Bidango shows increased requests for pet-friendly holidays

June 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Some people wouldn’t even think of taking their pets on holiday, and happily indulge themselves in the stress of booking a kennel/cattery, or asking around for a “petsitter”. However in increasing numbers holidaymakers are quite literally packing “doggie bags”, and according to P&O Ferries, 2012 is set to be a record-breaking year for the number of pets holidaying abroad, with pets carried on their ferry services set to double to a remarkable 40,000.

This increase may well be as a result of DEFRA’s new Pet Travel Scheme, which allows pets returning to the country to pass freely without having to undergo a six-month quarantine period. The “PETS” scheme, first introduced in 2001, allows pets to have their own “Pet Passport” – designed to drastically speed up and simplify travel with and transport of animals between different countries.

However, the stats from TravelSupermarket suggest that the increase may also be down to more affectionate reasons, with almost a third of respondents admitting that they would rather go on holiday with their pets than even their immediate family. Indeed, it does seem that British travellers are becoming less willing to part with their pampered pets.

But despite the relaxed DEFRA rules, many pet-lovers prefer a more trouble-free route, choosing instead to take a “staycation” with their four-legged friends here in the UK. Undoubtedly the best way to holiday in the UK with your pet is by staying in a self-catered rental, as more and more homeowners now welcome pets and don’t levy any extra canine/feline based charges. Bidango has a wide range of pet-friendly self-catered rentals in the UK, and best of all, all of them are discounted – so you can have a great UK break with all the family (including animals!) without having to break the bank.

Bidango is a new and exciting platform where holidaymakers can bid on self-catered properties in auction, harnessing the potential for huge discounts on some of the finest rental homes available. Launched by leading holiday rental website pureholidayhomes.com, Bidango offers a unique and interactive opportunity to secure fantastic discount holidays. With no agency commissions (typically 20% - 40%) by booking direct with the owner, Bidango confidently predicts that a further 20% - 30% saving on certain weeks can be achieved for price sensitive holidaymakers willing to bid for their break. Savvy travellers can keep an eye on the best deals and pick up a bargain with huge savings to be made, and homeowners can fill late availability and cancellations by putting their property in auction.

The market opportunity for homeowners
•   Circa 6 million holiday homeowners in Europe and North America who rent their homes for an average of 14 weeks per year*. Creating millions of unsold weeks each year.
•   Since 2008 reduction in net disposable wealth and a weaker exchange rate has led to UK based holiday homeowners looking to increase the amount of income they generate from their property.
•   Until now no specific destination website for holiday homeowners to sell discounted available weeks/short breaks.
Will appeal to: Advertisers looking to sell more out of season weeks, selling last minute cancellations, achieving premium rates for peak weeks.

The opportunity for holidaymakers
•   Year on year rise in late bookings, in July 2011 pureholidayhomes.com saw an increase of 36% in last minute enquiries compared to 2010. According to Hotwire.com, 49% of their users will book only two to four weeks before travel
•   pureholidayhomes.com also reports a 67% increase in holidaymakers asking for deals or discounts.
Will appeal to: retirees, group holidays, pre-kids, families who like booking late for a deal, flexible short trips and city breaks.

To check out the latest deals, visit the website: http://www.bidango.co.uk

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For further press information please contact Nick Comber on Tel: 01753 569 870 or Email:  ncomber@pureholidayhomes.com