Last Tuesday the Association of Rural Houses of La Rioja (Ascarioja) gave the training ‘How to receive pets in your accommodation. Become petfriendly’, by Miguel Guerra, responsible for the Viajacontumascota portal. At the moment, only seven accommodations in La Rioja are advertised on this page, … a hotel, four tourist apartments and two rural houses (Tres Fuentes de Valgañón and Villa Liquidámbar de Torrecilla in Cameros). However, customer demand increasingly includes pets.
«At this moment, if a rural house or a hotel is not thinking about allowing the entry of pets, it is losing very interesting lines of work. Traveling with pets is already a necessity for couples and families in cities like Madrid, where, with the data being used, there are more pets than children,” warns Joaquín Sanz, president of Ascarioja and owner of Villa Liquidámbar. There are canine and feline kennels, but sometimes they fill up and there is no choice but to travel with the pet or not travel at all.
«There is reluctance because dogs make messes, although there are certain dog breeds that shed more hair than others, or they believe that they are going to destroy the furniture, but that is not the case. Yes, we have to do a deeper cleaning but I have to be very honest: the damage that animals can do is going to be similar to or less than what a child can do,” declares Joaquín Sanz. In this comparison between children and pets, the president of Ascarioja, who is not only a father but also the owner of two greyhounds, believes that the key is adults. “When you see the parents, like when you see the owners, you know if you are going to have problems or not,” says Joaquín Sanz.
However, the president of Ascarioja defends that the demand is growing and unstoppable. «There are more couples who travel with pets than with children, it is more noticeable every summer. And, furthermore, their stays are longer,” explains Sanz. Without going any further, two weekends ago, of the four rooms he rented at Villa Liquidámbar, two were with pets. «There is everything, but in general pet owners are very responsible. It’s like picking up excrement, a few who don’t do it give a bad name to those of us who do,” he emphasizes.
But at Villa Liquidámbar not only are pets allowed, they also have a crane to facilitate the stay of people with disabilities. “The more you open the fan, the more likely they are to occupy your rooms,” confides Sanz. And the solution to possible inconveniences, such as increased dirt, may be to charge an extra fee. “In general, the owners do not reject it but accept that payment, they understand it,” considers the president of Ascarioja. And being ‘petfriendly’ means creating a welcoming and safe environment for pets.
At Viajacontumascota they have been promoting this type of accommodation for fifteen years. “Although the vast majority are in rural environments, large hotels have already been incorporated,” highlights Miguel Guerra, head of the portal. “Owners value the inclusion of all family members in their trips and tend to return and recommend places that accommodate their pets,” emphasizes Miguel Guerra, highlighting the opportunity to target a specific and growing market niche, as well that the small investments required pay off quickly.
“In addition, it improves the perception of the establishment as an inclusive and friendly place, attractive to a young and socially conscious clientele,” says Guerra, highlighting that Asturias, Barcelona and Cádiz are the most inclusive regions in ‘petfriendly’ tourism.
