Balearic hotels are not pet friendly

PALMA
THE Balearic hotel sector may well be hungry for more guests but, if you have a pet, either leave it home or go elsewhere.
The Balearic tourist industry may well lead by example but a report published yesterday indicates that the region's hotels are failing miserably when it comes to accommodating pets. Over the past seven years, the number of hotels accepting pets in some regions on mainland Spain has risen by as much as 70 percent but here in the Balearics, the number of pet friendly hotels has in fact fallen.

According to data provided by the Spanish Tourist Board, there are 141 pet-friendly hotels in the Balearics this year, three percent less than in 2001.
Ironically, 79 percent of the Balearics' population claim to have no objection to cats and dogs being allowed access to hotels, beaches or restaurants “providing they are well behaved and their owners responsible.” The bulk of the Balearics' pet- friendly hotels can be found in Majorca in the most popular resorts such as Cala Ratjada, Cala Millor, Can Picafort and Peguera as well as Palma.

In Ibiza there are a total of 14 hotels where pets are welcome, providing they are with their owners. Even the smallest of the Balearics islands, Formentera, has six. But in Minorca, where the tourism industry is continuing to struggle, there is just one pet friendly establishment.

Across Spain, there are a total of 11'000 hotels and 2'522 accept pets - 30 percent more that seven years ago.
The report was complied by the Affinity Foundation which concludes that the number of households owning a pet has grown significantly since 2001 and that 27 percent of families own at least one dog and 13 percent a cat.