Korea Tourism Organization Publishes Guidelines for Pet-Accompanied Travel

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 13th that they have published the "Guidelines for Creating Pet-Friendly Travel Facilities" in response to the growing demand for pet-accompanied travel and to improve the readiness of tourism facilities.

These guidelines present specific standards that can be applied to various tourism facilities such as tourist attractions, accommodations, and food and beverage establishments. The guidelines detail step-by-step methods for establishing essential facilities, including pet-specific disinfectants and leash anchoring devices, as well as recommended facilities such as lounges, playgrounds, and pet restrooms. They also include checklists and sample manuals to make them easy for operators to understand. In particular, the guidelines contain effective and currently valid regulations such as the Animal Protection Act, Food Sanitation Act, Feed Management Act, and regulatory sandboxes for pet-friendly restaurants, enabling immediate application in the field.

The Korea Tourism Organization stated that the goal of the guidelines is not only to expand pet-friendly facilities, but also to create an environment where both pet owners and non-pet owners can enjoy tourism safely and comfortably. The organization also appointed field experts as advisory board members, including Seol Chae-hyun, a pet behavior specialist and veterinarian; Lee Tae-gyu, CEO of Petsgo Travel; and an official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, to ensure the guidelines reflect insights from canine behavioral science and user consideration factors.

The electronic file of the guidelines and eight types of free-to-use pictograms can be downloaded from the Korea Tourism Data Lab and the Korea Tourism Organization's official website.

Choi Hyeri, Head of the Tourism Content Strategy Team at the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, "Since 2022, the Korea Tourism Organization has designated and supported six cities-Ulsan, Taean, Pocheon, Suncheon, Iksan, and Gyeongju-as pet-friendly tourism cities," adding, "We hope that the publication of these guidelines will encourage more local governments and tourism facilities to participate in the pet-accompanied travel market."

According to a survey by Open Survey, 75.8% of pet owners expressed a desire to travel with their pets. In practice, the average spending per person on pet-accompanied trips is 1.9 times higher for day trips and 3.3 times higher for overnight stays compared to general travel. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Third Comprehensive Animal Welfare Plan (2025), households raising pets make up 28.6% of all households in Korea, with the number of pet dogs reaching approximately 5 million.