Since the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pet boarding industry hasbeen thrown into a period of uncertainty and loss.
Businesses saw a total stoppage of business during the initial lockdownsalmost a year ago, and since then have suffered many ups and downs.
Some areas of Australia have suffered more than others, but essentially theoverall effect of these changes has been the same across the board.
The Australian Pet Care Association (APCA) has been contacting various keydepartments around the country to build awareness of its industries closealignment with the travel and tourism industries.
Teresa Comacchio, The Senior Director from Visit Canberra, responded directlyto APCA’s last correspondence regarding the inclusion of our industry in anydiscussions relating to travel and tourism.
Comacchio was interested in reaching out to learn more about the pet boardingindustry to better understand the affect that the changes in tourism andtravel have had.
“We discussed the fact that the single biggest factor affecting us is linkeddirectly to the stoppage of international travel and restrictions on domestictravel during 2020.
“Where once people would travel overseas for weeks a time and book their petin for a holiday, now families are opting for more localised travel whichresults in either no pet boarding needed or very short stays by comparison,”said an APCA spokesperson.
In addition to this, business related travel has also come to a standstill,with people working from home instead of travelling across borders to conductbusiness. This has added to a loss to the pet boarding industry where manyregular clients no longer have the need for their pets to stay whilst theytravel for work.
Businesses are adapting in any way that they can, particularly by expandingother services related to pets such as Doggie Day Care, Transport or even DogTraining. The reality, however, is that it will take a significant amount oftime for these businesses to recover the losses, and they will feel theeffects exactly in alignment with those in the tourism sectors such asAviation for some time.
Comacchio has provided some valuable information for pet care providers in theACT.
“We consult with the Canberra Region Tourism Advisory Forum which is a freenetwork of individuals and organisations in the local travel and tourismindustry. Some of your members in this region may be interested to know moreabout their monthly events or receive their communications. Please contact theForum directly on their website for further information.”
If you have further questions for Visit Canberra on the tourism industry inthat region, Ms Comacchio can be contacted directly [email protected]
The APCA strongly encourages pet care providers in the ACT to investigatejoining and getting on board with those other industries who are heavily anddirectly affected by the current climate.
For those in other areas of Australia, look to your local tourism departmentand enquire to see if they have a similar set-up. In many cases, each regionwill have a network that is free and there to support those in the travel andtourism sectors.
This article was provided by Australian Pet Care Association (APCA). You canbecome a member by visiting the APCA website or [email protected]
Tagged: APCA, Boarding Kennels, Visit Canberra
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