Data sheet · Updated July 2026

Travelling with pets statistics 2026

The figures below describe travelling with pets as tracked by TravelTrends.io in 2026: estimated global market size of $18B, growing 27% year on year, with an average spend of $1,200 per trip over 4 days.

Market size

$18B

Global estimate, USD

Growth

+27%

Year on year

Average spend

$1,200

Per traveler, per trip

Trip length

4 days

Average duration

Opportunity

81/100

Demand vs supply gap

Competition

medium

Supply saturation

Who travels and from where

Top source marketsUnited States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia
SeasonalitySummer road-trip peak
Maturitygrowing
CategoryFamily & Access
Booking lead timePeak summer road-trip weekends book 2-4 months out; shoulder-season weekends 2-6 weeks; national-park windows in the US and Patagonia book 6-9 months ahead as pet-permitted cabins are scarce.
Booking channelsBooking.com and Expedia pet-friendly filters (the most-used discovery surface), BringFido and GoPetFriendly — verticals with vetted pet policies and reviews, Direct hotel booking after confirming the pet policy by phone or chat, Airbnb and Vrbo filtered by 'pets allowed' with clear house rules, Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and Hipcamp for camping and cabin road trips

Where the money goes

US pet industry expenditure reached $147B in 2023 with pet services (grooming, boarding, travel) growing double digits (APPA). Pet travel adds a measurable premium: Booking.com and Expedia report pet-inclusive stays commanding 15-25% higher ADR than the same room without a pet fee, and average trip length is 1-2 nights longer because owners avoid same-day drives with dogs. The pet-friendly hotel segment is projected to grow at ~7-9% CAGR through 2030 (Grand View Research, Fortune Business Insights). Ancillary spend on dog menus, walking services and grooming adds $40-$120 per stay.

What is changing in 2026

  • Booking.com's Pet-Friendly Travel Predictions consistently rank pets as a top booking filter, with over half of pet owners refusing to travel without them
  • Hilton, Kimpton, Marriott's Aloft and Virgin Hotels compete on branded pet programs (Canine Concierge, PAW, Loews Loves Pets)
  • Air travel: JSX, JetBlue and airBaltic expand in-cabin pet policies; Bark Air launches dog-first charter service in 2024
  • Rise of dog-inclusive weddings and multi-generational trips with the family dog as a planned guest
  • Pet insurance and telehealth vet apps (Fuzzy, AirVet) reduce the travel-risk barrier
  • National parks and protected areas piloting expanded pet-permitted trails to capture the segment without ecological cost

Sources

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