Tourism campaign to stimulate your dog

VISIT Victoria is putting your next short-break in the paws of your dog with the world’s first tourism campaign optimised for dogs. The campaign, developed by Clemenger BBDO, highlights how dogs love the quality experiences of regional Victoria as much as much as their pet owners and non-pet owners alike. It is the first digital tourism campaign optimised to stimulate dogs’ sight and sound, featuring content curated by local pet-fluencers @MyAussieTribe, @Tomandcaptain, @ChandlerThePug and @HuckAndCo.

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Australia tops for dog friendly beaches

BEACHES in Brisbane, Perth and Floreat all top the recommendations; Melbourne has the most dog-friendly cafes and South Bank in Brisbane is the number one place to walk a four legged friend in #Australia, according to a list of the 100 most pet-friendly places in the world, recommended by more than ten thousand members of TrustedHousesitters.com. 

From over 54,000 locations that were recommended worldwide, 20 Aussie places made the top 100 list, pipped at the post by the UK with 30, followed by the USA with 26. Australia took the top spot for the world’s most pet-friendly beaches, while the UK had the most pet friendly tourist attractions.

1.   South Bank, Brisbane (world #7) 

2.   North Stradbroke Island, Moreton Bay, Queensland (world #12) 

3.   Hahndorf German Settlement, Adelaide Hills (world #21) 

4.   Safety Bay, Perth, Western Australia (world #26) 

5.   Big Banana, New South Wales (world #29) 

6.   Watiparinga Reserve, Adelaide, South Australia (world #36) 

7.   Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve, Victoria (world #38) 

8.   Gold Coast, Broadwater, Queensland (world #39) 

9.   Floreat/Peasholm Dog Beach, Floreat, Western Australia (world #42) 

10. Lights In The Attic café, Hawthorn, Melbourne (world #44)
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Teach your dog new tricks

#DOG-FRIENDLY Cotswolds inn, the Old Swan & Minster Mill in Minster-Lovell, is running canine etiquette classes this summer. 

The training and behaviour lessons are organised by the hotel's partners, Cotswolds Pet Services, and take place in a wildflower field behind the property.

Lessons include obedience training, puppy to adult training, gundog training, dog behaviour, and water training. The lessons start with an initial assessment, followed by dog environment training, dietary advice, and tips for guests to take away. Lessons start from £15 per dog for an hour-long class.

Upcoming classes:

23 July, 3pm

20 August, 3pm

24 September, 3pm

19 November, 2pm

http://oldswanandminstermill.com

 

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£387 million spent on pet-perfect holidays

BRITISH holidaymakers spend £387 million extra on their holidays each year in order to take their pet dogs away with them, according to research by #Pets at Home and holidaycottages.co.uk. 

The survey found that:

• 89 percent of pet owners take their pets – mostly dogs – away with them.
• Almost a fifth spend at least £75 extra on top of the usual accommodation and entertaining costs for their pets. 
• Five percent spend £101-£250 extra and 1 percent spend up to £500 to ensure their pets gets the perfect break. 
• 14 percent said they would rather take their pet instead of a partner on holiday 
• Of the 1,200 people surveyed, 30 percent said they had missed a holiday in order to avoid leaving their pet behind. 

Pet owners are keen to scope out the destination and prepare for any eventuality. 86 percent take time to research pet-friendly things to do, and almost 40 percent will buy new travel accessories or equipment before a holiday, spending on average £11-£20 each time.

Pets at Home is working in partnership with holiday letting agent holidaycottages.co.uk to make life simpler for those looking to take their pet away on holiday. The partnership sees benefits for Pets at Home’s VIP club members when booking through www.petsathome.com/dogsgofree.

To book a dog-friendly holiday through a VIP membership visit www.petsathome.com/dogsgofree

For more information on holidaycottages.co.uk, go to www.holidaycottages.co.uk


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Get those hound-pounds!

WITH almost a third of holidaymakers basing their entire holiday around how suitable the destination is for their pet – and 72% of dog owners saying they would take more holidays in the UK if there was a better attitude towards dogs – VisitScotland is urging businesses to expand their #pet-friendly potential. 

A report by the national tourism organization highlights ways businesses can improve their animal instincts, potentially providing a multi-million pound boost to Scotland’s visitor economy. Research found that holidays with pets had an average spend of an extra £126 compared to holidays without them, while more than two thirds consider their dogs as family members when booking holidays.

The pet market has continued to grow in recent years and is now worth more than £4 billion. With an estimated 12 million households in Britain owning a pet, including 8.5 million dogs, the economic benefits of expanding pet offerings to domestic visitors could be hugely significant, says VisitScotland.

Analysis of searches on visitscotland.com found that there was 95% more interest in pet-related searches compared to searches for romantic holidays.

The release of the trends paper follows the launch of VisitScotland’s search for an ‘Ambassadog’ to set their ‘paw of approval’ on journeys across Scotland. It looking for a four-legged friend to follow in his or her owner’s footsteps, taking in everything Scotland has to offer – all to be documented on social media.

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: ‘#Scotland is the perfect destination for pet owners, with our spacious parks and award-winning beaches providing an excellent environment for furry friends. Pet tourism has the possibility to be worth millions to Scotland’s visitor economy and this latest paper offers some great tips for businesses on how to become more pet friendly, unlocking the potential of this lucrative market.’

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Lettings guide for dog-lovers

UK lettings company, holidaycottages.co.uk, has launched a dedicated micro-site, Dog Spot, devoted to making sure pampered pooches get a good break.

More than 13,000 dogs took their 2014 get-away with holidaycottages.co.uk, and the total to date this year is 8,000.

#DogSpot features the agency’s pet-friendly accommodation guru, Sage, who is a 12-year-old Chocolate Labrador will be reviewing her stays in properties up and down the country. 

The company handles more than 1,200 #dog-friendly properties across the UK, from traditional cottages to modern holiday homes with enclosed gardens and swimming pools.

www.holidaycottages.co.uk/dog-spot

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