On holiday with your dog or cat: they don't give it up 6,1 million Italians, giving rise to a turnover of pet tourism for 9,5 billion euros (Coldiretti /Ixè and Jfc data).
Pet tourism: the boom in vacations with dogs and cats
August, the symbolic month of holidays and days dedicated to dogs and cats (August 8th World Cat Day e August 26th World Dog Day), confirms a boom in travel: the 54% of owners travel with your pet and the 58 % declares that he prefers her company to that of friends or family. An increasingly deeper relationship that pushes the 52% of travellers to plan your vacation based on the possibility of bringing your pet along. The analysis of over 41.000 transfers highlights a clear prevalence of dogs (30.000 versus 15.000 cats), with an average of 1,43 animals per familyThese numbers require increasingly careful planning, including health documentation, certifications, and entry regulations.
According to the Global Pet Travel Data Report 2026 Italy confirms itself as one of the most welcoming destinations for those travelling with pets, conquering the8th place in the world top 10 of pet-friendly destinations preceded by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Spain.
In our country, this summer, the favorite destinations for pet owners will be the mountains and the Apennines. Among the regions considered the most welcoming for those traveling with pets, the Trentino Alto Adige, Followed by Emilia Romagna and Lombardy e Toscana.
A 9,5 billion market, but the scourge of abandonment remains
Il pet tourism valid in Italy 9 billion and 560 million euros in the summer of 2026, but could almost double reaching 15,8 billion If the industry were to overcome its resistance to pet travelers, this is what emerges from the research. Jfc. A demographic fact also gives an idea of the phenomenon: in Italy there are approximately 1,000 registered dogs and cats. 16,5 million, or 2,3 times the number of children under the age of 14A proportion that rescales the idea of pet tourism as a niche and places it among the structural segments of tourism demand.
Despite the progress made in terms of reception, the problem of abandonment remains. Coldiretti, especially in the summer months it focuses on the 30 % of the 130 thousand animals which are abandoned every year in Italy, a phenomenon that represents not only a grave act of cruelty, but also a risk to road safety and a cost to the community.
