| Knoxville, TN --- August 28, 2003 ---- Doggone
it! The boom is on. Pets are fast becoming America�s newest growing travel
group. Sources at the Travel Industry Association estimate that 14 % of
Americans who vacation this year, will do so with the family pet. The American
Automobile Association reports that 78% of those travel with dogs, 15%
take their cats and 2% take their birds while the other 5% take such other
pets as rabbits, fish, turtles, and ferrets.
As pets take to the road in mass, pet-friendly lodging becomes the vacation stop of choice for pet-lovers everywhere. The people who run America�s pet-friendly inns are barking up the right tree. And if that isn�t the cat�s meow, innkeepers are yowling as cash registers are ringing and dinging as fast as traveling pet lovers discover their pet-friendly accommodations. BringYourPet.com has made the �discovery� easy by listing hotels, motels, inns, B&B�s, cabins and condos that provide for traveling pets. Along with state-by-state listings, the Website offers free and helpful information regarding pet care, travel tips and links to other pet sites. Recent additions to the Web site include properties from such familiar names as La Quinta, Best Western, Marriott, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Suites, Days Inn, Kelly Inn and Baymont Inn to let pet owners know about their comfortable pet-friendly lodging at affordable prices. BringYourPet.com spokesman Brian Bailey said, �We pet lovers have traveled that road where finding a hotel that takes pets is like looking for a flea on a sheepdog. Now the travel industry is wising up as more and more lodges become pet-friendly beacons. The pet travel industry is booming and it�s only going to get bigger. We want to be on the cutting edge of helping pet lovers find quality, affordable pet accommodations with none of the usual hassle.� A whole industry is springing up around pet travel. For example, pet food manufacturer IAMS produces pet food in a neat edible package to avoid the mess of mixing food and washing bowls. These prepared meals make pet travel more convenient by far and cleaner for hotels. Privileged pooch packages are being offered by some upscale inns such as pet menus for room service, pet-sitters, pet spas and pet baskets filled with goodies. Pet-friendly incentives are growing as innkeepers seek to attract the millions of travelers who travel with their pets. Pets have garnered devotion in the form of millions of dollars from
pet lovers. As the pet travel industry dreams up more products for easier
travel with pets such as travel pillows, pet seat belts and travel beds,
it seems more and more hoteliers are joining the trend. Some upscale hotels
offer luxury packages for pets as well as comfortable, affordable lodging.
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