Part of the family, pets have entered the world of travel for good. Hotels, inns, tours, adventures such as rafting, VIP lounge and even historic trains have adapted to receive —very well, thank you — this audience.
In the post-Covid period, 82% of Brazilians want to travel with their pets, according to Hotels.com, which surveyed more than 8,000 people in a 2020 survey.
The booking platform Booking found that 40% of Brazilians choose the destination based on how their pets will be received. The survey interviewed almost 50 thousand people, in 28 countries, also in 2020. In a previous survey, 65% Brazilians said that their pet is as important as a child.
On Airbnb, the topic is among the top five filters for property renters: quality wifi, equipped kitchen, free parking, air conditioning and pet-friendly accommodation.
And it is not enough to accept the pets, it is necessary to pamper them. Proof of this is that tutors do not want to take their puppies to stay in kennels or catteries, but rather to create a fun experience for the animal and enjoy it with him.
In Brotas, for example, in the interior of São Paulo, dogs accompany humans in restaurants, sweet shops and even in boats for adventures. The city was one of the first to include the animals in the practice of rafting, more than a decade ago.
There it is also possible to practice stand-up paddle, as well as trails and river dives, all with the pets next door. Today, 70% of the hotels and inns in the destination accept the animals.
Many accommodations have created special pools for them, with controlled PH, edge with easy exit, playroom, parks with agility and even special menus, which include fruit ice cream designed for greedy noses.
Socorro (SP), 135 kilometers from the capital, is also eyeing travelers with pets. It adapted parks, trails, waterfalls, adventures such as rafting, stand-up, kayaking and historical tours to welcome children with paws.
In Curitiba (PR), pets are welcome aboard the Serra Verde Express train, the Serra do Mar Paranaense train. A wagon, decorated and adapted, received beds for the new passengers, who enjoy the landscape with their tutors. In the city, it is possible to stay at the Grand Mercure Curitiba Rayon, among others with rooms aimed at this audience.
Minas Gerais also has pet experiences. In Monte Verde, they can paw in several restaurants, shops and bars. Accommodations also make a point of receiving them loose, in a large green space — at the Morada das Nuvens inn, for example, all sizes of animals are accepted.
And you think that only dogs take the road? None of that. Pigs, rabbits, cats, turtles and even goats are pampered on the trips. This was the case of Joaquim, a goat who, even paraplegic, did not let go of his guardian, the veterinarian Marina Passadore, on any of the trips she took.
“Because of his condition, I stayed with him 24 hours a day. I did everything together, went to restaurants and traveled. He had a passion for the sea, so we went to the beach a lot. He loved slipping off the mat to lie on the sand”, remember Marina.
“Everywhere we went, people were enchanted. He was very sociable, friendly and charismatic. I joked that he smiled a lot and posed for pictures. Everyone wanted a photo with him. He knew he attracted attention and he loved it.”
Among the places that Joaquim visited —the little goat died at one year and two months old, in August 2020— was the Pura Vida inn, in Maresias (SP). In it, animals of any species and size sleep with their tutors in the room, enjoy a special pool in the shape of a bone, have fun in the pet playroom and can even finish the day in the beauty salon for them.
A room with a screen welcomes tourists traveling with felines. The accommodation is equipped with a toilet, scratching post, fountain and toys. The hotel’s TV room was also “gatified”, with shelves, niches and bridges.
A large part of Maresias, in fact, has adapted to pet-friendly tourism with restaurants and beach kiosks willing to receive traveling animals —they are, however, fenced and private spaces on the sand. On the beach, in general, Brazilian municipalities prohibit the access of dogs, with rare exceptions such as Santos (SP), which recently released, with rules, pets near the sea.
In hotels, there is no lack of pampering for customers. The all-inclusive Villa Rossa, in São Roque (SP), personalized the pet experience with a welcome kit with toys, cookies, and beds, including giant beds for animals GG.
At the Hilton, in the Morumbi district, in the capital, dogs are also welcomed with a kit containing stuffed animals, balls, steaks, cookies and healthy snacks. In the room, as soon as guests enter, a bed and two aluminum pots for water and food are already waiting for them.
Guarulhos International Airport (SP) also targets pet-friendly tourism, and recently opened the pet-friendly VIP lounge Plaza Premium Lounge. Children of paws pay R$ 50 to wait for the boarding in the greatest comfort, next to the tutor.
Having up-to-date vaccinations is a general obligation, accentuated in the case of tourism. In most cases, for tours and accommodation it is necessary to present the card with the updated medical record of the pet.
“Diseases such as distemper, parvovirus and rabies can be fatal, so vaccinating is essential. Medicines against fleas, ticks and insects are also indispensable. These parasites can cause anemia, bacterial diseases and blood diseases”, explains the veterinarian and analyst. of Corporate Education at Cobasi, Bruno Sattelmayer.
“There are species of mosquitoes that cause serious heart disease, in which the larvae settle in the organ. There is also the risk of leishmaniasis, a serious zoonosis, which can be prevented with repellents.”
In addition to medical care, it is also necessary to respect the limit of pets during travel. Elderly animals, for example, cannot stand hiking or doing sports in the boats. Other than that, tutors are recommended to keep an eye on what the animal consumes along the trails.
“Don’t let the pet eat any plants during the adventure. Some of the most known ones that can intoxicate are orchids, lilies, sword-of-Saint-George, me-no-one-can, fern, manacá and adam’s rib”, he warns. Sattelmayer.
_183324.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1 "Niklas: “We were affected by the conditions of the field, the foreigners were shocked and asked me why there is such hatred”")
