Tourists along with their pets while trekking in Munnar. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
With Munnar witnessing a massive increase in visitors, ‘pet friendly tourism’ is gaining popularity in the hill station. Several tourism stakeholders now offer specialized accommodation and sightseeing facilities for travelers who wish to bring their pets.
Asish Varghese, a travel curator in Munnar and a member of ‘Team Vakeel Bro’, a group of travel curators, says his team has been getting a huge response for pet-friendly tourism activities. “Now families come with pets like dogs and cats to enjoy their trip. We provide complete sightseeing tours specially tailored for tourists who have pets,” says Mr. Varghese.
“Most families today consider their pets to be part of their family and don’t want to exclude them from their travels. Many often cancel plans because they fear that resorts and homestays are not pet-friendly. We want to make sure that no one has to cancel their trips because of this problem,” he adds.
Tourists with their pets during an off-road trip in Munnar. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The group ensures that both accommodation and food facilities are pet-friendly, and even provides medical assistance if needed. “We also take extra care of hygiene and cleaning for these guests. Tourists are excited about traveling with their pets. For many of them, these animals are an integral part of their lives,” he says.
‘Huge relief’
Gayathri Kishore, a costume designer from Kochi, recently traveled to Munnar with her three dogs. “Usually when I travel, I have to leave my dogs at a boarding house. But thanks to these pet travel curators, my dogs and I were able to enjoy the trip together. We were able to trek, sightsee and do adventure activities together in Munnar,” she says. “The dogs loved the holiday – they got to run and climb the hills. These options are a huge relief for pet owners.”
According to industry experts, pet-friendly tourism is a growing trend that is expected to continue to expand. “We have already done over 250 pet-friendly trips and we expect this area to become even more popular in the future,” says Mr Varghese.
Published – 1 Jan 2026 19:47 IST
