Pet-friendly travel surge in Italy: over 6 million tourists bring pets on vacation

A summer survey by Facile.it and EMG found that 6.3 million Italians travelled with a pet, 57 % of them dogs and 32 % cats. A separate JFC study projects that by 2026 nearly 4 million families will take at least one pet holiday, generating about 73 million tourist visits and €9.56 billion in revenue, with potential upside to €15.8 billion if the market matures.

The biggest barrier remains logistics: 40 % of pet owners forgo travel because of booking difficulties, and only 10.7 % report no problems. Key concerns are lack of nearby veterinary services (22.2 % overall, rising to 34.7 % among 25‑34‑year‑olds), risk of illness or injury (18 %) and possible damage to accommodation (13.6 %). Nearly half of owners (47.3 %) purchase dedicated pet‑travel insurance.

Preferred domestic destinations are mountain or Apennine areas, with Trentino‑Alto Adige leading, followed by Emilia‑Romagna and Tuscany. Abroad, France remains the top choice, ahead of Spain and Germany. Italy hosts over 130,000 pet‑friendly rentals on platforms like Airbnb, the highest share in Europe, though transport rules—particularly on trains—remain fragmented.

Cold‑retti/Ixè estimates an even larger figure of 8.5 million Italians traveling with pets this summer, including dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, turtles and fish. Heat‑wave conditions have intensified the need for water, shade and ventilation. While 31 % keep pets with them, 60 % rely on relatives, friends or pet‑friendly facilities; 9 % are forced to leave animals behind. Summer also sees a rise in abandoned animals, with roughly 130 000 dogs and cats reported stray each year.