Busan, Taean, Pocheon… Local government rolls up its sleeves to become a ‘pet-friendly city’

According to the Korea Pet Report published by KB Financial Group last year, the number of households raising pets as of 2022 was 5.52 million, exceeding 25% of the total. As the companion animal population increases, perceptions toward companion animals are also changing. You can read the atmosphere just by looking at new words such as ‘pet humanization’, which means accepting people as people rather than animals, and ‘pet family’, which means they are no different from family. As the pet population and pet culture expand, each local government is declaring a ‘pet-friendly city’, carrying out related projects and establishing policies as a future food source.

◆Taean supports accompanying travel expenses “Increasing satisfaction and encouraging repeat visits”

Taean-gun, South Chungcheong Province, emerged as a ‘pet-friendly tourist city’ selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization last year. We are currently promoting the region as a good city to travel with pets by participating in Korea’s largest pet industry expo, ‘Megaju (15th to 17th, KINTEX)’. An official who met at the event venue on the 16th said, “Many pet owners showed interest. “A lot of brochures and promotional material prepared directly by the military were put out,” he said.

Taean-gun’s booth participating in Megaju and promoting the pet-friendly travel program. Reporter Park Jae-rim

The military has been conducting various travel programs since last year. In particular, the ‘Pet+Wellness Taean Mission Tour’, which provides up to 100,000 won to pet owners who travel with their pets for more than 1 night and 2 days, is popular. This program, which starts on the 1st of this month and continues until the 15th of next month, is carried out by visiting tourist attractions, lodgings, cafes, etc. with pets and uploading proof photos taken with pets to social media, so natural promotion is possible.

Taean-gun, which held travel with disabled people and assistance dogs, bus tours (dog bus), SNS photo contests, and lodging competitions last month, is not only focusing on increasing programs but also increasing visitor satisfaction. Following the recent pet culture class for county residents, we provided free consulting to local lodging business owners on how to create pet-friendly lodging facilities and how to respond to tourists with pets. An official said, “It is important to welcome pet owners from all over the country and create conditions that will increase satisfaction levels and encourage repeat visits. “We will continue to conduct education and promotions to improve our competitiveness as a pet-friendly tourist city,” he said.

◆Busan takes the first step: “We will lead the market by investing 140 billion won”

The second capital, Busan, also recently announced its first plan, marking the start of a five-year comprehensive plan to foster the pet industry. The goal is to invest a budget of 140 billion won over five years from next year to 2029 to build pet-related industrial infrastructure, support industry development, and spread the right pet culture. While Busan Mayor Park Hyeong-jun expressed his ambition to “lead the market as a pet-friendly city,” the official in charge of the project drew up a blueprint, saying, “We plan to focus on preserving Busan’s regional characteristics.”

An image of With Pet Star, an animal love culture festival held by Busan City last month. Provided by Busan City

Among these projects, the first step toward creating the nation’s largest pet culture park has already begun. Recently, the restricted development area in Cheolma-myeon, Gijang-gun recently passed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s ‘preliminary review of the restricted development area management plan’ and secured a 241,000㎡ site. Once this park, which is scheduled to cost 35.5 billion won, is completed, it is expected to become a pet attraction not only in Busan but also nationwide.

‘Pet Station’, which is scheduled to officially open on the 22nd, also catches the eye. A part of the underground shopping mall between Suyeong Station and Gwangan Station on Busan Metro Line 2, located near Gwangalli Beach, a major tourist attraction in the region, will open as a pet culture complex space. The basic pet supplies shopping store will be equipped with a rest area, beauty salon, hospital, adoption center, etc. to welcome pet owners and pets.

◆Pocheon, where business has begun in earnest, “Visit the UNESCO Geopark with your dog”

Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province, which was selected as a pet-friendly tourist city in March of this year, also participated in Megaju. Maps containing local attractions that can be visited with pets, such as Hantangang River, Pocheon Art Valley, and Sanjeong Lake, card-type promotional materials, and pet travel kits were distributed to visitors and received a positive response. An official from the Pocheon Culture and Tourism Foundation said, “The characters Roy and Niju, created to commemorate Pocheon’s selection as a pet-friendly tourist city, were also very popular.”

A card-type promotional material introducing pet-friendly travel destinations in Pocheon. Reporter Park Jae-rim

Pocheon City, which is confident that it is successfully carrying out the first year of the project, first announced 10 pet-friendly tourist destinations and is actively carrying out a companion travel program. In particular, in the case of the Hantangang River, spaces where pets were previously prohibited, such as Bidulginang Falls and Meonguri Gorge, were temporarily opened. The ‘Hantangang Doggeo Touring’ program allows you to ride a bus with your pet and take in the spectacular scenery of the UNESCO-designated Global Geopark. It was originally scheduled to run until the end of this month, but extensions are being considered as inquiries about participation continue to come in. The city recently selected and announced 10 certified pet-friendly tourist accommodation companies.

The ‘Pet Welcome Center’ also stands out. The Welcome Center, which opened last September, not only provides travel information to pet owners visiting Pocheon for the first time, but also has a playground where dogs can run around. An official said, “We are giving maps and items helpful for travel as gifts, and the response is very good.” In addition, a dog playground and convenience facilities measuring approximately 650 m2 (approximately 200 pyeong) are provided within the Pocheon Sports Complex, serving as a meeting place for local pet owners and those traveling with their pets.

Reporter Park Jae-rim jamie@segye.com

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