Dog-owning holidaymakers urged to paws for thought

January 15, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 2023

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Dog-owning holidaymakers urged to paws for thought as costs of travel abroad mount up

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New analysis shows cost of self-catering break to popular European destinations is 270% more on average than a UK break in a dog-friendly cottage
Professional dog care adds up to 21% to total cost of a like-for-like break abroad
Londoners paying 24% more for dog boarding fees than other UK areas

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Where, and if, to holiday this year is a hot topic for millions of households while the cost of living crisis bites. And for dog owners, that means an added layer of logistics and costs if heading overseas in arranging for pet care.

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Demand for travel is still high despite economic turmoil as Brits look to put the forced restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic behind them, but soaring prices mean value breaks abroad are being sought out by more and more consumers*. For those with furry friends in the family, that’s often made harder by the extra strain on the wallet of dog boarding costs for the duration of their trip.

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Travel experts Dog Friendly Cottages have crunched the numbers to compare the true costs of a foreign break with the outlay for a UK staycation in thousands of holiday homes canine companions can enjoy too.

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With self-catering accommodation, flights and the cost of professional dog care included, they found the average price per person per night across the most popular destinations in Europe for UK tourists booking this April was £162. That’s £100 per person per night more than the average cost of a dog-friendly break to Scotland, the highest priced UK area outside London - a £700 difference across the course of a one-week break.

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The research also showed:

Dog owners in London face the highest costs to have their pet looked after in their absence - rates are 24% more on average than Scotland, the most affordable area for both kennels and home dog boarding**
At £203 per person per night, including accommodation, flights and dog boarding costs, Greece was the most expensive of the foreign destinations analysed*** - 320% more than a dog-friendly break in Yorkshire
Portugal worked out as the cheapest of the foreign destinations analysed, at £133 per person per night - still an average of 197% more than a dog-friendly stay in the UK
The average price difference between a self-catering break abroad and a dog-friendly UK stay is 270%
Professional dog care added on average 21% to the cost of a foreign holiday if using home boarding services, and 14% if using kennels

For more information and full insights, please visit: https://www.dogfriendlycottages.co.uk/cost-foreign-travel-dog-owners

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Dog Friendly Cottages has also shared its own data comparing the average booking price for each UK region across tens of thousands of its properties, excluding London, this spring. Northern Ireland worked out as the cheapest at £27.59 per person per night, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (£35.14), the North East (£35.63), Wales (£36.04) and the East Midlands (£39.16).

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The West Midlands (£40.94), South West (£43.33), North West (£43.34), East of England (£45.21), South East (£49.15) and Scotland (£59.82) made up the rest.

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Matt Fox, CEO and co-founder of Dog Friendly Cottages, said: “Every dog owner wants their pet to be well looked after and loved on the occasions they have to be apart and not everyone is lucky enough to have friends and family on hand to call in a favour with.

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“Our research shows that the cost of peace of mind can add a big, and no doubt in some cases unaffordable, extra outlay to holidaying away. We’re really proud at Dog Friendly Cottages to offer thousands of great value stays at some wonderful locations all across the UK for dog lovers and their pets to enjoy together.”

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Dog Friendly Cottages has more than 40,000 pet-friendly properties listed all across the UK including cottages, lodges, apartments and more, so dog lovers can take their canine companions along for the break too. Some of its stunning homes-away-from-home include a former watermill in Cornwall, the ‘Hideout’ overlooking the Herefordshire countryside or the picturesque Jasmine Cottage in Dorset.

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Ends

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Notes to Editors

*https://www.abta.com/news/foreign-holiday-back-new-abta-holiday-habits-report-reveals-how-much

**Dog Friendly Cottages independently analysed the prices on dozens of dog kennel websites and home-boarding listings in each UK region as follows:

Average cost per night of dog boarding, by region

Kennels per night

Home boarding per night

North East

Kennel per night = £16.60

£27.60

North West

Kennel per night = £18.65

Home boarding per night = £28.00

Midlands and East

Kennel per night = £17.50

Home boarding per night = £29.40

South West

Kennel per night = £21.40

Home boarding per night = £27.80

South East

Kennel per night =£25.00

Home boarding per night = £27.80

London

Kennel per night = £25.00

Home boarding per night = £31.00

Scotland

Kennel per night = £14.90

Home boarding per night = £25.00

Wales

Kennel per night = £15.80

Home boarding per night = £28.00

***Foreign holiday prices were analysed based on two adults booking in April, using self-catering accommodation sourced from AirBnB and Booking.com and the cheapest possible flights from the UK to each destination country (Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece) as quoted by SkyScanner

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