Crossroads for hotels at the gates of the tourist season: they will have to determine their condition regarding pets: if they are pet-friendly or, on the contrary, they do not allow pets. It is one of the issues that the sector is working on now, which is studying the regulation to adapt to the new Animal Welfare Law, since the Valencian hotel employers, Hosbec, remind that the new law requires that “if pets are not allowed animals, it is clearly specified in the commercial policy and in the contracting, as well as in a badge displayed on the door of the establishment”.
For the sector, this is a potential market, as they remember that the PetFriendly tourism market is one of the products that has had the greatest position in recent times. “Ten years ago there were few hotels that allowed pets, and with very restrictive conditions, but in Spain there are currently 28 million pets,” assumes the employer.
As an example, they point out that in more than 40% of homes there is a pet and compare two realities: “Dogs make up about 7 million pets, while the number of children under 14 years of age is 6.3 million according to the statistical data for 2022”.
In this context, HOSBEC has organized together with Turisme Comunitat Valenciana a training session to clarify the new obligations for companies in the tourism sector, as they warn that traveling with pets “is going to mean a revolution in the accommodation offer in the Valencian Community “. Thus, they defend that innovation in this sector will make a difference in the face of a market demand that is looking for solutions to go on vacation with their pets.
Examples of the importance of this trend is Baleà ria, which has cabins adapted with vinyl flooring and a special cleaning protocol to guarantee maximum hygiene, as well as pet-friendly seats, which allow pets to travel on board as long as they do not weigh more than 8kg, including the carrier. The Bahama Mama ferry is even equipped with webcams in the pet friendly houses.
Among the novelties of the new law, it does not require the acceptance of pets, but establishes that an admission policy be available that clearly defines whether or not pets are allowed, and in the case of admitting pets company, define what type of animals, with the ability to limit the type, weight and defining all the requirements that must be met for their accommodation.
In the rules for accepting the entry of animals, it must be defined if there are additional fees for the accommodation of pets, if it is necessary to have the animals on a leash, and at what distance, if they can be left alone in the rooms or not, or if they must do it inside a carrier, or identifying that it is in the room to avoid access to the cleaning or maintenance staff of the hotel.
It would also be necessary to define whether the owner of the pet is required to carry the mandatory civil liability insurance or responsible declaration to that effect, or whether guarantee deposits must be assumed to cover possible damages.
In any case, there are areas of a hotel that animals will never be able to enter: the kitchen and buffet areas, and the swimming pools in regards to the bathing area, in which the access of pets would not be allowed. pets.
