Increasingly, rural tourism accommodation is geared towards offering travellers options for travelling with their pets. According to a report by the specialized portal EscapadaRural.com, 40% of the rural lodgings offered in this portal have been oriented towards clients with pets. Among them, the offer of Extremadura, Galicia and Murcia is particularly noteworthy, as they have opted for the petfriendly route, which is in increasing demand.
In fact, the figures forecast for this month of August favour these establishments, which will reach 44% occupancy, two points above the general average (42%).
According to Ana Alonso, the portal’s Communication Director, “rural tourism today offers the best option for those who wish to spend the summer with their pets, although for many it is still an unknown alternative”. Today, most families choose to leave them in a kennel or kennel, while others take much more drastic measures. According to official data from 2017, up to 104,447 dogs were abandoned and collected in shelters in Spain.
Navarre, Asturias and Catalonia: favourite destinations in August
In relation to the general data of occupation and according to the 9,000 calendars updated in Escapadarural.com, rural tourism in Spain presents an occupancy forecast of 42% for the month of August, four points below the average occupancy recorded in this same period last year. The volume of reserves registered for what is still the most popular holiday month, is concentrated in the north of the country and the coastal areas, so the weather is an important factor that may cause this percentage of reserves to vary.
Navarra (59%), Asturias (58%), Catalonia and the Canary Islands (52%) are the territories most in demand by rural tourists. The Top 10 of the forecast by region is completed by Murcia, with a reserve index of 51%, Andalusia, 48%, Galicia, with 47%, Cantabria and Basque Country, with 45% each and Valencia, with 39%. The figures clearly reflect a trend of rural tourists along the coastal territories, making destinations such as Castilla-La Mancha, La Rioja or Madrid stand in the queue in the forecasts for this August.