Perceptions of pet-accompanying tourism: Pet owners vs. nonpet owners

This study used a mixed-methods design combining qualitative interviews (30 respondents: pet owners and nonpet owners) and quantitative questionnaires (832 valid samples) based on the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore the formation of behavioral intentions in pet owners and nonpet owners in pet-friendly tourism destinations. This study found that the green environment of tourism destinations significantly affects behavioral intention, specifically for pet owners. In contrast, perceived constraints had no significant effect on behavioral intentions. In addition, although pet owners and nonpet owners showed consistency in their attitudes toward pet tourism, there was a significant difference in the importance they placed on a green environment. This finding not only enriches the application of the TPB in the field of pet tourism, but also emphasizes the importance of the green environment in pet tourism planning and provides the industry with targeted recommendations for improvement.