Dog owners on vacation aren’t just everywhere, though — they’re also cash-strapped. The industry has also started to refer to the amount of money owners earn as the “pet pound”, a 2018 Mintel study found dog owners and travelers are the biggest spenders. That’s why today, we’re seeing dog-friendly menus, dog-friendly hotels that combine food and toys with plush dog beds, dog festivals like Dogfest and Dogstival, and more and more dog-friendly hotels.
For example, dogs kept in Egerton House in Kensington in London, can have afternoon tea of chicken liver, peanut butter biscuits and a cup of carrot (£30 per pet) while the owners get their sweets, as well as a hotel. will also organize a birthday party for walking dogs on a special occasion – “dogtini” cocktails included.
Elsewhere, useful services are offered, such as dog managers at the Bankside Hotel, who offer vet, petshop and groomer recommendations to guests, or pet dogs at INNSiDE and Meliá.
“We’ve seen a 75 per cent increase in pet stays over the last year and in response to visitor feedback, we’ve recently introduced indoor dogs at INNSiDE Manchester,” says UK sales director, Scott Brown. “Although the city has dog-friendly restaurants and bars, we wanted to give our guests additional opportunities to enjoy activities in the city that may not be appropriate, such as going to the theater or entertainment.”
But it’s not just hotels that are adapting to the dog market. After the holiday company Sawday’s saw a 50% increase in the use of its “pets welcome” filter and the dog-friendly site on the sister site Canopy & Stars enjoyed a 190% increase, in 2022 they decided to launch a whole site – Paws & Stay. – dedicated to do-it-yourself dog holidays.
“Paws & Stay was created by animal lovers who understand the frustrations of ‘dog-friendly’ shelters and the joys of a good dog-friendly environment,” says managing director Mike Bevens. “Each location in the group is screened by a human and a dog to make sure they really welcome dogs.”
