19 June 2009

A growing number of Britons are choosing to take their pets on holiday with them, new figures have reported.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the latest figures from Best Western hotels reveal that there has been a 150 per cent increase in the number of bookings from people wanting to bring their dogs with them on holiday this year.

One reason for the surge could be down to the recession, as more people choose to bring their four-legged friends on holiday with them rather than paying for their dog to spend time in kennels over the summer.

"There's been a huge uptake of rooms by dog owners and their pets in the past 12 months," Best Western spokesman Chris Webb told the newspaper.

Best Western is well-positioned to respond to the needs of customers wanting to take their pooches with them on their holidays and the hotel chain has won several awards in the past for its pet-friendly services.

Met Office predictions of a hot summer, combined with shrinking budgets caused by the recession, have led to a surge in the number of Britons planning to holiday in the UK this summer.

That can also result in more people taking their pets on holiday with them, because they do not have to worry about issues such as quarantine.