Survey: 94% of travelers would trade amenities for pet-friendly accommodations
The polls are in -- and the preference is for pet-friendly accommodations.
It's not a surprise that the growing demand of pet parents is for better accommodation and travel options for pets. As pet ownership increased during the pandemic and the psychology that pets are part of the family is putting pressure on the travel industry to provide better pet travel services. Over the past few months, several hotel chains like Hilton and Kimpton Hotels have announced how they are accommodating for these changes, but that's just the beginning and they are leading the way for other hotel chains to also accommodate for this demand.
Currently, hotels and airlines alike look for ancillary services to provide a better customer experience by offering added-value services throughout their booking journey or throughout their stay; however, it's evident that the "elephant in the room" is really that travelers are wanting to travel more easily with their entire family, and that means their pets too.
A survey done by Wag! found that 70% of frequent travelers almost always seek out pet-friendly hotels, and 94% would trade away at least one common amenity—like a hotel bar—in exchange for more pet-friendly policies. The majority of respondents would even trade away concierge services and gym access. So as new hotels or existing hotels look at their strategy for customer loyalty or improving their services now that travel has returned in full force, it's going to be critical for them to adopt more pet-friendly policies.
Pet-Friendly Hotel Survey by Wag!
Here are some other highlights from the survey as mentioned in the original announcement posted on Hotel Business:
- Putting pet needs ahead of your own: 26% of pet parents rank “pet friendly” as the top hotel attribute, ahead of service, convenience, comfort and even affordability.
- The struggle is real: 84% have encountered at least one issue with overnight accommodations when traveling with their dog or cat.
- Transportation proves troublesome: 56% of frequent travelers have experienced confusion or other issues with the location of their dog on a plane.
- Because they’re worth it: 36% would pay more than $100 per night extra for pet-friendly hotel accommodations.
- Removing the hurdles would make a world of difference: If they had no obstacles in doing so, 59% would bring their pets when traveling all or most of the time.
It's to no surprise that we keep seeing announcements around hotels and airlines launching pet-friendly policies to accommodate for the growing trend and demands -- which in the end is the customer. We can certainly see that 3-5 years down the line, most airlines and hotels will offer pet-friendly options and allow for more inclusive travel for those with pets. Pawtrip is at the forefront of that mission by providing a reservation system and ancillary service to help airlines, hotels and other travel companies with the solutions they need to have a completely improved system and process for travelers with pets.
About Wag! and Kimpton Partnership
Wag! recently partnered with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants to offer a bevy of pet-friendly benefits on-site—a first for a major hotel brand. “Wag!’s survey findings reinforce what we continue to hear from our guests—that meaningful pet offerings and amenities are more important than ever for pet parents,” said Kathleen Reidenbach, chief commercial officer, Kimpton. “At Kimpton, we are proud of our best-in-class pet amenities, which now include on-property and at-home walks and drop-ins through our partnership with Wag!”