Hong Kong people love to travel. For those who have pets, they hope to take their beloved fur kids to the other side of the world and set foot in different places together. Some travel agencies have launched a one-stop pet travel service, allowing pet owners to take their dogs on a private jet to Japan to play together. Although the cost of group tours is very high, many pet owners with financial means are willing to spend a lot to create memories with their dogs money.
Kenneth said that they integrate frontline and logistics roles, launch a one-stop service, simplify procedures, and make it easy for customers to take their fur kids abroad. (Photo by Ou Jiale)
Wage earners want to travel but have fur kids at home, what can they do? There are three most common methods: ask someone or a friend to take care of it, send it to a pet hotel or simply don’t go there! In fact, everyone still has another option, that is: travel with pets. For example, Pet Holiday, a local company, provides a one-stop pet travel service. Kenneth, its planning manager, pointed out that many Hong Kong people want to take their pets out of town, but they are scared off by the complicated procedures.
“A colleague tried to travel with pets and found that the procedures are very complicated. Pets mainly apply for or submit entry-exit documents, AFCD documents, and also pay attention to aircraft regulations. Dogs have to be quarantined after returning. Many interested pets A few years ago, our team noticed a business opportunity and launched related services in 2016,” Kenneth said.
The current travel pets are dogs. Mavis explained, “Many people in Hong Kong keep dogs. Compared with other pets, they are relatively outgoing, adaptable, and less prone to anxiety. They are not as stressed by sudden changes in environment as other animals.” ( Photo by Ou Jiale)
As the name suggests, the company specializes in providing services for owners and pets to travel together. The slogans are “sitting, eating, sleeping, and playing together” and “pet family is always around”, allowing pet owners to travel with fur kids. Kenneth said: “We integrate frontline and logistics roles, and launch a one-stop service to simplify procedures. It is very simple for customers to take their fur kids to play on the plane.”
Kenneth pointed out that the company offers two package options, group tours and independent travel, with prices ranging from five to six figures, depending on the number of pets and time, and the destination is mostly Japan. He said that both packages can take a private jet, “If two people are traveling together, they can choose to take a private jet for both of them and their dog, or for one person to take a private jet and the other to take a private jet with their pet, the latter is more economical. Unlike taking a commercial airliner, on a private jet, guests can sit with their pets.”
Pet Holidays Japan pet tour packages range from 5 to 6 digits (photo by Ou Jiale)
Pet Holiday Japan pet tour package details. (Photo by Ou Jiale)
The tourist destinations of Pet Holiday are concentrated in Japan. Mavis, the business development director of Go Japan, said, “Dogs only eat, live and play. Japan has a mature package that meets the needs of Hong Kong people. Because many local people have dogs, they want to travel with their pet dogs.” It is large, and has spawned a variety of facilities, such as dog resorts, tourist boats where dogs can experience semi-diving, zoos that allow pets to come into contact with free-ranging animals, and so on.”
Mavis added, “Dogs are not suitable for standing still for a long time. The flight time between Hong Kong and Japan is only three to four hours, so the burden on humans and dogs will not be too heavy, and Hong Kong people themselves love to travel to Japan. Most importantly, fish farmers Animals traveling from Japan to Hong Kong do not need to be quarantined, and Hong Kong to Japan does not need to be quarantined.” Several factors make Japan an ideal place for pet tourism.
In addition, Pet Holiday uses private jets as the main means of transportation. Although the price is more expensive than civil aviation, it also has many advantages. Kenneth said: “Civil aviation will limit the number of animals, and the cabin environment is cramped. Pets are uncomfortable, and the owner is not at ease. On the contrary, private jets allow owners and furkids to sit together. If there are a large number of people in a group, for example, there were 42 people in December last year. When 28 pets come to Japan in a group, the cost can be reduced. More and more guests are willing to spend money on private jets.”
Kenneth suggested that pet owners can apply for a pet visa no less than 180 days in advance, because quarantine documents and isolation procedures will take time. “A dog’s outbound travel visa is valid for two years, and can leave at any time after approval.” (Photo by Ou Jiale)
The price of pet travel is high, ranging from five figures to six figures, Kenneth explained, “First, it is expensive to book a private jet, depending on the type of seat, the all-inclusive price is 800,000 to 1.2 million Hong Kong dollars. Second, , the services we provide are all four or five-star standards, from finding pet-friendly places to providing exquisite meals, and ensuring a smooth travel itinerary.” Kenenth said frankly that the target customer group at this stage is middle-class or above, and he sent It is hoped that the service will be popularized in the future, and there will be room for price reduction, so that the general public can benefit.
Pet travel is a new type of travel product, and its promotion and implementation is not easy. Kenneth pointed out that compared with traditional tour groups, the protagonists of pet tour groups are dogs, and their needs must be considered first when planning the itinerary. It is compact, and the owners must be mentally prepared.” In addition, the dogs have different personalities, and a dog trainer will evaluate their personalities before departure to ensure that everyone gets along well.
create unforgettable memories
Hong Kong people’s awareness of caring for animals is increasing, and many people regard their fur babies as treasures. The reporter once encountered a full-time working interviewee who had not traveled with his pet dog for four years. Kenneth even saw a couple who had not tried to travel together for more than ten years, because they were reluctant to leave their fur kids alone at home. Until now, there is a solution.
Kenneth and Mavis said that although the tours are expensive, many participants believe that the memories they have with their dogs are priceless. Mavis pointed out, “To be honest, this is not a low-priced product, but they all said, “It’s a good price” and asked where they would go next time.”
Pet owners try new things that cannot be done in Hong Kong by participating in tour groups to create unforgettable memories with their dogs. (provided by respondents)
Pet owners try new things that cannot be done in Hong Kong by participating in tour groups to create unforgettable memories with their dogs. (provided by respondents)
Go to the local area to “step on the line” for high-level services
In order to provide high-level services, Kenneth and Mavis have tried their best to collect enough information. They gave an example, “Because each group is tailor-made (tailor-made), before each departure, we have to help the paparazzi choose medical insurance, local Veterinarians, whether the restaurant has a dog menu, which places are beautiful to take pictures, etc.” Kenneth pointed out, “Every time we go to Japan to “step on the line” for three or four days, do research, simulate the itinerary, etc., to make the itinerary as smooth as possible.”
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