4 Strategies to Attract Pet Lovers to Your Destination
Why Pet-Travel Is Important for Your Destination
Pet-friendly travel is becoming increasingly popular, with more and more travelers seeking destinations that welcome their four-legged family members. This trend provides a fantastic opportunity for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to showcase their accommodations, services, and amenities tailored for pets, service animals, and emotional support animals. Beyond simply offering a place to stay, creating a welcoming environment for pets and their owners can significantly enhance the appeal of a destination. By emphasizing pet-friendly features and promoting activities that pets and owners can enjoy together, DMOs can tap into the growing market of travelers who refuse to leave their furry friends behind.
Some 70% of U.S. households own a pet like a dog, cat, bird, fish, horse or reptile, according to the National Pet Owners Survey conducted by trade association American Pet Products Association (APPA). Millennials make up a third of pet owners, according to APPA.
The global pet travel services market size is expected to reach USD 3.73 billion by 2030, according to the Global Pet Travel Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Pet Type (Dogs, Cats), Travel Type (Domestic, International), Application Type, Booking Type, Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report. While the COVID-19 pandemic nearly brought the travel industry to a halt, pet ownership dramatically increased in many parts of the world. Post-pandemic, these pet parents are back to traveling and want to bring their pets too.
With an increasing number of travelers choosing to bring their pets along on vacations, leveraging pet-focused travel can be a strategic move to boost tourism revenue and enhance visitor experiences. Here's how destination marketers can move closer to their marketing goals by fostering pet-friendly travel.
Before diving into marketing strategies, consider that pet-friendly travel is lucrative. According to recent surveys, over 37% of pet owners travel with their pets, and this number continues to rise. Furthermore, pet travel contributes significantly to tourism revenue, with billions of dollars spent annually on pet-friendly accommodations, activities, and services.
How to Increase Pet-Friendly Travel to Your Destination
Destination marketers can attract pet parents with pet-friendly attractions, accommodations, and experiences in their towns and cities. By highlighting these offerings, marketers can engage pet-owning travelers and locals alike, encouraging longer stays and increased spend. Here's how to make your town the pre-FUR-red destination for pets everywhere:
Feature Pet-Friendly Establishments in Your Destination
Walk through a typical day in the life of a pet-owning visitor to your destination. They need a place to sleep, restaurants to dine at, places to relieve their animals, attractions to explore, co-working spaces if they are participating in business travel or bleisure (business travel combined with leisure travel), places to exercise, and vet services should the unexpected happen.
Make it easy for pet parents to travel with their four-legged family members by creating a guide with all of your destination’s pet attractions. Need inspiration? Visit California has one of the most robust collections of pet-friendly guides. We also love Asheville, North Carolina's guide to pet-friendly fun in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Your guide should include not only places where pets are welcome but businesses that go beyond the basics, including:
Pet-Friendly Hotels that offer pet amenities like bedding, toys, treats, pet sitting, room service menus, spa services, and pet surfing lessons.
Pet-Friendly Restaurants & Bars that offer comfortable outdoor spaces with generous space between tables, water bowls, Yappy Hours, and pet-friendly treats like Puppachinos and dog biscuits.
Pet-Friendly Attractions like parks, dog parks, hiking trails, gardens, and beaches where well-behaved pets can stroll, sunbathe, or swim.
Pet Travel Essentials like a directory of emergency vets and pet sitters. Public transit guides, including how to travel with your pet, and where to find pet relief stations. Include pet bakeries and pet shops where visitors can stock up on food, supplies, and treats.
Offer Pet Perks at Your Destination
Surprise and delight pet owners with pet-friendly perks to make their time at your destination memorable. Get creative and collaborate with partner businesses to offer annual events, pet packages, and special deals. Ideas include pet pageants, costume contests, pet charity walks, and pet parades like Austin, Texas' Barking Beauty Pageant, Brooklyn, New York's Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest, and the World's Largest Pet Walk, a charity walk that can be done anywhere.
Smaller scale options include creating themed promotions like Margaritaville Palm Springs' Pampered Pooch dog massage treatments and "Yappy Hour" at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Local businesses could also offer free treats and toys with purchase, pet swag like branded bandanas, water bowls, and toys, and seasonal menus like puppy ice cream, cupcakes, and cookies
Create Pet-Friendly Destination Guides
Image courtesy of Dog Mountian
Create a pet-friendly guide for your destination by highlighting the best spots for pets, such as the 150-acre Dog Mountain in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont. This mountaintop retreat offers trails, an art gallery, and a chapel dedicated to the spiritual bond between pets and their owners.
Guides serve as an essential collection of pet-friendly places at your destination. Enhance existing guides for pet owners by introducing Check-in Challenges, encouraging users to post pet selfies, and designing digital passports. Completing these can unlock special discounts and giveaways.
Expand your guides to include pet-friendly accommodations, dining spots, attractions, and stores. Enrich the travel experience for pet owners with valuable information on local pet-friendly amenities. Engage with pet influencers or bloggers and connect with local pet owners for genuine recommendations and insights.
The Seeker team has already done some leg work (pun intended) to get your creativity going:
Share Pet Stories From Your DMO’s Team
Your Destination Marketing team likely includes some pet parents. Pet owners love to brag about their pet's milestones, favorite activities, and accomplishments. Leverage this existing resource to create authentic first-hand accounts of exploring your destination with a pet. Encourage your team to share their favorite pet-friendly experiences, hot spots, recommendations, and tips.
Create a custom hashtag and encourage your team to show off their pets on social media. Showcasing your destination's pets contributes to fostering a connection with pet-loving travelers.
Pet-friendly travel is not just a passing trend but a growing niche in the tourism sector, promising significant benefits for destination marketers. By focusing on pet-friendly attractions, creating special perks, developing destination guides tailored to pet owners, and sharing authentic pet experiences, destinations can appeal to pet-loving travelers. Embracing these strategies offers a path to increased tourism revenue and enhanced visitor experiences, making destinations more inviting for travelers and their furry companions.
