CASE STUDY: The world’s first luxury travel agency for dogs

The expression usually goes “have the world at your feet”, but Luxury Pet Travel would rather say “have the world at your paws”. Meet the world’s first online travel agency, fully dedicated to people travelling with their dogs – or dogs travelling with their people in a cosmopolitan manner. Luxury Pet Travel’s adventure started just a year ago. Travelling the world with her dog, Emanuela Nardini, founder of Luxury Pet Travel, realised how little guidance there is. Although they themselves were experienced “dog-travellers”, it remained difficult to gather much needed information about hotel policies, what kind of pet necessities are available and what accommodations and services the hotel provides to make the trip and the stay highly enjoyable, or even possible. And if there was little information, there was even less knowledge regarding what the cities had to offer for those travelling with their dogs. That is how the idea and business was born. Luxury Pet Travel aims to provide information, inspiration, intermediation, guidance and booking services to the cosmopolitan and dog-loving hotel guest and traveller. The company's idea and business is new and ground breaking. "We are unique, the interest is great and the market potential is huge," says co-founder Siobhan Kelly. The idea is primarily to create a network and a guide of recommended luxury hotels, but the ambition is also to make a difference by inviting and encouraging the hotels to become more aware, interested and accommodating. We can also collaborate and guide hotels in this process. For the hotels, it’s a great opportunity to reach and attract beneficial guests with a new selling point and service, warmly recommended to exclusive guests. "This is just the beginning of a new and very interesting market with vast potential," says Siobhan Kelly. Just as the owners and founders of Luxury Pet Travel love exclusive hotels, they have a great passion for high-end fashion. The followers and visitors of the website, the blog and LPT’s social media can expect tips and inspiration about the latest and best luxuriant travel accessories, brands and fashion suitable for both humans and dogs, everything you need to travel together in great style. Luxury Pet Travel´s blog has just been launched. The founders currently have their hands and paws full with researching which hotels would - or could - be suitable for a collaboration and a recommendation, establishments well worth “a paw of approval”. The president of Luxury Pet Travel has nothing to add, except a tail wagging expectantly. After all, his name is Chocolate and he is a French bulldog. The Swedish travel tech company HappyBooking (http://www.happybooking.se/en) will deliver a customized version of their OTA booking platform to Luxury Pet Travel.