Pet-friendliness in hospitality and tourism: Definition, scope, and governance

Pet-friendliness is a widely used hospitality label, yet it remains poorly defined and inconsistently specified. This paper clarifies what pet-friendly tourism means and how its scope is delimited within hospitality and tourism. Drawing on a systematic literature review and evidence from a global mixed-method survey, it shows that pet-friendliness extends beyond unrestricted pet access or isolated amenities and operates as a governance-mediated form of conditional inclusion supported by clear rules, appropriate infrastructure, staff practices, welfare, hygiene, safety, and coexistence management. Respondents converge on a stable core meaning, with variation arising primarily around tolerance for partial or restrictive arrangements. The findings provide an operational definition that can guide more comparable hospitality research, policy development, and managerial decision-making.