More people than ever holiday with pets

Holidaycottages.co.uk, a nationwide holiday cottage letting agency have reported a 15% increase in the number of people taking their dogs on holiday this year within the UK - with 1 in 5 customers now taking a dog with them and dog friendly holidays now accounting for 25% of their total bookings.

Holiday Cottages has produced an infographicshowing their findings. Holidaycottages.co.uk polled 1,000 dog owners across the UK and nearly 80% of respondents said they would take their dogs on holiday with them within the UK if the accommodation was dog friendly. They also found that it could be up to seven times cheaper to take your dog with you than to put it in kennels!

The likelihood of taking a dog on holiday increases with age, 19-24 year olds are the least likely to take a dog away where as those aged 35-44, the family demographic, are more likely to want to take a dog on a holiday. Of those aged 55+, nearly 85% of them would take their dog on holiday. Those living in cities are the most keen to take their dog on holiday, with 81% of Londoners wanting to escape the city with their dog compared to only 69% of respondents in nearby East Anglia.

Managing Director, James Morris explained this growing trend, “We have always offered dog friendly holidays as we believe dogs are part of the family, but now I believe more and more people are choosing to take their dogs away within the UK as it is a much cheaper and guilt-free alternative to kennels.”

Key Findings:

•       1 in 5 customers take their dog on holiday within the UK

•       25% of bookings are dog friendly holidays

•       It could be 7x cheaper to take your dog on holiday than put it in kennels based on the cost of a dog place in a holidaycottages.co.uk cottage at £20, compared to a week in kennels at an average cost of £140.

•       77% of people would take their dog on holiday if their accommodation was dog friendly

•       83% of females would take their dog on holiday if their accommodation was dog friendly

•       73% of respondents ages 35-44 would take their dog on holiday if the accommodation was dog friendly

•       84% of respondents ages 55+ would take their dog on holiday if the accommodation was dog friendly

81% of people living in London would take their dog on holiday if the accommodation was dog friendly compared to 69% of people in East Anglia.