel brand 'ModuNpet,' introducing overseas travel packages for people and their pets. The booth was decorated as a photo zone with props such as clothing and hats evoking the local atmosphere of Hoi An's popular 'basket boat' tour in Vietnam, providing information about pet-inclusive travel packages to visitors.

Modetour has set up a photo zone introducing 'ModuNpet,' the industry's first overseas travel package for pets, at '2025 Mega Zoo Ilsan,' the largest domestic pet industry expo held at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2 in Ilsan, welcoming visitors. Photo by Kim Heungsun

In Korea, hotels with pet-only rooms and play facilities are becoming more common, and pet-friendly tourist destinations operated by local governments are also increasing. However, Modetour is the first to launch exclusive overseas travel packages for pets. The company spent two years conducting on-site inspections and reviewing accommodations and tourist spots that allow pets in order to create these packages.

One visitor commented, "There are so many things to consider personally, such as finding accommodations where I can stay with my dog, how to book flights, and whether local restaurants allow pets, that I couldn't even think about traveling abroad with my dog. If there is a package that provides all this information and convenience, I would be interested in using it."

With ModuNpet, travelers can visit major tourist destinations in Vietnam such as Danang, Nha Trang, and Mui Ne with their pets as part of a package tour. The package departs when at least two teams sign up for a given date, includes accommodation at a five-star hotel, and provides meals such as in-flight meals, hotel breakfasts, local cuisine, and Korean food during the trip. Vehicle services are also available for touring major local attractions and resorts. Except for aggressive or large dogs, pets that have completed vaccinations and health checks can join the trip. Prices range from around 1 million to 2 million won, with various options depending on the number of people and package composition.

Choi Gucheol, manager of external cooperation at Modetour, said, "Interest in overseas travel with pets is so high that we received about 40 reservations just on the first day of the expo," adding, "We plan to expand the package lineup and destinations based on customer response."

On the 17th, visitors are exploring functional clothing for dogs at the BYC booth during the largest domestic pet industry expo, "2025 Mega Zoo Ilsan," held at Kintex Exhibition Center 2 in Ilsan. Photo by Kim Heungsun

The domestic pet-owning population is estimated to reach 15 million. As the related market grows rapidly, the scale of pet expos, where companies from various sectors participate, is also expanding. Last year, the biannual Mega Zoo Ilsan event featured 1,870 booths from 982 companies and attracted a cumulative 85,000 visitors. For the first half of this year, 384 companies set up 767 booths, maintaining a similar scale to the same period last year. One visitor said, "I visit every year because I can get useful information about raising pets and purchase necessary products at discounted prices."

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the domestic pet market, which was valued at $6.2 billion (about 8.5 trillion won) in 2022, is expected to grow by an average of 9.5% annually, reaching $15.2 billion (about 20.8 trillion won) by 2032.

At the 2025 Mega Zoo Ilsan, the largest pet industry expo in Korea, held on the 17th at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2 in Ilsan, visitors are touring the participating booths with their pets. Photo by Kim Heungsun