The rise of pet-friendly travel: Bookings for vacations welcoming dogs surge by 260 percent

It looks like 2026 is going to be the year of “ruff” travel, with interest in dog-welcome experiences surging.

Tripadvisor reports that bookings for vacation activities suitable for four-legged family members have soared by over 260 percent year-on-year.

Travelers are increasingly building entire vacations around what will work for their pets, from luxury amenities to animal encounters, according to the travel guidance platform.

In a statement, it lists examples such as the Monterey Bay Famous Dog Friendly Electric Bike and Sidecar Tour, and the Dog Friendly Sedona Outlaw Trail.

The data comes from Tripadvisor’s latest “Trendcast report,” based on search, booking and behavioral data, along with user-generated content from over one billion reviews and contributions.

According to the study, appetites for extreme adventures are also up, with glacier tour bookings growing by 29 percent, lava field excursions by 79 percent and heli-hiking adventures by 56 percent.

Tripadvisor is also seeing a boom in fitness tourism, with travelers booking vacations around running marathons, from Patagonia to Chicago.

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Child-led trips are also more popular in 2026, with experience bookings with children’s tickets up 19 percent year-on-year. Tripadvisor says it’s seeing strong growth in heritage tours (up by 40 percent) and cooking classes (up by 47 percent) that are suitable for families.

Bookable music experiences are also surging in popularity, with DJ sets on the water up by 29 percent and visits to vinyl-focused venues like Tokyo’s Bar Martha and New York’s Public Records up by 64 percent.

"This year's Trendcast continues to reflect a shift in how people are approaching travel, with experiences increasingly leading travel decisions," said Laurel Greatrix, chief communications officer at Tripadvisor.

"Travelers are prioritizing experiences that create local connection, offer physical challenge, and make it easier for the whole group to say yes.

“These aren't fringe behaviors — they're reshaping how trips get planned."