Charleston welcomes Fido
First published in the Charleston Business Journal Daily Newsletter

AAA has named Charleston the most pet-friendly city in South Carolina in its new travel guide for pet owners.

“Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook” lists 13,000 hotels and accommodations nationwide that allow pets.

“Nearly 70 million U.S. homes have at least one pet, a sizeable and lucrative market segment for the travel and tourism industry,” said Bill Wood, executive director of AAA Publishing.

According to Wood, 28% more hotels are pet-friendly now than were in 2003. The Travel Industry Association claims 29 million travelers take their pet with them; 78% of those pets are dogs. TIA found hotel pet policies affected 35% of those surveyed on their decision for lodging.

Charleston has 25 lodgings that accept pets. Although the city is No. 1 in South Carolina, it was not among those ranked nationally. The No. 1 pet-friendly city in the United States is Houston, which boasts 108 pet-accessible lodgings, three off-the-leash dog parks and 20 emergency veterinary hospitals.