Pet-friendly travel picks up in India as airlines, hotels feed into demand

For Riya Mittal, leaving behind her pooch while on vacation is a thought not worthy of entertaining. So, two-year-old Robin, an indie pup she adopted during the pandemic, is just back in Delhi from a holiday in Kerala. And in two weeks the duo is off again, this time to Pune, visiting Mittal’s grandmother.

“I don’t like leaving Robin behind in pet boardings and I’m also less worried about him hurting himself or some other dog or picking up an infection while staying there,” says Mittal whose trips are planned keeping in mind her companion. The destinations are not “crowded cities” and the place they stay at should have a space for Robin to run around in.

Turns out, India now has a number of such places. In fact, pet-friendly holidays have spawned a whole ecosystem – from pet transportation services to hotels hosting guests along with their pets.

Last month, for instance, the country’s newest low-cost airline, Akasa Air, announced that it would start allowing pets weighing up to 7 kg in the cabin with fliers. Air India, too, allows domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds on flights in the cabin or as checked-in baggage, depending on the regulations of the country of destination.

Indian Railways also allows pets with owners in the first class AC compartments, on the provision of a vaccination card for the pets. The Railways charges approximately Rs 60 per kg for the pets accompanying their owners. It expects dogs to be chained and collared while on board and the owners to provide their own food and water for the pets.

Sarah Masih, who travelled from Delhi to Jaipur with Iris, her three-year-old pug, says the Indian Railways makes for a great option for pets. “The compartments have enough space, so the animals are not uncomfortable; and the regular stops also help as I can take her for a small stroll on the platform. On top of that, Iris loves the view from the window,” she gushes.

“People in general and hotels, airlines etc are being sensitive towards pets and their requirements, and even offer special arrangements,” says Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder, EaseMyTrip.

Apart from offering amenities like pet utensils, toiletries, treats, toys and play spaces, these destinations often also “offer special menus, eating spaces for pets, resting space inside rooms, care centre, pet room service, walking service, grooming service and more,” he adds.

The pandemic has further fuelled the trend as travelling with pets picked up during the period. “Before the pandemic, queries from people who wanted to holiday with their pets made for about 2 to 3 per cent of the total enquiries we received,” Pitti says. “These have now increased to 11 to 16 per cent.”

Cities like Goa, Puducherry, Delhi, Karnataka, Pushkar (Rajasthan) and Ooty (Tamil Nadu) are among some favourite destinations.

At Gulaab Niwaas Palace in Pushkar, pets are allowed in the same room with a charge of Rs 1,000 per day. At Camp Della, Lonavala, the weekend getaway from Mumbai, no extra charge is levied on bringing pets along. The resort also has 20-30 dogs of its own.

Five star hotels, too, are quickly becoming pet-friendly. Shreya Mago, who has stayed at Taj, Pushkar, paid Rs 3,000 for two nights to put up her indie pup, Delilah, at the property. JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity, meanwhile, welcomes pets of any size for an additional fee of Rs 2,500 per pet, per stay.

Carry My Pet, a pet transportation service in India, has seen a rise in demand. “There has been a definite shift in consumer behaviour patterns in India, where people now want to travel with their pets instead of leaving them behind,” says Aamir Islam, co-founder of the Gurugram-headquartered firm. “In the last two-and-a-half years, we have seen a record of more than 6,000 pet transportations with over 7,000 pets  moved locally and globally to more than 30 countries.”

Domestic transportation of animals can cost anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 60,000, depending on the services and mode of transportation – air, rail or cabs. And, international pet transportation can cost between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.

According to Bonafide Research, the overall India pet care market is expected to cross Rs 7,500 crore by the end of Financial Year 2025-26.