Animal-loving Brits who can’t bear to leave their beloved pets are taking them away on countryside escapes, to ski resorts – and even on SPA BREAKS.
We are famously fond of all creatures great and small, and now a survey of 1,000 UK pet owners has revealed 41 per cent have taken theirs on holiday.
But 54 per cent find it difficult to find pet-friendly accommodation, the study by Hotels.com found.
The countryside was the top holiday destination for pets, followed by the beach and a woodland retreat.
Remarkably, 10 per cent have taken their pet to a ski resort and 11 per cent have gone on a spa break with their animals.
The study of more than 8,000 animal owners across 15 countries was carried out as part of the Hotels.com’s ‘Creature Critics’ initiative to recruit animals to review its accommodation.
The lockdown, where many humans have spent more time than ever before with their pets, has led to a growing anxiety about going on holiday without them.
This has seen a 300 per cent spike in demand for pet-friendly hotels over the past six months.
Not wanting to leave the animals alone after months of being at home with them is the most common reason for taking their pet away, followed by the fear that they would miss them too much and the realisation of how much they love them.
Although 10 per cent of British pet owners admitted to taking their pet on holiday to help their flirting.
Emma Tagg, from Hotels.com, said: “With lockdown making us clingier than ever, it’s no surprise that no-one wants to leave their pet pal behind.
“At Hotels.com we want to make sure each pet-friendly hotel is up to scratch, which is why we launched the Pet Friendly category within our ‘Loved by Guests’ awards.
“But the reality is we can’t review all the hotels ourselves, and honestly – what do us humans know?
“We’re ready for a red-hot team of Creature Critics to take the lead, so pet owners, and pets, can rest assured that the hotels have been reviewed by the best.”
To make finding pet friendly accommodation a happier experience, Hotels.com has launched a global search for animal travellers to make up their team of ‘Creature Critics’, who will review their Loved by Guests, best pet-friendly accommodation.
Three pets can be part of the #CreatureCritics team and win 10x $150 (£115) coupons each, enabling them to review pet-friendly venues.
To coincide with the global search, Hotels.com has filmed a hilarious video of its own ‘Canine Critic’, the pint-sized chihuahua Dolly Pawton, meeting potential reviewers.
This includes an adorable hedgehog named Lionel and an extraordinary dog called Agador, which has almost 200,000 followers on Instagram.
*If you think your travelling creature has what it takes to be part of the Creature Critic team, post a pet pic on Instagram detailing why your pet should be part of the team and tag and follow @hotelsdotcom with #CreatureCritics.
Or, you can explain why your pet should win on Twitter, tagging and following @hotelsdotcomUK and #CreatureCritics.
